Marathi food has a special place among lovers of spicy dishes, and one of the most popular items on that list is thecha beef.

Made by combining the heat of Maharashtra's traditional thecha with spiced beef, the dish is both distinctive and full of flavour. The sharp taste of green chillies, garlic and special spices is hard to forget once tried, and it can be made at home with a few simple ingredients.

First wash the green chillies, garlic and coriander leaves well and drain off the water. Sprinkle a little salt in a flat pan and dry-toast the ingredients lightly. Once toasted, crush them finely in a blender or on a grinding stone to make a paste.

Meanwhile, rub the beef with ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, salt and ground black pepper, cover and set aside for a while so the spices soak into the meat. Then add a little water and cook the meat on the stove or in a pressure cooker until almost tender. Keep aside the stock left after boiling.

Heat oil in a karai and add thinly sliced onions. Sprinkle a little salt and fry slowly until the onions turn a good brown. When the onions have caramelised, add the boiled meat and stir-fry on high heat until it turns a light reddish-brown.

Mix in the green chilli, garlic and coriander paste made earlier and stir for a while until the spices release their aroma. Then pour in the reserved stock and keep cooking on high heat.

When the liquid has dried and the meat is almost fried, sprinkle chilli flakes, lemon juice and chopped coriander over the top and take it off the heat. Serve this hot and spicy thecha beef with plain rice, pulao or roti.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.