It always amazes me what children remember.
Yesterday we went to visit Bumpa (Grandpa) who had taken a stand at an art fair in Chelsea, Art London www.artlondon.net.
While there, Thea drew him a picture and then informed him that he was going to sell it for her in his shop (stand at the art fair). Bumpa who knows a stubborn lady when he meets one, complied.
The picture was blue tacked to the wall of Bumpa's stand just below a Carl Melegari http://www.thompsonsgallery.co.uk/carl-melegari
We left leaving her picture in pride of place ... I thought she had forgotten all about it.
This afternoon I was cooking curry while she was drawing. She picked up quite a large collection of pictures (she had been industrious) and announced that she had to go and give them to Bumpa so they could make more money.
I asked what all this money was for ... to buy sweeties Mummy. You have to admire the entrepreneurial spirit of a three year old!
THAI BEEF CURRY - Serves 6
Ingredients
2 Medium onions, 2 Cloves of grated garlic, 70g Blue Elephant Red Thai curry paste, 2 Tins of coconut milk, 500 ml Vegetable stock, 1000g Chuck Steak, 6 curry leaves or 1 tablespoon of frozen curry leaves, 25g of coriander
- Place a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onions with some olive oil and cook for a couple of minutes. If the onions are getting too hot and you think it might burn have a cup of water next to the pan while cooking and add a few drops to cool it all down
- When the onions are soft add the beef to the pan and stir until all the beef is browned this should take a couple of minutes.
- Throw in the garlic and curry paste mix for another minute until all of the beef is covered in the paste
- Pour in the coconut milk and stock. Once the mixture is almost boiling, turn the heat down low and let the curry slowly simmer for about 2 hours. Place a lid half on the curry, this slows down the evaporation speed which stops the curry getting too thick
- Stir the curry every 20 minutes when it is simmering
- After two hours of simmering taste the meat to check it is tender. If it is then you can move to the next stage. If it is not then carry on cooking the curry slowly until the meat is very tender and starting to fall apart
- Mix in the curry leaves and sugar then remove the lid of the curry allow to simmer for a further 20-30 minutes, you want the curry to thicken up and create a wonderfully thick sauce
- While the curry is thickening cook the rice.
- Two minutes before you serve the curry chop and add three quarters of the coriander to the curry
- Remove from heat, place in serving bowl, sprinkle over the rest of the coriander and place on table with the cooked rice
Cooking notes
If you are worried about cooking rice I have written a post called Basmati Rice which you will find under grains and pulses in the recipe tab.
You can get frozen curry leaves from good supermarkets. I tend to use curry paste from: www.blueelephant.com as it is so good and I don't often have time to make it from scratch any more ... i will blog the recipe when I do my version of Thai Chicken Curry.
The key to this recipie is tender beef. To get beef tender you need to keep cooking it. All meat is slightly different so if it is not tender in the time shown then keep cooking it, it will tenderize
I have called my steak, chuck steak, as this is what my butcher calls the meat taken from the shoulders of the cow. I had a chat with him when i bought it as I get confused by all the different names for slow cooking beef ... stewing, braising, chuck.
He confirmed that each butcher tends to have their own name, so ask for steak cut from the top of the cow, between where the neck ends and the rib eye begins ... put your hand on the bottom of your neck between your shoulder blades ... that area on the cow.
If you live in london then take a trip to the parsons nose and they will be able to provide you with some of their chuck steak www.parsonsnose.co.uk
This recipe will make enough for 6 portions. I normally cook it for Rich and I to eat on the day that I make it, then I freeze the left overs as a homemade ready meal.
You have two options when heating up the food from the frezzer:
1. Remove from freezer and let is defrost completely, put the portion in a sauce pan with 20ml of water and cook till piping hot.
2. Freeze in a metal disposable tray (like you get an Indian takeaway in). Take out of the freezer, remove the lid, pour 20mil of water on to the top of the mince and cook at 200 for 20-30 minutes until cooked through and piping hot.
Adapting
If you want to bulk out this meal then cut up a butternut squash into 2-3cm chunks and roast in the oven and add them to the curry just before you serve it.
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