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| 2017 Version with Worcestershire Sauce |
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| 2021 Version with Tamarind Concentrate |
UPDATED 2021
In 2017, we went to Ireland. While in Ireland I did have a couple of curry dishes, but we never ventured out to a real curry restaurant. Hence, my desire for curry dishes remained. With the new cookbook Barbara brought home from the library book sale, I thought I could give a couple of the recipes a try.
This was the cookbook that I found this recipe. If you notice, there are many orange tabs protruding from the top of the cookbook. These are all recipes I want to try.
This was actually the second curry recipe I tried. And, if I do say so myself, this one was quite good. It had a very good red curry flavoring, which also added some heat to the dish. But not too much.
This recipe was very easy to make. I will definitely make this one again.
Fast forward to 2021. Barbara challenged me to make a curry dish with some remaining red curry paste that we had in the refrigerator. The first place I looked for a red curry recipe was Feast Everyday. And, voila, here was this recipe that we really liked from 2017. So, why not make it again.
I did and it was even better than I remembered. This time I had tamarind concentrate, which I did not have the first time. I added Worcestershire sauce in 2017. I really believe that the tamarind concentrate improved the taste as well as added a little shine to the dish.
We had plenty of leftovers for the next day. I added more pearl onions and Brussels sprouts to the leftovers. I also added a can of chicken stock, about one tablespoon of tamarind concentrate, about a tablespoon of yellow curry, and a dash of fish sauce. I brought the whole mixture to a low simmer, and simmered for about 30 minutes. Served with more rice, it was really good.
Good the first day. Good the second day. I am really glad I rediscovered this recipe form 2017.
---Tom
Red Curry with Beef, Sweet Potato, Onions
(adapted from New Curries)
Serves 4
~2 pounds flank or skirt steak, cut into 1 1/4" pieces
2 cups beef stock
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 star anise
1 1/2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
27 ounces (2 cans) coconut milk
3 tablespoons red curry (yellow curry can be substituted)
8 baby onions, halved, or 12-16 pearl onions whole
1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup roasted lightly salted peanuts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
This is a two step cooking process. The first step of the process is flavoring of the beef. The second step is actually creating the curry and combining the majority of the ingredients.
Step 1: place the beef, 1 1/2 cups of the beef stock, the cardamom pods, cloves, star anise, sugar, fish sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the tamarind, and one can of the coconut milk into a large sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours uncovered. The beef should be tender. And the braising stock should have cooked down considerably.
A note about cardamom pods. I found them in a bag in the Asian section of the grocery store. They are about the size of a pistachio. To bruise them, I used the flat side of a knife and gently pushed down on the cardamom pod. This cracks the soft shell without removing it.
Step 2: Strain the beef over a large bowl. Reserve the braising liquid and throw out the solids. This will be the cardamom pods and the star anise.
Cook the red curry paste until it is fragrant in the same saucepan that you cooked the beef, stirring to prevent burning and sticking. This will only take a minute or two. Now add the remaining can of coconut milk, the rest of the tamarind, and beef stock. Bring to a boil constantly stirring, and cook for about one minute. The mixture should be smooth. Return the beef to the sauce pan, and add the onions, sweet potato and one cup of the braising liquid. Simmer uncovered for about 30 - 45 minutes or until both the beef and the vegetables are tender.
During this last step, I cooked basmati rice to serve with the curry dish.
For plating, I put down a bed of the basmati rice in a shallow bowl and then added the beef curry mixture. Sprinkle the peanuts and green onion slices over the top of the curry.
Start to finish took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. About 20 minutes preparation time, and a little over 2 1/2 hours of actual cooking. There was lots of time to do other things while this dish was cooking.
I really enjoyed making and eating this red curry dish. The aromas from the braising step created by the cardamom pods and the star anise were really appetizing. And the taste satisfied my desire for a good curry dish.
This one is a keeper!
---Tom
---Tom
Red Curry with Beef, Sweet Potato, Onions
(adapted from New Curries)
Serves 4
~2 pounds flank or skirt steak, cut into 1 1/4" pieces
2 cups beef stock
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 star anise
1 1/2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
27 ounces (2 cans) coconut milk
3 tablespoons red curry (yellow curry can be substituted)
8 baby onions, halved, or 12-16 pearl onions whole
1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup roasted lightly salted peanuts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Step 1: place the beef, 1 1/2 cups of the beef stock, the cardamom pods, cloves, star anise, sugar, fish sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the tamarind, and one can of the coconut milk into a large sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours uncovered. The beef should be tender. And the braising stock should have cooked down considerably.
A note about cardamom pods. I found them in a bag in the Asian section of the grocery store. They are about the size of a pistachio. To bruise them, I used the flat side of a knife and gently pushed down on the cardamom pod. This cracks the soft shell without removing it.
Cook the red curry paste until it is fragrant in the same saucepan that you cooked the beef, stirring to prevent burning and sticking. This will only take a minute or two. Now add the remaining can of coconut milk, the rest of the tamarind, and beef stock. Bring to a boil constantly stirring, and cook for about one minute. The mixture should be smooth. Return the beef to the sauce pan, and add the onions, sweet potato and one cup of the braising liquid. Simmer uncovered for about 30 - 45 minutes or until both the beef and the vegetables are tender.
During this last step, I cooked basmati rice to serve with the curry dish.
Start to finish took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. About 20 minutes preparation time, and a little over 2 1/2 hours of actual cooking. There was lots of time to do other things while this dish was cooking.
I really enjoyed making and eating this red curry dish. The aromas from the braising step created by the cardamom pods and the star anise were really appetizing. And the taste satisfied my desire for a good curry dish.
This one is a keeper!
---Tom