What is this Beef Curry, actually?
For the life of me, I could not figure out what to call this recipe. It’s not anything I grew up with, or had ever heard of, until I had the mind-blowing experience of tasting it. My cousin’s mom-in-law, who introduced us to it, calls it Isto, which I believe is ‘stew’ lost in transliteration. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! Still, I found the name ‘stew’ unsettling. The meat is not wading in gravy like it would in a stew. I see no vegetables. Sleepless nights, I tell you. Beef Korma, Bhunna Gosht (Sautéed meat), Beef Masala…It has elements of all these dishes, but it’s not any of them. Luckily, my Instagram community came to the rescue and told me, yes, indeed, Ishtu (pronounced “Ishtew”) is a recipe in which beef is cooked in lots of onion and whole spices (or khara masala). It’s more like a curry, but I’ll pay homage to the history of South Asian cuisine and also refer to it as a stew.
Ingredients You’ll Need
While this recipe calls for several whole spices, they’re actually the most commonly used spices in Indian and Pakistani cooking and most are readily available at major grocery stores. Other than the whole spices, this recipe requires simple ingredients like onions, yogurt, garlic, and ginger. Almonds are a must to enhance the texture and give it a luxurious, Mughal-inspired finish.
How To Make Pakistani Beef Curry In The Instant Pot
This is the easiest of my Instant Pot recipes. Here’s how to make it: In case you’re wondering, here’s the Instant Pot I use. And if you love IP recipes, check out these 15+ Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes.
What Cut of Beef to Use
I use pre-cut beef stew meat, the same as the meat for nihari or haleem. Stew meat is essentially boneless beef that comes from the front shoulder (chuck) or rear muscle (round). If the type of stew meat is specified, I look for shoulder, as I’ve found it to be more tender. For this recipe, you want the stew pieces to be 1-2 inches. If they’re longer, you may need to cut them in half.
How Long Does It Take to Make Pakistani Beef Curry (or Stew) in the Instant Pot?
My Instant Pot sets a timer of 45 minutes on high pressure when I select the Meat/Stew setting. I like to allow it to naturally release for 10-15 minutes to allow the water to stop boiling and the meat to get even more tender. The longest part of this recipe is sautéing at the end. Apart from that, there’s very little work to be done. An hour and 30 minutes is around the time it’ll take (mostly hands off) to make this. To speed things up, you can also sauté out the excess water over the stovetop.
Tips to make Pakistani Beef Curry in the Instant Pot:
If you want the onions to be more prominent, thinly slice them. I finely chop them. Feel free to adjust the quantities to your taste. The basic rule is: more yogurt + onion = more sauté time but also more masala in the end product less yogurt + onion = less sauté time but also less masala in the end product Because we’re pressure cooking on high, the yogurt will curdle. That’ll resolve itself as you sauté it down.
How to make this Beef Curry on the Stovetop
Though I haven’t tried it myself, this recipe can easily be made over the stovetop. Just add all the ingredients for Instant Pot along with enough water to cover the meat. Then bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer for 2 1/2 -3 hours or until tender. Sauté out any extra moisture and add the finishing ingredients.
How to Double this recipe – Key Tip
You can easily double this recipe by doubling the ingredients and keeping the same pressure cook time. However, you’ll notice you have a lot more liquid to reduce once the meat has cooked. To prevent the meat from overcooking/shredding, take the meat out once you start sauteing/reducing down the curry. Once the masala has reduced and reached your preferred consistency, add the meat back in. This will prevent the meat from starting to shred while you stir. (I like a little shredding, but too much will lead to an overly delicious pulled beef recipe.)
Serving Suggestions
Since this is a relatively dry curry, it goes best with roti or naan, or any bread of choice. That’s the best way to experience it’s nuance and texture. This Beef Curry also pairs well with Masoor Dal. As usual, discard the whole spices as you eat. Leftover ideas: Remove whole spices, lightly shred the beef, and roll it up in parathas, use as a filling for sandwiches, or add to stir-fries. I’ve used leftovers in tacos and even salads!
More Instant Pot Recipes
Easy Instant Pot Keema (Ground Beef Curry) Instant Pot Pakistani Chicken Curry Instant Pot Chicken Pulao (Instant Pot and Stovetop) Easy Shaami Kebob (Instant Pot and Stovetop) Instant Pot Nihari (See Slow Cooker version here)
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
