Massaman Beef Curry

Grind 5 ml coriander seeds, toasted, 5 ml cumin seeds, toasted, 1 ml white peppercorns, 3.5 ml ground cinnamon, 1 ml ground cloves, 0.6 ml ground nutmeg and 1 ml ground green or white cardamom together in a spice grinder until fine; tip out and set aside. Grind 20 g mild dried red chilies, seeds removed until fine and set aside separately.

Blend 59 ml shallots, 39 ml lemongrass, bottom half of the stalk only, 30 ml galangal, 2 cilantro roots, 30 ml garlic, 5 ml salt and 5 ml fermented shrimp paste (gapi) into a rough paste. Add the ground chilies and spices and keep blending, scraping down often, until smooth.

With a mortar instead: pound the lemongrass, galangal and cilantro roots with the salt to a fine paste, add the shallots and garlic and pound until fine, working in the ground spices and chilies as you go to absorb moisture. Finish by pounding in the shrimp paste.

Cut the meat of 905 g bone-in beef short ribs off the bones in large pieces; keep the bones.

Heat 30 ml vegetable oil, enough to coat the pot in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Sear the beef in batches without crowding the pot until well browned on at least two sides.

Return all the beef to the pot with the bones. Add 120 ml coconut milk, for the braise and just enough water to cover, a tablespoon of the the massaman curry paste and 15 ml fish sauce. Simmer gently until the beef is fork tender.

In a second heavy pot, boil 175 ml coconut milk, for frying the paste until reduced by about half and noticeably thicker.

Add the rest of the paste and fry over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the coconut oil separates. If it sticks before then, loosen it with a splash of the remaining coconut milk.

Stir in 295 ml coconut milk until the paste dissolves, then add half the 15 to 30 ml fish sauce, 44 ml palm sugar and 30 ml tamarind paste (tamarind concentrate).

Lift the beef out of its braising liquid with tongs and add it to the curry with ½ large onions, 1 large white-fleshed sweet potato and 59 ml roasted peanuts. Leave the bones behind unless there is still meat on them.

Skim the fat and scum off the beef cooking liquid, then add just enough of it to the curry to keep everything submerged.

Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the sweet potato is tender.

Taste and adjust with the rest of the fish sauce, more sugar or more tamarind until sweet, salty and tangy are in balance. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, for serving.