Nutty Coconut Turmeric Beef

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 3 tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 2 fresh red chillies, split in half or 5-6 or more birds eye chillies, crushed
• 100 g frozen grated coconut
• 2 large brown onions, minced or finely sliced
• ½ jar Latasha’s Kitchen Indonesian Turmeric Kari Paste and 50 ml water
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 2 pandan leaves (buy it frozen from Asian shops) − twist each into a knot
• 1.2 kg boneless gravy beef, cut into large chunks
• Salt to taste
• 250 ml Ayam brand coconut cream
• 250 ml Ayam brand coconut milk
• 400 ml water or more as required

Garnish

• Juice of half a lime, fried shallots, 2 tbsp toasted coconut, finely sliced red chillies and/or shredded lime leaves

Method

1. In a wok, dry toast thawed (frozen) coconut on low heat until dark golden brown. Keep stirring the coconut and don’t allow it to burn. This can take up to 20-30 minutes and it is recommended to be done a day or two ahead. Cool on a baking tray.
2. Keep 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut aside for garnishing. Make the kerisik by lightly crushing the rest of the toasted coconut in a spice grinder or pounding to a rough paste in a mortar and pestle.
3. In a deep vessel, heat oil, add cinnamon stick, star anise, onions, turmeric powder and pandan leaves. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat until onion is sticky and caramelised.
4. Next add Latasha’s Kitchen Indonesian Turmeric Kari Paste and water. Cook this sauce mixture for 10 minutes on low to medium heat then add fresh chillies or ground birds eye chillies if you are after a much hotter result. Mix well then add beef chunks. Turn the heat up to medium high and seal the meat in the curry paste until well coated and meat is brown not pink. This can take 8-10 minutes.
5. Now add salt to taste, coconut milk, ground toasted coconut (kerisik), water and bring to a quick boil on high heat. Once the curry is on a rolling boil, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, and simmer on low for at least an 45 minutes. Don’t open the pot midway. Just make sure there is enough liquid covering all of the meat before covering with the lid. At the end of 45 minutes, add coconut cream and continue cooking for another 20 minutes until meat is tender.
6. Gravy should be reduced and thick. If not, turn the heat up higher and reduce the remaining liquid.
7. Garnish with lime juice, fried shallots, toasted coconut, sliced red chillies and/or shredded lime leaves.