Beef Curry in Sweet Peanut Sauce

[soleta]

Curries of the World
Mridula Baljekar

The consistency of this curry is quite thick, unlike most other Thai curries. Roasted and ground peanuts add a rich taste, and thicken the sauce at the same time. You can grind the peanuts in a coffee grinder or use a pestle and mortar. For a quick alternative, you could use peanut butter, but you will need to reduce the quantity of salt.

SERVES 4-6

600ml/1 pint/2½ cups coconut milk
45ml/3 tbsp red curry paste
45ml/3 tbsp Thai fish sauce
30ml/2 tbsp palm sugar or soft light brown sugar
2 lemon grass stalks, bruised
450g/1lb rump steak cut into thin strips
75g/3oz roasted ground peanuts
2 fresh red chillies, sliced
5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
salt and ground black pepper
10—15 Thai basil leaves, to garnish
2 salted eggs, to serve

1 Put half the coconut milk into a wok or large pan. Heat the milk gently, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and separate.
2 Add the red curry paste and cook over a medium heat until fragrant. Add the fish sauce, palm or light brown sugar and lemon grass.
3 Continue to cook until the colour of the curry sauce deepens.
4 Add the remaining coconut milk and bring back to the boil. Add the beef and ground peanuts. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
5 Add the sliced chillies and torn kaffir lime leaves and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the whole Thai basil leaves, and serve with salted eggs, if you like.