Malaysian beef curry recipe

A spicy, far-eastern dish which brings the taste of the exotic to your kitchen! The coconut milk adds a creamy texture which your kids will love too.

Ingredients

• 800g (1 3/4lb) rump beef cut into cubes
• 3tbsp sesame oil
• 3tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 16 shallots peeled and left whole
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, seeded and finely diced
• 2tsp turmeric
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1tbsp Malaysian curry powder
• 1/2tsp black pepper
• 4 lemon rind strips
• 250ml (8fl oz) thick coconut milk
• 125ml (4fl oz) beef stock
• 1tsp sugar
• Sea salt and black pepper

To serve

• Rice

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy based saucepan and seal the meat in batches. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm.
2. Add the sesame seed oil and the shallots to the pan and sauté for 2 -3 mins, then add the sweet potatoes, crushed garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry powder, chilli, ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick and black pepper and cook for 2 mins making sure the spices are cooked and sizzling.
3. Add the beef, lemon rind, coconut milk and stock. Season well with the sea salt and the sugar. Cover and simmer for 1hr. If, after this time the gravy is not thick enough, then raise the heat and cook rapidly until the gravy has thickened. Serve with steamed rice.