Beef Curry

This recipe was taken from the December 2007 issue of Yummy Magazine (page 47).

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional)
1 (4-inch long) fresh red chili, thinly sliced crosswise
3/4 kilo beef short ribs, cooked in water till tender
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
1 tablespoon (or more, to taste) fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
cubed potatoes and carrots (not in the recipe but in the photo in the magazine)

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the curry paste, lime leaves and chili. Saute and keep stirring till fragrant. Add the beef and coat with the curry.

2. Pour in coconut milk, chicken broth, brown sugar, fish sauce and lime juice and simmer stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions; simmer for about a minute more

3. Serve among 4 bowls and serve immediately with rice.

I didn't faithfully stick to the recipe but it was good guide and the results were terrific. I didn't have lime juice so i used a lemon, i used a lot more than 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry, i used an entire pack. Instead of chicken broth, i added kneecaps while boiling the beef and used that as the broth. In my opinion, kaffir lime leaves are essential instead of optional. To control the heat, remove the seeds of the chilies or use long green chilies instead of red.

Kaffir Leaves which are essential to this dish are available at Chef's Nook and Rustan's Powerplant. For a Kaffir tree, you can get one at Manila Seedling for around P350.