Fragrant Beef Curry

English_Rose's Note:

Coconut milk and sweet potatoes give this curry a delicious lift.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 ¼ lbs stewing beef , cut into chunks and seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 onion , sliced
• 2 red chili peppers , sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoons red curry paste (thai)
• 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 ounces cashew nuts , toasted
• 1 ounce cilantro , chopped

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespooons of the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the beef on all sides. Set aside, add 1 1/4 cups cold water to the dih and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Retain these juices.
2. Heat the remaining oil and cook the onion and chili peppers for 5 mins until soft.
3. Add the curry paste and turn up the heat for 2 mins or until the onion is going a light brown in colour.
4. Return the beef to the pan along with the beef juices, coconut milk and broth.
5. Cook, uncovered, over a very gentle heat for 1 1/2 hours so that it is barely simmering and the beef becomes tender.
6. If the coconut milk boils it will split so keep an eye on it.
7. Once the beef is quite tender, add the sweet potatoes and cook for 20 mins or until they are soft.
8. Season with the fish sauce and soy sauce.
9. Sprinkle with cashew nuts and cilantro and serve with a bowl of rice on the side.

Reviews

[lolablitz]

This was a good Thai Curry, but the stew meat was still pretty tough. We buy very high quality beef from a local farmer, so I know it wasn't the beef itself. I think it could use some more simmer time to make it more tender. Next time I may start it with it's own searing juices and the onions/curry/peppers in a crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients later.

[tracytrebilcox]

Outstanding in its' mix of flavors -- spicy from the curry and chilies, sweet from the coconut milk and the sweet potatos. If anything, this was better the next day because all of the flavors had a chance to meld together. Next time, I'll have to figure out how to cook it in the crockpot.