Beef and pidi

A combination native to the land, spicy beef curry paired with steamed rice dumplings is a power packed meal, be it breakfast or lunch.

Ingredients
½ kg, beef cut into small pieces
½ coconut, scraped
1 piece cinnamon
3 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp whole black pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 piece ginger chopped lengthwise
4 green chillies
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt, as required

For Pidi


1 cup rice powder
1 grated coconut
Salt, as required

Preparation
To make the beef curry
Clean the beef thoroughly
Take a clay pot (chatti), and add coconut, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fennel seeds, whole black pepper and coconut oil. Fry well
When coconut becomes brown in colour, add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder Saute well and turn off the stove. When it cools down, mix in a grinder
Boil the beef along with ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and salt in a cooker by adding the right amount of water
When the beef is cooked, add the ground masala and let it boil for some time
Turn off the stove when it becomes a medium thick gravy
To make pidi/dumplings
Take ¾ cup of rice powder and mash it like how you do it to make idiyappam (rice string hoppers), with a little water. Make small balls and keep aside
Keep aside 5 cups of coconut milk
Add the rest of the rice powder, coconut milk, and salt in a bowl and mix it well. Keep it on the stove and bring it to boil. Keep stirring
Now, add the balls to it. When it becomes slightly thick, turn off the stove and serve it with beef