Thai beef curry
If you fancy a trip to the Asian supermarket for some properly authentic ingredients, Matt Tebbutt's Thai beef curry is a deliciously easy way to use them.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp galangal, peeled and crushed
- 2 red chillies, finely chopped
- 2-3 tsp chilli powder
- 4 baby corn, halved lengthways
- 3 small Thai aubergines or 1 small aubergine, chopped
- 2 fresh green peppercorns, crushed
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 6 lime leaves, shredded
- 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, inner core finely chopped
- 400ml tin of coconut milk
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 500g/1lb 2oz fillet of beef
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú basmati rice, to serve
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan or casserole. Add the onion, garlic, galangal, chillies and chilli powder and gently fry for 5–8 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the baby sweetcorn, aubergines, peppercorns, cherry tomatoes and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp paste, lime leaves, lemongrass, coconut milk, fish sauce and palm sugar. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and sear the beef fillet for 3–5 minutes on all sides, or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan, cover with kitchen foil and leave to rest. Cut the beef into thin slices.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
Stir the beef, basil and coriander into the curry sauce. Serve the curry with the rice in warmed bowls.