Massaman-style mild beef curry with peanuts

Ingredients

Paste

• 4 dried red chillies, soaked
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot
• 1 tbsp galangal, grated
• 1 tbsp lemongrass, chopped

Curry

• 800 g chuck steak, cubed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 200 ml beef stock
• 3 potatoes, cubed
• 2 onions, quartered
• 100 g roasted peanuts
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 4 kaffir lime leaves

Method

1. Paste. Blitz all paste ingredients with 2 tbsp water to a coarse paste.
2. Beef. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Fry paste 3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Sear. Add beef, brown on all sides, 5 minutes.
4. Simmer. Pour in coconut milk + stock. Add lime leaves. Simmer covered, 60 minutes.
5. Vegetables. Add potatoes + onions. Simmer 20 minutes more.
6. Finish. Stir in peanuts, tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar. Cook 5 minutes.
7. Serve. With jasmine rice.

Tips

• Roasted peanuts, not raw. Toast them yourself, briefly.
• Chuck steak, low and slow. 90 minutes minimum. Trust the time.
• Tamarind water adds the sweet-sour backbone. Don’t skip.