2011 Cooking club Week 5: Malaysian Chicken/Beef Curry

Malari

I'm trying this in the next day or two with beef I think. What type of beef would be suitable, do you know? The last time I made a stir-fry it was a little chewy so want to get stuff more suited to quick cooking than stewing?

BaZmO*

I always use Fillet Beef for stirfrys, and I suppose this would be quite similar to a stirfry, due to it's short cooking time.

Stewing steak would be way too tough because of the short cooking time not giving the meat enough time to break down.

I suppose you'd get away with sirloin.

Mr Magnolia

A good piece of lean sirloin cooked hot and fast is fine for a stirfry. It will dry out as it continues to cook in the sauce but it will do so less than fillet as the fillet is leaner. Keep lean meat in liquid to the minimum where possible.

dixiefly

Anyone know the best places in Dublin City Center/Jervis/ Simthfield to get the various seeds (fennel / coriander), star anise, fish sauce, palm sugar, lemongrass, cardamon pods & stick?

Thanks

BaZmO*

dixiefly wrote: »

Anyone know the best places in Dublin City Center/Jervis/ Simthfield to get the various seeds (fennel / coriander), star anise, fish sauce, palm sugar, lemongrass, cardamon pods & stick?

Thanks

Isn't there an Asian shop at the LUAS Jervis shop?
There definitely used to be. Big place too, so I'd imagine you'd get everything there handy enough.

Mountjoy Mugger

dixiefly wrote: »

Anyone know the best places in Dublin City Center/Jervis/ Simthfield to get the various seeds (fennel / coriander), star anise, fish sauce, palm sugar, lemongrass, cardamon pods & stick?

Thanks

That's the Oriental Supermarket (beside Luas), I think.

There's also an Asian shop just around the corner of Abbey Street & Capel Street. Another over on Parnell Street, across from Cineworld - Madina, I think it's called. Staff in all these shops very helpful.

dixiefly

Thanks, will check those out.

Malari

Made this last night and really enjoyed it. Less heat but more flavour than a lot of curry recipes I use. I think the lemongrass, while I love it, is kind of hard and fibrous when you eat a bit in the curry, so I'm going to blitz it in my mini-mixer the next time instead of just chopping finely.

I used sirloin steak, and it was just about right. Also threw a load of sugarsnap peas in for some veg Will try with chicken next time I think. Once you get through making the Malaysian spice and chopping prep, it's a really quick meal.

Curry Addict

Malari wrote: »

I think the lemongrass, while I love it, is kind of hard and fibrous when you eat a bit in the curry, so I'm going to blitz it in my mini-mixer the next time instead of just chopping finely.

glad you enjoyed. this can be an issue with lemongrass, i do chop it as finely as possible and get it into the pan 1st so it gets the longest cooking time and its usually ok.

although i like my curries spicey, i also find that too much chilli in this recipe can take away from the subtleties of the other spices so its best served mild to medium spicey.

Little Alex

I had this and had it for lunch today. Very nice flavour!



I used minute steak that I fried quickly and then set aside and added it at the end to the sauce to heat through.

Because I also find the lemongrass stringy I cut it down the middle, added during the cooking and then removed it at the end.

I also bought palm sugar, a big tub of it, and it does have a very subtle flavour. I think for anyone that cannot locate it that ordinary sugar might be an acceptable compromise.

Anyway, thank you Curry Addict!

BaZmO* wrote: »

Oh, and I got the Palm Sugar in Eurasia in Fonthill, a block the size of a fist for €1.25 I picked up a few other things and the prices were so good, and their range is phenomenal.

I just discovered that place myself and it certainly is well worth a visit!

Darkginger

All I can say is - thank you! Finally got all the spices and stuff together, and made the chicken version of this tonight - I loved it, the husband loved it, the dogs loved the leftovers My only issue was that I seemed to have a lot of liquid, but that could be because I had to use coconut cream + water instead of coconut milk. The leftover liquid might make a good soup with perhaps some fish in it!

I was in too much of a hurry to take pics of the finished dish, but here's a couple of the spice mix, before and after grinding




I'll definitely be making this again - it was a real treat!

Edited to add: you can't see any chillies in that spice mix, because I used chilli flakes, not having any dried chillies to hand. On the other hand you CAN see the seeds from the cardamom pods, as opposed to the pods themselves, Curry Addict Just teasing ya!

