Thai Style Hot and Sour Beef Soup, Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Method

1. Toast glutinous rice until golden brown, then pound it to a medium powder with a little grit left, enough for 1 tablespoon.
2. With 200g beef tendon on hand, simmer the tendon in water for about 1 hour until tender.
3. Add 300g beef shank cut into pieces along with 2 stalks of lemongrass, 6 to 8 slices galangal and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer for about 30 minutes until the meat is tender. The broth should sit at about 700 to 800ml.
4. Once the meat is tender, add 2 tomatoes cut into wedges, 2 to 3 shallots cut into pieces, 4 to 5 Thai kaffir lime leaves, a handful of dried chilies, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon roasted glutinous rice powder and 4 tablespoons fish sauce, then cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, add about 6 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons sawtooth herb and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, stir and adjust the seasoning. Ladle it into bowls and serve.

Tips

• Kaffir lime leaf can be swapped for Vietnamese lime leaf, which is a touch milder.
• Lime juice can be swapped for tamarind, garcinia or rice vinegar.
• Roasted glutinous rice powder is best toasted at home, as it is what gives the soup its light body and nutty aroma.
• With beef tendon in the pot, simmer it for an hour first before the meat goes in.
• Toast the dried chilies briefly over the flame to wake them up before they go into the pot.
• Add the lime juice once the heat is off, since simmering it kills the aroma.