Shukto

This is a very common vegetarian dish and you will get many recipes on-line. There can be a wide variety of shukto depending on the household. But fundamentally it is a bitter dish based on mustard paste. You can add almost any green vegetable and potatoes on top of that, and it will still be shukto. Here is one of my versions.

Ingredients:

1. Bitter gourd: 1
2. Brinjal: 1/2 (large)
3. Potato: 1 (medium)
4. Raw banana: 1

These  are the most common vegetables for shukto. You can use drum-sticks or any other bitter vegetable instead of bitter gourd. You can add almost any green vegetable: ridge gourd, patol (pointed gourd), etc. go well with shukto. On the spice side you need:

1. Mustard paste: 1 tsp
2. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
3. Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
5. Green chili: 2
6. Ginger paste: 1/2 tsp
7. Bay leaves: 2
8. Paanch phoron: 1 tsp
9. Poppy seed paste: 1 tsp (optional)
10. Salt: according to taste.

Procedure:

1. Chop all the vegetables into similar shape and size. I prefer 2" long, 1/2" thick pieces.
2. Heat oil in a wok.
3. Add paanch phoron and bay leaves.
4. As the seeds start popping, add green chili and ginger paste. Keep mixing for a minute.
5. Add the mustard paste (and poppy seed paste).
6. Add the vegetables in sequence of their cooking time (bitter gourd, pointed gourd take the longest to cook, potatoes, brinjal and raw banana are intermediate, ridge gourd gets done fastest).  If you want it perfect, a better way is to fry the vegetables separately: heat oil in a wok. First semi-fry the pointed gourd and bitter gourd - they use up most oil; then the potatoes, the brinjal and the raw banana. You don't really need to fry the ridge gourd.
7. Add enough water so that all the vegetables are submerged. Cover and bring it to simmer.
8. Add the powdered spices and cook until done.

Spicy beef curry

The gravy was really good, but the meat was too tough. You may want to make sure you have tender meat for this or pressure-cook the meat before-hand. In the latter case, skip step 12 and add the stock along with the meat.

Ingredients:

1. Beef: 500 g (chopped into 1" cubes)
2. Garlic: 6 pods
3. Ginger: 1" stick
4. Tomato: 6 small
5. Curd: 200 ml
6. Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
7. Coriander powder: 2 tsp
8. Cumin powder: 1 tsp
9. Garam masala: 1 tsp 
10. Cardamom: 4 pods
11. Cinnamon: 1" stick
12. Cloves: 6
13. Bay leaves: 4
14. Curry leaves: 10-15
15. Dried red chili: 3
16. Green chili: 6 (sliced into two)
17. Onion: 2 medium
18. Sugar: 1 pinch
19. Salt: according to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash the beef and marinate with 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, salt and 2 tbsp cooking oil.
2. Grate the ginger into a coarse paste and crush the garlic.
3. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces (split each one into 8)
4. Dice the onions.
5. Crush the cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves into coarse powder.
6. Heat cooking oil in a wok.
7. Add sugar, red chili and bay leaves. 
8. As they start to get brown, add 3 green chili, 3/4 of the curry leaves, ginger and garlic. Keep stirring.
9. Add the onions. Keep stirring until brown.
10. Add the tomatoes. Keep stirring until they start to melt.
11. Add the beef and keep mixing until water starts to come out.
12. Add 4 cups of water, cover and cook at low heat for 30 minutes.
13. Add the curd. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and the rest of the turmeric powder. Mix well, cover and cook until meat is cooked.
14. Add the rest of the spices: the green chilies and the curry leaves (crush them in your palm to get the flavour out) and the clove-cardamom-cinnamon powder.
15. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes and it should have thick gravy when done.