Creamy beef curry

Lately I have been really craving Asian food or more specifically Indian inspired flavors. But it has just been too hot and humid to cook something hot and spicy. Yesterday, however, we had a slight cool down and I finally had a chance to try this recipe that's been sitting on my desk for a while, just taunting me with its potential deliciousness.
And it was exactly what I hoped it would be. So fragrant and flavorful with a nice bite to it. I didn't expect my two little ones (the only two kids around these days, while their older siblings are away at camp) to eat much other than the rice, but low- and- behold, my 4-year-old ate a lot of the meat too! I was very surprised and happy about that.
This is another high quality recipe from Americas test Kitchen. They give a long spiel about which meat to use, but I couldn't find exactly what they described. I used sirloin cubed meat labeled for use with kebabs and fondue and it was perfect after 20 minutes of simmering (I cut the cubes into bite size chunks). I also happened to have a jar of Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend) in my cupboard although I can't remember what I ever used it for before!? If you can't find this spice blend in your grocery store you can make your own. There are many online resources for this. This was a quick and easy dinner to put together. It was ready to serve in just about 30 minutes.

Creamy Beef Curry

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons minced ginger

3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Garam masala
1 1/2 ponds steak tips, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Puree garlic, ginger, almonds, and broth in blender until smooth.
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add Garam Masala and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef and stir to coat with onion and spices.

Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until beef is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

 Add yogurt, peas, and cilantro, and cook until peas are warmed through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over basmati rice.

Serves 4 ( lightly)

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated 30-minute suppers, Spring 2011