Ingredients
Curry paste
- 10 large dried red chillies
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons chopped red Asian shallots
- 1 stem lemon grass, white part only, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 750 g lean stewing beef, cubed
- 2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
- 4 cardamom pods, bruised
- 2 cups (500 ml) coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 8 pickling onions, peeled
- 8 baby potatoes, peeled
- 2 tablespoons grated palm sugar
- 1/2 cup (80 g) unsalted peanuts, roasted and ground
Method
1. To make the curry paste, preheat the oven to moderate 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Soak the chillies in a bowl of boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain, then remove the seeds and roughly chop.
2. Place the cardamom pods, coriander and cumin seeds, shrimp paste, peppercorns, shallots, lemon grass, galangal and garlic on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Place the roasted ingredients in a food processor or mortar and pestle, along with the ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and chopped chilli. Process until the mixture forms a smooth paste-if the mixture is too dry add a little water.
4. Place the tamarind pulp and 1/2 cup (125 ml) boiling water in a bowl and set aside to cool. Mash the pulp with your fingertips to dissolve the pulp, then strain and reserve the liquid- discard the pulp.
5. Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan. Add the beef in batches and cook over high heat for 5 minutes each batch, or until browned all over. Reduce the heat, add the coconut milk and cardamom pods, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender. Remove the beef, then strain and reserve the cooking liquid.
6. Heat the coconut cream in the wok and stir in 2–3 tablespoons of the curry paste. Cook for 10 minutes, or until it ‘cracks’-this is the process when the oil begins to separate from the cream and will provide the curry with a thicker sauce.
7. Add the fish sauce, onions, potatoes, beef mixture, palm sugar, peanuts, tamarind water and the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for 25–30 minutes.
