The Green Kitchen

Ingredients

• 5 whole cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg, slightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
• 6-8 red chillies roughly chopped
• 6 shallots, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2" piece fresh or frozen turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped, or 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2" piece root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2" piece galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 beef shanks or boneless beef chuck, cut into 2" pieces
• 7 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves, plus 4 very thinly sliced, for garnish
• 3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, smashed with a mallet, and tied into knots
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 2½ cups unsweetened coconut cream
• 2 T grated palm sugar
• 1 drop of lemongrass essential oil (optional but amazing)
• Himalayan pink salt, to taste
• Brown rice to serve

Method

1. Pulse cloves & nutmeg in a mortar and pestle or use a hammer until very fine. Add chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, & galangal. Purée in a food processor until a smoothish paste forms, about 2 minutes.
2. Transfer paste to a 12" nonstick skillet or frypan with beef; using your hands, mix together.
3. Add 7 lime leaves, lemongrass knots, cinnamon, coconut cream, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low & cook, stirring occasionally to prevent coconut cream from scorching, until the consistency of thick soup, about 1½ hours. Continue to cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until sauce & beef turn a dark caramel colour & the sauce coats the beef for about 3 hours.
4. Taste taste taste & adjust the palm sugar & salt to your liking then add your lemongrass essential oil drop here (be careful to not add to much & make your curry taste like soap).
5. Discard whole spices before serving garnish with thinly sliced lime leaves, shredded coconut, fresh lime cheeks & fried shallots. Serve with brown rice or sweet potato or green beans. Yum (aka) spirit lifted!