This Instant Pot Beef Curry, often called a stew or Ishtu, is a simple Pakistani-style recipe where boneless beef stew meat cooks with onions, yogurt, and whole spices. It’s a true dump-and-go dish with only about 10 minutes of prep before pressure cooking.
“This recipe is nothing short of amazing!!! There are literally indescribable flavors in every bite. Plus, the recipe layout is straightforward and simple to follow.”
Chris
Navigation
- What Is This Beef Curry, Actually?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Pakistani Beef Curry In The Instant Pot
- What Cut Of Beef To Use
- How Long Does It Take To Make Pakistani Beef Curry In The Instant Pot?
- Tips To Make Pakistani Beef Curry In The Instant Pot
- How To Make This Beef Curry On The Stovetop
- How To Double This Recipe – Key Tip
- Easy Instant Pot Beef Curry Recipe
What is this Beef Curry, actually?
This dish is a flavorful Pakistani-style curry known in some households as Ishtu (sometimes written Isto or Istu). It’s a meat-forward preparation where beef is cooked slowly with lots of onions and whole spices, resulting in a concentrated, aromatic masala. It shares elements with korma, bhunna gosht, and beef masala but stands on its own: rich, layered, and not overly saucy like a typical stew.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe uses familiar South Asian whole spices—cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and coriander—alongside everyday ingredients such as onions, yogurt, garlic, and ginger. Raw almonds are added at the end for texture and a slightly nutty, Mughal-inspired richness.
How To Make Pakistani Beef Curry In The Instant Pot
This is one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes. The method in brief:
- Marinate the beef in white vinegar and enough water to cover it. This tenderizes the meat and removes any gamey aroma.
- Add all ingredients listed under “To Pressure Cook” into the Instant Pot (order doesn’t matter). Drain and rinse the marinated beef, then add it to the pot and stir to combine. No additional water is necessary.
- Close the lid, seal, and pressure cook on High for 45 minutes (or use the Meat/Stew setting). Allow a natural pressure release for 10–15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- While the meat cooks, prepare the almonds by soaking or microwaving them briefly, then peeling the skins.
- After pressure cooking, use the High Sauté setting and reduce the liquid until the curry thickens—this step takes patience but develops the flavor. Toward the end, add crushed ginger and peeled almonds, sauté a few more minutes until the oil separates, then finish with chopped cilantro.
What Cut of Beef to Use
Use pre-cut beef stew meat (from chuck or round). Chuck/shoulder pieces are preferred because they become tender while retaining good flavor. Cut pieces into roughly 1–2 inch cubes; if pieces are longer, halve them so they cook evenly.
How Long Does It Take to Make Pakistani Beef Curry (or Stew) in the Instant Pot?
The pressure cook time is 45 minutes on high with a 10–15 minute natural release. The final sauté to reduce the liquid takes about 15–20 minutes depending on how much yogurt and onion you use. Overall, expect roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from start to finish with most time hands-off.
Tips to make Pakistani Beef Curry in the Instant Pot:
- Slicing onions thin will make them more prominent; finely chopping yields a subtler texture. Choose based on your preference.
- More yogurt and onion means more sautéing at the end to reduce moisture but yields a deeper masala. Less yogurt/onion shortens sauté time but gives a drier, bhunna-style dish.
- Yogurt may curdle under pressure; this is normal and will reintegrate as you sauté and reduce the sauce.
How to make this Beef Curry on the Stovetop
If you prefer stovetop cooking, place all the pressure-cook ingredients in a large pot with enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 2½–3 hours or until the meat is tender. Finish by sautéing to reduce excess moisture and add the almonds and ginger as directed.
How to Double this recipe – Key Tip
You can double the ingredients and keep the same pressure-cook time, but you’ll have more liquid to reduce afterward. To avoid the meat overcooking while you reduce liquid, remove the beef and reduce the masala separately on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Once the masala reaches the desired consistency, return the meat to finish.
Serving Suggestions
This relatively dry curry is best enjoyed with naan, roti, parathas, or other breads that let you soak up and appreciate the masala. It also pairs nicely with simple dals. Discard whole spices as you eat. For leftovers, remove whole spices, shred lightly, and use as a filling for parathas, sandwiches, tacos, or salads.
Recipe
Instant Pot Pakistani Beef Stew (Curry)
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 lb (454 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1–2 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
To Pressure Cook:
- 1 large yellow onion (≈220 g), chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 6 garlic cloves, left whole
- 8 dried button red chilies (or fewer regular dried chilies)
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp whole cloves
- 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- 2 whole green cardamom pods
- 1–2 whole black cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 – 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (about 245 g)
After Pressure Cooking:
- 1-inch piece ginger, crushed
- 2 tbsp whole raw almonds (≈15–16 almonds), peeled
- 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped, for garnish
Equipment
- Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker
Instructions
- To marinate: In a medium bowl, combine the beef and vinegar and add enough water to cover the meat. Set aside while you assemble the other ingredients.
- Add everything listed under “To Pressure Cook” into the Instant Pot. Drain the marinated beef, rinse, and add to the pot. Stir to combine. No extra water is needed.
- Close and seal the lid. Select the Meat/Stew setting or pressure cook on High for 45 minutes. When the cook cycle ends, allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Prepare the almonds: Place the almonds in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, microwave 1 minute, then drain, rinse with cold water, and peel the skins.
- Remove the lid and select the High Sauté setting. Sauté until most of the moisture evaporates and the curry thickens (about 15 minutes). Stir increasingly often toward the end to prevent sticking.
- Add the crushed ginger and peeled almonds; sauté 2–3 more minutes until oil begins to separate. Adjust salt to taste, cancel Sauté, garnish with cilantro, and serve with naan, roti, or preferred bread. Discard whole spices when serving.
Notes
Note: Using less yogurt reduces the final sauté time but also yields a less saucy, more bhunna-style dish. Adjust yogurt and onion quantities to suit how much masala you want.
Doubling tip
- When doubling, you’ll have more liquid to reduce. To prevent over-shredding the meat, remove the cooked beef while you reduce the masala on the stovetop, then return the meat when the sauce is at the desired consistency.