Speedy Sri Lankan Supper
You may balk at any meal featuring an entree cooked for 1 1/2 hours being labeled as fast, but the genius here is that once you get the beef curry simmering you can almost entirely abandon the dish until it's finished. This should leave plenty of time for making the rice (white basmati cooks quickly compared to many grains) and assembling the salads. The blessing of leftovers also means you'll have an even speedier meal in your near future.
SRI LANKAN BEEF CURRY
Cut 1-lb. of beef stew meat into 1" pieces and set aside. In a large saucepan or deep skillet, in 2 T. vegetable oil, saute for 3 minutes: 1 sliced onion, 8 curry leaves (if you have them), a t. of turmeric, a T. of ground coriander, 4-6 dried red chilies, 3-4 cardamom pods, a t. of ground cumin and a 1-2" cinnamon stick. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.
Increase the flame and add the beef to the pan. Get a quick sear on the meat then add 1/2 cup of coconut milk, the juice of half a lime and a t. or so of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, boiling away, then add 2-3 cups of water. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and just walk away.
Check back now and then to make sure there is enough liquid so as not to burn the curry. After 1 1/2 hours the meat should be tender and the liquid almost entirely cooked away, leaving a rich and savory sauce. If this is not the case, remove lid and cook on a high flame to reduce the liquid further. Check for seasoning as you may likely need more salt.
A nice touch is the addition of a bunch of snipped chives or 3-4 chopped scallions just after the curry has finished cooking.
Serve with basmati rice, a green salad and the bean sprout salad as below.
MUNG BEAN SPROUT SALAD
Though spicy this salad is nevertheless cooling thanks to the combination of honey and coconut. It's also quite perfect with any hearty meat or vegetable stew, Sri Lankan or not! Large bags of mung bean sprouts are available in most supermarkets and at all Asian groceries.
Start with 4 cups or so of fresh mung bean sprouts. Rinse very well then drain and set aside while you make the dressing. If the sprouts seem overly large or unwieldy chop them roughly.
In a blender combine: the juice of half a lime, 2 T. of water, a T. of oil, 3-4 T. chopped shallots or onion, a T. of honey, a t. of salt, 3 T. of grated coconut and 4-5 minced green chilies. Whir it all up until the ingredients are combined and mostly pureed. Toss the dressing with the sprouts and serve soon after.
If you're making ahead toss at the last moment to avoid a soggy salad.
Increase the flame and add the beef to the pan. Get a quick sear on the meat then add 1/2 cup of coconut milk, the juice of half a lime and a t. or so of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, boiling away, then add 2-3 cups of water. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and just walk away.
Check back now and then to make sure there is enough liquid so as not to burn the curry. After 1 1/2 hours the meat should be tender and the liquid almost entirely cooked away, leaving a rich and savory sauce. If this is not the case, remove lid and cook on a high flame to reduce the liquid further. Check for seasoning as you may likely need more salt.
A nice touch is the addition of a bunch of snipped chives or 3-4 chopped scallions just after the curry has finished cooking.
Serve with basmati rice, a green salad and the bean sprout salad as below.
MUNG BEAN SPROUT SALAD
Though spicy this salad is nevertheless cooling thanks to the combination of honey and coconut. It's also quite perfect with any hearty meat or vegetable stew, Sri Lankan or not! Large bags of mung bean sprouts are available in most supermarkets and at all Asian groceries.
Start with 4 cups or so of fresh mung bean sprouts. Rinse very well then drain and set aside while you make the dressing. If the sprouts seem overly large or unwieldy chop them roughly.
In a blender combine: the juice of half a lime, 2 T. of water, a T. of oil, 3-4 T. chopped shallots or onion, a T. of honey, a t. of salt, 3 T. of grated coconut and 4-5 minced green chilies. Whir it all up until the ingredients are combined and mostly pureed. Toss the dressing with the sprouts and serve soon after.
If you're making ahead toss at the last moment to avoid a soggy salad.
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