Beef Penang

We have this every week at the moment, the kids LOVE it. We have substituted chicken for the beef and it tastes great as well.

Ingredients (serves 4)
* 800g gravy beef (chuck steak), cut into 3cm pieces
* 400ml coconut milk
* 400ml coconut cream
* 2 tablespoons palm sugar
* 2 tablespoons fish sauce
* 4 kaffir lime leaves, tor
* 1/3 cup (55g) toasted peanuts
* Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
* Thai basil leaves, to serve
Curry paste
* 4 long dried red chillies
* 2 purple Asian shallots, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 2 fresh coriander roots and stems, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
* 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped galangal

1. To make curry paste, place chillies in small heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain well, then remove and discard seeds. Finely chop chilli. Place chilli, shallots, garlic, coriander and seeds, lemongrass, cumin, nutmeg and galangal in a mortar. Gently pound with pestle until a paste forms.
2. Place beef and coconut milk in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook, covered, for 2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Place coconut cream and curry paste in wok over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until cream begins to split. Add the beef, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Add peanuts; stir to combine.
4. Serve in bowls with jasmine rice, if desired, and garnish with Thai basil.


Notebook: - June 2008, Page 110 .Recipe by Sarah Hobbs. Photography by Ben Dearnley