Try this recipe for Massaman Nuea or Thai beef curry
This Thai beef stew is rich, creamy and made with a lot of spices - set aside for half an hour after cooking to improve and soak in the flavours, then reheat and serve with jasmine rice for a near-perfect meal
| PREP TIME | 1 h |
|---|---|
| COOK TIME | 35m |
| SERVES | 2 to 3 |
For the Massaman Curry paste
10 dried birds-eye chillies
10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/2-inch piece galangal, thinly sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 to 4 Thai bay leaves
1-inch cinnamon piece
1 tsp white peppercorn
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp shrimp paste
250 gms beef tenderloin, cubed
200 ml light coconut milk
180 gms massaman curry paste
2 tbsp peanuts
2 star anise
1 medium onion, sliced
1 potato, boiled and cubed
2 tbsp palm sugar
4 tsp fish sauce
4 tsp tamarind juice or extract
1/2 shallot
200 ml coconut cream
2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
1. To make the paste, preheat the oven to 175°C.
2. Soak the chillis in warm water for 10 minutes. Remove and dry on a cloth.
3. Spread the chillis, garlic, lemongrass, shallot and galangal on a baking tray and roast for 8-10 minutes.
4. In a wok, add the vegetable oil and fry the bay leaves, cinnamon, peppercorn, coriander seeds and cumin for 4-5 minutes.
5. In a mortar or blender, mash the roasted herbs and roots. Then add the fried spices and the turmeric and continue to pound into a fine paste, adding salt to taste. Add the shrimp paste at the end, if using, and mix well.
6. To make the massaman nuea, boil the beef cubes in the coconut milk for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. In a pan heat up 1 tbsp of corn oil and fry the massaman paste until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and beef cubes, peanuts, star anise, onion and potato and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Check the seasoning and add the palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind juice. Remove from the heat.
9. In a separate pan, fry the shallot until crispy.
10. Top curry with coconut cream and fried crispy shallot. Set aside for half an hour to improve the flavour, then reheat and serve with jasmine rice.
Recipe courtesy: Benjarong, Dusit Thani Dubai
Image courtesy: Shutterstock