Curry Addict

lol no way i get away with any mistakes around here
yes i should have cracked open the black cardamom pods before roasting
on the other hand, u could have grinded those spices finer :P

glad you enjoyed! coconut milk would be a lot less watery for sure, nice pictures.

BaZmO*

Made this again the other night with beef. Used some nice Striploin from Aldi. Just cut it into pieces and fried it quickly and put it to one side and then added it in at the end. Twas lovely. Forgot to add the coriander at the end (some would say that's a good thing) even though I had picked it and had it ready to go. But it's just the usual panic at the end that inevitably makes you forget something.

Darkginger wrote: »

My only issue was that I seemed to have a lot of liquid, but that could be because I had to use coconut cream + water instead of coconut milk.

I used Coconut Milk both times and it was very liquidy. I thought that was just the way the dish was supposed to be?

I might just reduce the amount of stock next time, and possibly the amount of Coconut Milk too.

Curry Addict

BaZmO* wrote: »

I used Coconut Milk both times and it was very liquidy. I thought that was just the way the dish was supposed to be?

I might just reduce the amount of stock next time, and possibly the amount of Coconut Milk too.

im thinking this may be a heat issue. a wok on a good burner achieves a very high heat so water gets boiled off fast. it should'nt be watery but more like a thinker creamy consistancy, i think u can see this in my picture of the done dish. A simple solution would be less water in the stock if u can't get the temperature as high as a wok or cook it for longer.

BaZmO*

Curry Addict wrote: »

im thinking this may be a heat issue. a wok on a good burner achieves a very high heat so water gets boiled off fast. it should'nt be watery but more like a thinker creamy consistancy, i think u can see this in my picture of the done dish. A simple solution would be less water in the stock if u can't get the temperature as high as a wok or cook it for longer.

I thought it might've been a heat issue too, so I let it boil/simmer for a good bit the other night and it was still runny. I can get a decent heat on my hob so I don't think that's the issue. I'll just tinker with it until I get it right.

nice1franko

Only got around to this tonight. It was really good. Black cardamom were a new one to me. They're lovely.



I'd a couple of problems:
1) I ran out of corriander seeds for the mix (only got about 2tbsp in there). I'll pad out the rest of my mix with another tbsp and a half.
2) I ground the mix in a mortar but didn't do a good enough job. There were grainy bits in the sauce so I sieved it towards the end. Problem largely solved but I'd have lost a lot of flavour I'm sure.

BTW, blending it was to thicken it up and because my missus doesn't like finding "bits" (onions, etc) hidden in the sauce. I always do it with just tikkas and kormas and I have to say I've come to prefer it myself.

Did it with fillet steak too mm mmmmm.

Anyway, thanks a lot curry addict!

Curry Addict

looks great i guess blending it is a nice idea and will intensify the flavours. pity you couldnt get the spices ground fine enough, it should be possible with a mortar and pestel! maybe try a coffee grinder....

clouds

Hope ye don't mind me butting in but this recipe looks gorgeous I will be trying it at the weekend.

For anyone looking for lemongrass I notice Supervalu doing a Red Thai Curry Kit, €3, has fresh chillies, ginger, galangal, lime and of course lemongrass in it, great for all these type dishes and not spoilt.

For Indian/Thai curries I can't always strech to the good cuts of beef. I use stewing beef and oven it low for a few hours, quite plainly. Then put the cooked lumps in the sauce at the end. It's lovely and tender but of course you do need time. Might be worth a try for anyone who likes their beef but not the price of it.

Curry Addict

clouds wrote: »

Hope ye don't mind me butting in but this recipe looks gorgeous I will be trying it at the weekend.

For anyone looking for lemongrass I notice Supervalu doing a Red Thai Curry Kit, €3, has fresh chillies, ginger, galangal, lime and of course lemongrass in it, great for all these type dishes and not spoilt.

For Indian/Thai curries I can't always strech to the good cuts of beef. I use stewing beef and oven it low for a few hours, quite plainly. Then put the cooked lumps in the sauce at the end. It's lovely and tender but of course you do need time. Might be worth a try for anyone who likes their beef but not the price of it.

i often make thai curries slow cooked in a pot in the oven, meat on the bone. the result is always memorable and better than using fillet meat in a pan. its because of the juices from the meat on the bone add an incredible flavour.
if you slow cook your meats like this be sure to add the juices!

