Masala Beef (Daging Masala)

Today, is a "ZIP IT!" day.  Therefore, my mouth is shut.  Good thing that we type with our hands. So I am going to just get to the recipe.

Ingredients:

750 grams to 1 kilogram of beef (I used readily packed for stir fry which can be bought from NTUC supermarkets, halal frozen meat freezer section) - do note if you are using fresh beef, you can slice them very thinly or if you are using fresh beef chunks, braise your beef till soft and tender in a pot of water with a teaspoon of turmeric powder and half teaspoon pepper
5 potatoes - sliced and fried till cooked and set aside
2 carrots - medium sized, sliced and fried till cooked and set aside
1 stick cinnamon - about 2 cm
3 pieces cardamoms
3 pieces cloves
2 large onions - chopped or diced
6 garlics - chopped
3 cm ginger - chopped
2 tomatoes - chopped or diced
3 green chillies - slit in halves and cut into twos (add more if you like it hot!)
1-2 sprigs curry leaves
2 tablespoon meat curry powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder - add more if you like it spicy
1 teaspoon white ground pepper
2 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoon tomato puree
1 bowl water
1 spoon sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Ajinamoto (seasoning powder) - optional
salt to taste
a bunch of coriander leaves - chopped

1. Heat oil in pan and add in the cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, chopped garlic, ginger and curry leaves.

2.  Saute for a minute.  Take a deep breath and inhale all that fragrance.

3.  Add in the chopped onions.

4.  Saute for a further two to three minutes until the onions are withered or yellowed.

5.  Add in the chilli powder and coriander powder and stir for a minute.

6.  Add in the white ground pepper and meat curry powder and stir.

7.  Add in the tomato puree.

8.  Add in sugar, seasoning powder and salt to taste. Saute the spices for about three minutes.

9.  Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry for a further five minutes until the tomatoes are mushy.

10. Add in the stir fry beef slices or braised beef. Fold your beef slices or braised beef into the sauteing mix. If you are using braised beef go straight to step no. 12.

11.  Fry the sliced beef for about two to three minutes.

12.  Add in the bowl of water and let simmer over high fire for about five minutes whilst stirring every now and then until the masala mix is slightly thickened. 

13.  Bring fire to medium.  Add in the fried potato slices and carrot slices.  Fold into the masala mix.  Simmer for a minute.

14.  Add in the green chillies and fold into the masala mix.  Do a taste check to see if you need to add sugar or salt.

15. Add in the chopped coriander leaves. Fold them in.

16.  Off fire and serve.

Enjoy with white rice or white bread.  Happy-Kitchen-ing!