Burmese Style Beef Curry

Experimenting with curries has been interesting. It certainly took me out of my comfort zone in the kitchen.  Blending of spices, chopping of ginger, tasting and making sure the blend of tastes is ok... woah! I am used to quick and easy in the kitchen!

But out of comfort zone is good. It's ok. I read somewhere that when your mind stretches, it can never go back. I believe it is the same with cooking. Every other week, I want to see if I could go further, taste more and make another batch of curry.

I have to confess that the original recipe does not use beef. I don't think burmese would used that much beef since many burmese are buddhists. Nevertheless, hubby requested for beef curry and he gets beef curry!

The tang from tamarind, the saltiness from the balachan or shrimp paste... yum!

Burmese Style Beef Curry- Adapted from Asian and Thai Curry by Hermes House Serves 4
4 cm fresh ginger grated
3 red chili padi chopped
2 lemongrass white bit chopped
1 tbsp shrimp paste
1 tsp brown sugar
500 grams lean beef cubes
1 cup of water
2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp dark soy sauce
5-6 tablespoon of tamarind juice
1 tbsp fish sauce


Food processor- grind ginger, chill and lemon grass. Add shrimp paste and brown sugar to make it to a paste.

Saute paste till nice and fragrant. Add beef and brown them. Then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in some water, turmeric, soy sauce into the pan. Taste, season and cook for another 30 minutes or so. Last 5 minutes, add the tamarind juice. Serve with veges.