Thai Beef Curry

Thai Beef Curry
serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
700g/11/2lb stewing beef (cubed)
500ml/18fl oz coconut milk
4 cardamom pods, bruised
500ml/18fl oz coconut cream
2 tablespoons curry paste
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
8 pickling onions
8 baby potatoes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
75g/3oz unsalted peanuts, roasted and ground

• Put the tamarind pulp and 125ml/4fl oz boiling water in a bowl, and set aside to cool. Mash the pulp with your fingertips to dissolve it, then strain and reserve the liquid, discarding the pulp.
• Heat a non-stick wok over a high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef in batches, and stir-fry over a high heat for 5 minutes for each batch or until browned all over. Reduce the heat, add the coconut milk and cardamom pods, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beef is tender. Remove the beef from the wok, then strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and keep to one side.
• Heat the coconut cream in the wok, and stir in the curry paste. Cook for 10 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the cream. Add the fish sauce, onions, potatoes, beef mixture, sugar, peanuts, tamarind water and the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for 25–30 minutes until the meat is tender. Serve hot.