Raisins enhance beef curry

Of all the culinary travesties, mixing fruit with meat can be the most recklessly applied. Consider yourself lucky if you have no memory of slab ham with a syrupy cinnamon raisin sauce served over it.

There are great and tradition-tested recipes that combine sweet and savory in the same dish. When used as a condiment — in the same way that salt is — sweet fruits can be used to heighten flavors.

In beef curry, a few raisins make this India-inspired combination taste fabulous. If you’re hesitant, coarsely chop the raisins, and they’ll nearly disappear in the sauce. The sauce is not sweet or syrupy, but a richly aromatic gravy.

Beef Curry

1 1/2 pounds rib-eye or sirloin steak

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped or 1 (14-ounce) package frozen chopped onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 6 cloves, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon curry powder

14 ounces crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup minced cilantro, optional

Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes. Pat the cubes dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle them with salt.

Heat vegetable oil in a wide, deep pot (such as a Dutch oven) over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the beef cubes in batches without crowding them. Stir only occasionally, allowing cubes to brown well. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over high heat until they are soft. Add garlic and ginger, and cook 1 or 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in flour and curry powder. Add tomatoes, beef broth and raisins. Stir to blend. Bring to a boil, then spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice and green beans.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 750 calories, 37 grams fat (44 percent fat calories), 54 grams protein, 51 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 860 milligrams sodium.