I try to provide recipes that preserve most of the traditional flavors with as little work as possible.  In classic business terms, a high ROI in the kitchen, and in simpler language, making ethnic food accessible.

This is a quick, modern version of the beloved Thai Panaeng beef curry.  Since we have access to quality beef here, the traditional slow simmer turns into a quick stir-fry, and you will have a very tasty curry in a matter of minutes instead of hours.  In addiition, instead of  boiling peanuts, and grinding them down to make the paste base, I reached for freshly ground pure peanut butter that you can find in many grocery stores these days.

Chef’s tip: “Cracking” coconut milk means separating the cream into its oil, and using the oil to fry the spices.  Unfortunately, canned coconut milk is homogenized and is a hard nut to crack (pun!).  And fresh coconut milk is almost impossible to obtain here in the Bay Area. To achieve a similar effects, you can add a tablespoon of coconut oil to the coconut cream.

Sauce:

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, separate into 2 parts
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 Tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon Thai red curry paste
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
6 kaffir lime leaves, tough middle stem removed, torn into large pieces

2 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons palm sugar

10 basil leaves, whole

2 lbs grass-fed beef steak  – Chateaubriand, NY Strip or rib-eye, trimmed, cut into ½ inch thin strips

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish:
1 sprig basil
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chiffonade
¼ cup coconut cream

1.     In a heavy saucepan over medium high heat, add half the coconut milk, ginger and garlic and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the oil starts to separate aka crack.
2.     Add curry paste, tomato paste, peanut butter, curry powder, paprika, cumin, coriander and kaffir leaves and sauté, stirring, 1 minute, or until fragrant.
3.     Add fish sauce, and palm sugar and remaining coconut milk.  Stir together.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until thick.
4.     Slice the meat at an angle against the grain, about ½ inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
5.     Raise the heat on the curry sauce to moderately high, add the meat to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Cook for another 2 minutes for medium rare or longer for more doneness.
6.     Taste for seasoning, adding more fish sauce or palm sugar as needed.
7.     Remove from heat. Stir in the basil leaves.  Transfer to a serving bowl.
8.     Drizzle with reserved coconut milk. Garnish with a sprig basil and kaffir ribbons.

Serves 6

Tags: curry, Thai.

Ma Po Do Fu is probably the most popular (or at least the gentrified version is a permanent item in the Chinese take out menu) of Sichuanese cuisine. As many of you know, the “ma” refers to the hot and numbing spice, not some old lady with pock marked face, which the dish is sometimes referred to.  It’s truly a Chinese comfort food.

Chef’s tip: The steps below may look laborious but frankly, I am just trying to line out in great detail the steps in wok cooking.  It literally takes about 5 minutes or less to cook the dish.  This dish employs the classic steps in working with a wok.  The wok is designed so that the hottest part of the pan is the bottom part, that’s where you brown the meat, etc.  The sides of the pan serves as the in between placeholder, where you park parts of the dish while you cook the other parts, before tossing them all back together.  That way, ingredients that need different cooking times get their own special treatment and you come out with the perfect crunch and tenderness.

8 oz ground beef
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 lb silken tofu
4 tablespoon scallions, white part, chopped

Sauce
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon chili bean paste
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (optional)

1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

½ tablespoon cornflour, plus 2 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons scallion, green part

Preparing the meat
1. Mix ground beef with 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and shaoxing wine.  Set aside

Preparing the vegetable
2. Dry fry the Sichuan peppercorn. Lightly grind peppercorns
3. Chop scallion (white part), ginger and garlic finely, set aside separately
4. Cut bean curd into 1 inch cubes.

Cooking the dish
5. Heat the wok over high heat.  Add the peanut oil followed by the marinated meat.  Drizzle remaining shaoxing wine around the side of the wok.  Fry for 1 minute until meat starts to brown.  Push the meat to the side of the wok.
6. Add chili bean paste, fermented black beans, and fry till the oil is separated, about half a minute.
7. Add chopped garlic, ginger and scallions (white part).  Fry till fragrant – about 30 seconds.  Toss with the meat.
8. Add broth, soy sauce, and sugar
9. Add tofu, stir lightly and bring to boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
10. Combine cornstarch with water to make a slurry, add to the sauce, toss to cook until sauce thickens.
11. Add chopped green scallions and crushed Sichuan peppercorns, toss to coat.
Serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Tags: Chinese, Sichuanese, tofu.

Of the many different types of curries in Malaysia, the rendang is the most loved.  The rendang is always the star of any kenduris (wedding ceremonies) or raya (Id) festivities.  It’s a very dry curry with sweet tones of toasted coconut.  Slow cook it till it’s fork-tender.

Chef’s tip: To toast coconut, use a dry skillet and toss it frequently over medium heat.  Alternatively, pop it into a 350F oven for 5 minutes.

½ cup of finely shredded desiccated coconut

Spice paste:
10 red jalapeno chilies
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
3 stalks lemon grass
1 inch ginger
1 inch galangal
2 candlenuts

Whole spices:
1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inch)
3 cloves
4 whole star anise
2 cardamon pods
2 pieces daun salam

¼  cup canola oil

2 lbs beef cubes – cuts for stewing, briskets, cubed

2 cups thick coconut milk

1 slice of asam gelugur* tamarind/ ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 pieces of kaffir lime leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar

1.    Toast coconut till golden brown in an oven or in a pan.  Set aside.
2.    Using a food processor, grind all spice paste ingredients into a paste
3.    Heat oil on medium high.  Fry paste and  whole spices till fragrant, red and oil has separated, about 5-7 minutes
4.    Add beef  and fry for about 3 minutes till brown.
5.   Add coconut milk, finely shredded kaffir lime leaves, tamarind slice, salt and sugar, and braise uncovered on low, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and gravy has thicken, about 2 hours depending on beef cut till fork tender.
8.    Mix in toasted coconut.

Serves: 6

Tags: curry, Malaysian.