Recipe by Chef Michael Voumard
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Spices
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
½ a nutmeg, crushed
6 cloves
3cm piece cassia bark
Curry Paste
½ cup garlic, peeled
1 cup red onion, chopped
½ cup roasted red onion
½ cup sliced lemon grass
¼ cup sliced galangal
¼ cup coriander root
2 tbsp kaffir lime zest
2 tbsp roasted shrimp paste
3 large dry chillies, tops and seeds removed
¼ cup sliced ginger
¼ cup crushed peanuts
Curry
3 tbsp coconut oil
50g palm sugar
10ml fish sauce
300ml coconut milk
12 snake beans
4 apple eggplants
8 kaffir lime leaves
1 large red chilli
½ cup plucked Thai basil leaves
Beef Marinade
4 large thick-cut sirloin steaks
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp curry spice
Method:
- Place all of the spices into a frying pan and cook over a medium heat until they are toasted and fragrant. Allow to cool before grinding to a fine powder. Reserve ½ a teaspoon for the beef marinade.
- Combine all the paste ingredients and then purée in small batches in a food processor until a fine paste is achieved. When all of the paste is puréed, add in the ground spice and stir thoroughly.
- Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the curry paste and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently. When the paste is starting to slightly caramelise, add the palm sugar and fish sauce; stir, and then add ½ cup of water. Cook this down until the curry is dry again. Repeat this twice again, then add 1 cup of water and half the coconut milk. Simmer the curry.
- Coat the beef with the soy sauce and spices. Grill to rare, then rest.
- Cut the snake beans into 3cm length, slice the apple eggplants into wedges and add them to the curry, along with the remaining coconut milk and 4 whole kaffir lime leaves.
- Very finely shred the other 2 kaffir lime leaves. Cut the chilli in half; remove the seeds and finely julienne the chilli.
- Slice the beef into bite-sized pieces, fold them through the curry and place in a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle with the Thai basil leaves, shredded kaffir lime leaves and red chilli. Serve with steamed rice.