Recipe: Beef And Pumpkin Massaman Curry

Mama-say mama-sah ma-massaman 

As promised on Wednesday's Sex, Lies and Pumpkin Pies post, we are sharing Keith’s delicious beef and pumpkin massaman curry.
Although we have been creating Pokey annually, it is only in the last 6 years or so that we have been cooking the curry. We were looking for a dish which would be a break from the usual pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie. Not so unusual that it is bordering on weird (pumpkin cocktail anyone?). We honeymooned in Thailand and it was soon after that we thought of cooking a curry with the pumpkin flesh,.

Ingredients

• 400g beef, diced
• 250g pumpkin flesh, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 cloves
• 1 tsp hot chilli flakes
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• A handful of crushed toasted cashews
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method 

1. Heat a pan and add the cumin, coriander, fennel and caraway seeds and toast for about a minute.
2. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind the spices into a fine powder.
3. Heat oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry for a minute.
4. Add the beef, fry until the meat is sealed.
5. Add all the spices, tamarind paste and fish sauce and give the meat a good stir and leave to cook for two minutes.
6. Pour in the coconut milk, stir again and leave to simmer gently for twenty minutes.
7. Serve on a bed of rice and sprinkle the chopped cashews and coriander leaves on top.