The Black Oil

Darkginger wrote: »

Just ordered all the spices I didn't have to make this - so it'll be a week before I get to it - but I can't wait! I'll let you know how I get on.

Where did you order from, out of interest?

Sparks

Made this this evening for tea. That spice mix needs a health warning for those of us who tend to breath while toasting chillis
Worth it though, 'twas fantastic!

Walls

Sparks wrote: »

Worth it though, 'twas fantastic!

Second opinion here, utterly lovely.

nice1franko

Made this again last night. I added more coriander seeds and re-ground my mix. Made it with pan fried "sandwich steak" (it's only a cm or so thick) cut into strips.

It's a stunner of a curry. Really unique flavour but well balanced at the same time. I'm craving more already.

_feedback_

OP, thank you very very much for this recipe. Myself and the girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed it tonight. It is an absolutely gorgeous curry.

The only bit of work is roasting and grinding the spices, but once that is done, it is simple.

Thank you!

Kenny_D

Picked up all the spices in Eurasia today and have to say a huge thanks. This is probably one the nicest curry I've ever had. Doubled up the recipe and it went down extremely well with the rest of the family and there's a bit left for lunch. Not sure I'd get 10 currys from the amount listed though. I used over half of the spice mix for a double up recipe. Maybe my tablespoon measure is bigger :P

Used 3 tbs regular sugar instead 4 of palm sugar. Would the palm make much difference? Also went with 5 tbs of oyster sauce as it looked a little thick :P

Initially looked a bit watery but turned it down low and simmered for maybe 20 mins and it thickened nicely.

Do you have a similar recipe for Massaman curry (my fave curry but can never find massaman paste)?

Curry Addict

Palm sugar does enhance the caramely flavour of the overall dish, so it is a nice to have. also if u do a lot of thai cooking palm sugar is preferred. it wont make that much of a difference though...

carefull with the oyster sauce, its a very rich ingredient and can make your curry rich and heavy if you add too much. different brands do vary though!

im pretty sure it was a bit watery due to cooking temperature. a wok on a good wok burner achieves a much higher temperature than a pan or a pot on a normal ring. good thing you let it simmer and thicken.

my wifes favorite is Massaman curry and we do have a killer recipe for it, ill dig it out and post it up later. we make it regularly from scratch, paste and all.

glad you enjoyed!

Kenny_D

Oh thats great! Thanks!

Yup the electric cooker really isnt great for a wok. Always drives me nuts because I love cooking with the wok. Looking forward to the massaman recipe :-)

Curry Addict

as promised

Massaman curry Paste

10 long dried red chilies, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 whole star anise
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground white pepper
6 pink Thai shallots or 3 regular shallots, chopped
7 garlic gloves chopped
1 cm. ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. chopped kaffir lime skin or finely chopped lime leaves
1 tbsp. shrimp paste

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the dried spices. Add the remaining ingredients, blending after each addition, to form a paste.

paste can be froze in ice cube maker, each cube is a tablespoon...



Massaman beef curry

400 ml. coconut milk
2 tbsp. peanut or sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp. massaman curry paste
500 gr. lean beef, tinly sliced
2 tsp. palm sugar
2 to 3 tbsp. fish sauce
400 ml. beef stock or water
½ tbsp lime juice(lemon will do)
4 small potatoes, quartered and parboiled
3 tbsp. whole roasted peanuts then pounded a bit
4 pink Thai shallots or 1 regular one, quartered
Sprigs of coriander to garnish

Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and fry until golden.
Add the curry paste, mix well and cook for a few seconds. Add the coconut milk, stir well. Add the beef and stir it into the sauce to make sure that each piece is thoroughly coated. Stirring after each addition, add the lemon juice, sugar, fish sauce, stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add the potatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add the peanuts and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water if your curry becomes too thick. Poor into serving dish and garnish with coriander.

Kenny_D

Looks great, thanks! And I have nearly everything except the shrimp paste

Kenny_D

Is it black or green cardamon for the massaman?

Also it says 3 sticks of cinamon for the rice. My cinamon sticks are really long. Is it three 5cm sticks? I just did regular basmati for the first try but want to try it with the spices next time