Blame it on
the turmeric.
The last
time I was in Philadelphia, of course I visited the Reading Terminal Market
(yes, again), and as usual, I found something I wasn't looking for: fresh turmeric. I had never seen anything but the dried
version in a bottle, so of course I had to try it.
But finding
a recipe for fresh turmeric is not easy, I soon discovered. Luckily I came upon one recipe for a
Thai-inspired beef curry on Epicurious.
What'e more, I had most of the (rather unusual) ingredients on hand, so
I decided it was meant to be.
In case
you're wondering, a fresh, unpeeled turmeric looks like a dessicated
caterpillar. Peeled, it's the color of a
carrot. Its flavor is earthy and a
little bit bitter, but not too strong. The stew is unusual and flavorful, and
you can vary the heat to your taste.
Curry
paste:
3 dried
guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded (these are not very hot)
½ tsp salt
1
lemongrass stalk (I had some picked lemongrass so used that)
2 Tblsp
sliced peeled fresh galangal (uh, not—but I did have dried!)
2 Tblsp
sliced peeled fresh turmeric
½ cup
chopped shallots
¼ cup
halved garlic cloves
Stew:
3 Tblsp soy
sauce
2 Tblsp
ground dried Thai chiles (these are hot! So you decide)
6 cups beef
broth (enough to cover)
1 cup
halved shallots
3 medium
carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into half-moons (about 1
cup)
Chopped fresh
cilantro
Sliced Thai
basil (I happened to have some growing in a pot)
Combine the
curry paste, beef, soy sauce and ground chiles in a pot, and stir to coat the
beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, over
medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the broth
and bring to a boil. Then cover, reduce
heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender, about
2-2 ½ hours.
Stir in the
shallots and carrots. Simmer until the
vegetables are tender (the timing will depend on how large your carrots were).
Garnish will the cilantro and basil, and serve over rice.
Going to try this Sheila! I love curry but have never tried to make it from scratch
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful dish, Sheila! I rarely make curries, and I've certainly never made one with fresh tumeric (wow!) ... but you've inspired me. Since we still have basil growing like crazy, I may make a green curry this weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, what an exotic recipe. Must have been delicious! I've never seen fresh turmeric. Thanks for the photos. I use powdered turmeric as a natural food color. No one has ever noticed (taste-wise) that I've added it to sweets, including frostings and candy. It really does make things beautifully yellow. Wonder if it was used for tribal face-painting hundreds of years ago.
ReplyDelete~ Krista
Mmm, I bet this smells delicious as it cooks. I think I can get some of those unusual ingredients in our local Meijer. Grand Rapdids has a sizeable enough Asian population that they do carry a lot of exotic vegetables and spices.
ReplyDeleteSheila, lovely and exotic. I adore the plate you served it in. Wow!
ReplyDelete~Daryl aka Avery