Spicy

Red Curry with Beef

                   

Ingredients:

-        500 grammes scotch fillet (in NZ) or eye fillet (in USA)

-        100- 120 grammes of cauliflower

-        6 cherry tomatoes

-        1 small onion

-        1 stalk lemongrass

-        1 kaffir lime leaf

-         I clove garlic, minced

-        1 shallot, minced

-        2 tablespoons cooking oil

-        2 tablespoon red curry paste about 50 grammes

-        1 can 400 – 425ml ( about 2 cups) coconut milk

-        1 stalk Thai sweet basil (optional)

-        10 grammes palm sugar

-        1 teaspoon fish sauce

-        1 tablespoon salt

Seasoning for the beef:

-        ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt or ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

-        Pinch of ground pepper

-        1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method:

1.   Clean the beef, dry and trim all sinew and fat from the fillet, cut them into 3 cm (1 inch) cubes. Season them with salt and pepper and then the oil. Set them aside or put them in the fridge.

2.   Boil some water in a big saucepan. Cut the cauliflower into floret similar size as the beef. When the water is boiling, add the tablespoon of salt to the water and put in the cauliflower to cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till they are soft. Set aside.

3.   Meanwhile, bash the root end of the lemon grass a little and cut the stalk into 5cm or 2 inches sections. Cut half of a kaffir lime leaf into fine strips and leave the other half as is. Cut the onion into 3 cm or 1 inch sections and cut the cherry tomatoes in halves. Pick the leaves out of the Basil plant (optional). Set them aside.

4.   Heat a frying pan in medium high heat and put in 2 tablespoon of cooking oil, when it starts to get hot, put in the minced garlic and minced shallot, stir fry them till they are soft and turn the heat down to low. Add the 2 tablespoon of red curry paste in and fry them till fragrant comes out from the paste, set aside.

5.   Warm a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, put in the cream of the coconut milk (usually float on top) and half of the content, stir until you see an oily sheen starting to develop. Add the curry paste and keep stirring till fragrant and well mixed. Stir in the other half of the coconut milk bit by bit and simmer until a layer of red coconut oil rendered on the surface.

6.   Put in the beef, bashed lemon grass ( save 1 or 2 for garnish ), onions, the uncut half of the kaffir lime leaf and cook them for 5 minutes. Put in the palm sugar and the fish sauce, and the cauliflower and cook for a minute or 2 or till the prefer doneness of the beef has achieved. Add in the cherry tomatoes.

7.   Put the curry into a serving bowl, sprinkle in the basil leaves(optional) and garnish it with 2 sections of lemon grass and the thin strips of kaffir lime leaves in the middle.

Hint:

-     Use a Thai brand of red curry paste. I always use some fresh ingredients  to revive the vibrant taste of the readymade curry paste. In this case I use garlic and shallot, which are main ingredients of the curry paste, and later on some lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves to the sauce.

-     The sheen may take some time to develop, use medium low heat to avoid “burning”

-     The coconut oil also takes quite some time to render, however, this is very important step to create a smooth texture to the sauce.

-     This is a medium hot dish, add more paste or some red birdeye chillies if you want it hotter.

-     Though coconut oil is saturated fat, it is good for health. You can check it on various websites.

-     If you want the beef just done, make sure you take into consideration that the beef is still cooking with the heat of the curry sauce even though you have turn off the heat.