Thai beef and potato curry

Potato - Part 3.

A hale and hearty pot of goodness.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup coconut cream
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground fennel
2 cups coconut milk
500g chunk tender beef, trimmed and cut into large cubes
1 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp fish sauce

For the curry paste:
8 dried chillies, soaked in hot water
4 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 lemongrass stem, white part only, sliced
4cm piece of galangal

Method:
1. Blitz all the curry paste ingredients in a food processor to form a paste.
2. Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes until they are firm to the touch. Drain and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, bring the coconut cream to a boil. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until it "cracks" (when it separates and forms a layer of oil on the surface).
4. Add the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the coriander, cumin and fennel, and mix well.
5. Add the coconut milk, beef, sugar and fish sauce and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender. Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Tips:
Add a few fresh red chillies to the curry paste mix for a more intense flavour.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Mar 2008)