Thai Massaman Curry with Beef Ribs, No Added Refined Sugar

Method

1. Make the massaman paste: grind the coriander seed, cumin seed, white pepper, ground cinnamon, ground clove, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom and salt together, then add the dried red chili and grind again.
2. Grind the wet ingredients separately: shallot, cilantro roots, galangal, minced garlic and mam tom.
3. Combine the two mixtures, grind a little more until smooth and turn it out into a bowl.
4. Soak the beef ribs in dilute salt water for 10 minutes, rinse them 2 to 3 times, pat them dry, take out the bones and cut the meat into bite sized pieces.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pot and sear the beef on every side over medium heat. Add the bones with 2 liters water, 150ml coconut milk, 1 tablespoon massaman paste and 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and cook over medium heat for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes until the meat is tender.
6. Peel the potato, cut it into bite sized pieces and soak it in water with about 2 teaspoons salt. Cut the onion into wedges.
7. In a deep pot, stir 300ml coconut milk with 5 tablespoons massaman paste over medium low heat.
8. Add the beef, the potato and about 6 tablespoons of the broth from step 5, then 3 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 2 tablespoons tamarind paste, and adjust the seasoning. Lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes until the potato is tender, add the onion for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and scatter the roasted peanuts over the top.

Tips

• Frying the potato lightly before it goes in keeps the pieces tender without falling apart.
• Skim the foam and the fat off the broth before ladling it into the curry pot.
• Coriander seed and cumin have to be toasted fragrant before grinding, since raw ground seeds leave a harsh note in the sauce.
• Cardamom, nutmeg, clove, cilantro roots and he tay (French shallot) are found at herbal spice stalls or the dry goods stalls in Cho Lon.
• He tay can be swapped for shallot, and the cilantro root for the washed base of cilantro stems.