Sri Lankan Beef Curry is a rich, dark, intensely spiced beef curry — beef chunks simmered in coconut milk with roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves until meltingly tender. The Sri Lankan version is distinguished by the use of roasted curry powder (darker and more complex than Indian) and coconut milk (not yogurt or cream).
Sri Lankan Beef Curry is a staple of the Sinhalese Sri Lankan table. Unlike Indian beef curries (which often use yogurt or tomato-based gravies), the Sri Lankan version uses coconut milk as the liquid and roasted Sri Lankan curry powder (which contains coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and curry leaves, roasted until dark) as the primary spice. The beef is simmered for 60+ minutes until it falls apart. The result is a dark, rich, intensely flavored curry that is served with rice at every celebration.
A bowl of dark, glossy, intensely flavored beef curry with tender chunks of meat in a rich coconut milk gravy. The roasted curry powder gives it a deep, smoky complexity; the cinnamon and cloves add warmth; the coconut milk adds richness. The beef should fall apart with a spoon.
The beef should be bone-in (for flavor) and cut into generous chunks. The curry powder is roasted (this is the key Sri Lankan step — roasting darkens and intensifies the spices). The coconut milk is added in two stages: thick first (for richness), thin later (for the gravy). The long simmer (60+ minutes) dissolves the collagen, making the meat tender and the gravy rich.
Variations
Some add goraka (garcinia) for sourness; some use more chili; some add potatoes; the beef cut varies.
On the Palate
Where Beef Curry Sri Lankan sits in the Sri Lankan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
9 steps · 30 min active + 1 hour waiting
- 15 min
Cut 800 g beef (bone-in) into chunks; season with 1 tsp salt.
- 23 min
In a pot, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil; add 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, 4 cloves, and 10 curry leaves.
- 35 min
Add 1 diced onion and 4 minced garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes.
- 42 min
Add 3 tbsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp chili powder.
Watch outRoast the curry powder in the pan until it darkens and turns fragrant — this is the Sri Lankan step that deepens and intensifies the whole curry.
- 55 min
Add the beef; brown 5 minutes.
Watch outBrown the beef to build a crust before the coconut milk goes in — searing first is what gives the gravy its depth.
- 660 min
Add 200 ml thick coconut milk and 200 ml water; simmer covered 60 minutes.
Watch outSimmer long and low until the beef is fork-tender and the gravy runs thick and dark — this is where the collagen melts and the sauce turns rich.
- 710 min
Add 200 ml thin coconut milk; simmer 10 more minutes.
- 81 min
The gravy should be thick and dark; the beef tender.
- 91 min
Serve with rice.
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