Receipts for the cooking of curry appear in England at least since 'The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy' by Hannah Glasse in 1747 (Glasse 1747). Beef curry seems to have become a Victorian staple, with a general; assumption that beef curry would be made from left-overs from the weekend joint.

Original Receipt in 'The Book of Household Management', 1861, edited by Isabella Beeton (See Mrs.B)

CURRIED BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).
 620. INGREDIENTS: A few slices of tolerably lean cold roast or boiled beef, 3 oz. of butter, 2 onions, 1 wineglassful of beer, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder.
Mode: Cut up the beef into pieces about 1 inch square, put the butter into a stewpan with the onions sliced, and fry them of a lightly-brown colour. Add all the other ingredients, and stir gently over a brisk fire for about 10 minutes. Should this be thought too dry, more beer, or a spoonful or two of gravy or water, may be added; but a good curry should not be very thin. Place it in a deep dish, with an edging of dry boiled rice, in the same manner as for other curries.
Time: 10 minutes.
Average cost: exclusive of the meat, 4d.
Seasonable: in winter.