Beef Kulma

Equipment

Use a heavy 24 cm lidded pot and a small bowl for loosening the peanut butter.

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 1 kg boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
• 30 ml neutral cooking oil, divided
• 200 g onion, finely chopped
• 20 g garlic, minced
• 25 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder, or omit for a mild pot
• 40 g tomato paste
• 200 g canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 600 ml unsalted beef stock
• 400 ml unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, about 17–20% fat
• 1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer leaves removed; tender lower 10 cm bruised and tied
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 4 g fine salt, divided: 3 g initially and up to 1 g at the end
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 60 g smooth unsweetened peanut butter, stirred well before weighing
• Up to 300 ml hot water, only if needed during braising
• Cooked rice, to serve separately

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure first. Pat beef dry. Mix coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and optional chilli powder in a small bowl. Stir the peanut butter in its jar before weighing so the oil and peanut solids are evenly combined.

2. 2

   Brown the beef. Heat 15 ml oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef in three batches for about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate; it is not yet cooked through. Avoid crowding the pot.

3. 3

   Cook the aromatics. Reduce to medium heat. Add the remaining 15 ml oil and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, then add garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add all the measured ground spices for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add tomato paste for 1 minute, then canned tomatoes. Scrape the base gently; do not let the spices burn.

4. 4

   Start the braise. Return beef and its juices. Pour in stock and coconut milk. Add lemongrass, bay leaf, the initial 3 g salt and black pepper. Bring just to a simmer, cover partly and reduce to low heat. Braise for about 1 hour 45 minutes–2 hours, stirring and scraping the base gently every 20 minutes. Keep liquid at least halfway up the meat, adding reserve hot water in 50 ml amounts only when needed.

5. 5

   Add the peanuts near the end. When the beef is nearly tender, put peanut butter in a bowl and gradually stir in about 100 ml hot sauce taken from the pot. Return this smooth mixture to the pot. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 20–30 minutes, stirring more often as the sauce thickens. If the beef still resists a fork, continue gently and add small amounts of reserve water as needed.

6. 6

   Check the texture. The beef should separate under gentle fork pressure. The sauce should coat it generously without forming a dry paste. If thin, simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes, stirring; if too thick, loosen with a little reserve water. A few beads of coconut oil are normal. Do not boil hard to force the sauce to thicken.

7. 7

   Finish. Remove lemongrass and bay leaf. Taste before using any of the reserved 1 g salt. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve with rice.