Beef rendang

Method

1. Whizz all the curry paste ingredients in a mini blender until smooth.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Over a low heat, gently fry the paste for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ground cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick. Turn up the heat to moderate and add 100ml cold water, then bring to a simmer and cook gently until completely dry and sticky, and all the water has been absorbed.

4. Add the beef pieces and cook gently for 10 minutes, then add the coconut milk, tamarind, 1 tsp salt and the sugar. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes on a low heat or until you have a dark brown rich-tasting curry sauce and the beef is tender. Add a tablespoon of water here and there throughout the cooking process if the pan gets too dry. Taste, adding more salt or sugar to taste.

5. In a small frying pan over a moderate heat, dry-fry the coconut until it’s light brown. Serve the curry with the toasted coconut sprinkled over and with cooked rice on the side.

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