Beef Curry with courgettes, red lentils and spinach

This dish is incredibly easy to prepare and the courgettes & lentils add thickness to the gravy without adding any other type of starchy or fatty thickening agent.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion (cut in half and then thinly sliced)
• 800g cubed beef/stewing beef (or lamb)
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP cooking oil
• 2 small yellow courgettes or green zucchini chopped in small cubes
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 2 cups (loosely packed) of fresh spinach or 150g frozen Spinach 
• 1 heaping TBSP South Indian Curry masala
• (Add chilli powder if you like it hotter - I do!)

Steps:

1. In a thick bottomed pot, melt butter with oil on medium heat.
2. Toss in the finely sliced onion, stir until softened
3. add the beef cubes, raise heat to medium high, browning on all sides
4. add the chopped courgettes stir 
5. add enough water to barely cover everything, as soon as it boils, reduce to a simmer
6. add the lentils
7. cover, stirring occasionally (add a little more water if it becomes too thick)
8. meat should become soft, anywhere between 40-60 minutes
9. add the masala, stir and add just enough water to keep the gravy thickness you desire
10. add spinach
11. let simmer, lid off for another 10 minutes
12. Serve with rice, garnish with lime

Alternate Uses:
South Indian Curry