Indonesian Beef Curry with Coconut Rice

This recipe is from Cooking Light’s May 2007 issue. It’s very tasty, and a keeper. I changed the recipe a bit, and I note the changes. You can really use your imagination with this dish and substitute chicken, tofu, or veggies for the beef. You can also easily adjust the heat level by adding or decreasing the number of chiles. You can also try removing the seeds and ribs of the chiles, which leaves great flavor without too much heat.

Curry:

• 1.5 pounds lean top round, thinly sliced
• 1.5 TBSP canola oil (I used olive oil, and eyeballed it)
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced shallots
• 2 TBSP minced peeled fresh ginger
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced (depending on how hot you want it adjust accordingly. I used 1 chile and removed the seeds, and the dish still had great flavor without being too spicy)
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1.5 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 3 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 TBSP. lime juice
• I added the remaining coconut milk from the can used in the rice recipe and about 1 cup of cooked green beans at the end.

Rice:

• 1.25 cups water
• 1 c. uncooked rice
• 1 c. light coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Assembly:

1. To prepare curry, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Place half of the beef in the skillet; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Romove the beef from pan. Keep warm. Repeat process with the remaining beef.
2. Lower heat to medium; add oil to pan. Add shallots, ginger, garlic, and chiles; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in coriander and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon); cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return beef to pan. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until beef is tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Discard cinnamon stick; stir in lime juice. I added the coconut milk and green beans here.
3. To prepare rice, bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork.

Indonesian Beef Curry with Coconut Rice: