Kelia Sumatera (Sumatran Beef Curry)

Some nights, the idea of trying a new recipe can be more daunting than most.  On the night we had chosen to make Kelia Sumatera, or Sumatran Beef Curry, I was not so excited to venture into our month's land of Indonesia.  Quite honestly, after the day's busy activities, I was resigned to little more than opening a frozen pizza box and turning on the oven.  Alas, where the single gal's values once would have lead me, the married mother's new ideals had kicked my own behind into better action - despite my deeper desires.

Sucking it up, I charged forward as planned and made the Indonesian curry.  Like most of the Asian meals I have concocted in the past, it called for the same fragrant vegetables and pungent spices that I have used countless times before.  There is a similarity with all such meals - a common fragrance that blossoms in a kitchen and lingers throughout the house for days, reminiscing sweetly over the toil and ardor of currys past.  This was one such meal.  The aroma remained well after the final bits of the meal were consumed and carried with it the recognition of a job well done.  Not that it was the best curry I had ever made.  Or the best meal.  But, at least it hadn't come from a box.  At least I hadn't taken the easy way out.  At least my horizons were bound to be explored despite my all-American longing.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. shank, flank or chuck steak
• 4 large onions
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1 stalk of lemon grass
• 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
• 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. turmeric
• 3/4 tsp. shrimp paste
• 2 cups thin coconut milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 fresh red chilies
• 8 macadamia nuts or 24 raw cashews
• 10 small new potatoes
• cooked white rice

Instructions:

1. Cut the meat into cubes.  Peel and coarsely chop the onions, garlic and ginger.  Trim the lemon grass, using only the lower pale root section; chop roughly.  Place onions, garlic, ginger and lemon grass in a food processor and process to a puree.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the meat until evenly colored; remove and set aside.  Fry the onion puree for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the spices and shrimp paste and fry briefly.  Add the coconut milk and bay leaves and bring to a boil; then simmer for 5-6 minutes.
3. Slit the chilies and scrape out the seeds.  Add the flesh to the curry.  Grind the nuts to a powder and stir into the sauce, adding salt to taste.  Return the meat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours until very tender.  Add extra coconut milk or water as needed.
4. Peel the potatoes, add to the curry and cook until they are tender and the sauce is thick.  Garnish with green onions and serve over rice.

(The original recipe came from "Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook" by Jacki Passmore.)