AMBILLA KACANG

Serves 6–8

At Quentin’s, we named this beef and long bean curry Don’s Ambilla Kacang after Don Nonis, a regular patron of the restaurant who frequently requested for this curry whenever he came to dine. This curry was not originally in the menu but because Don kept requesting for it, we finally added it to the menu.

Cooking oil 4 Tbsp
Large onion 1, peeled and sliced

Beef 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz), cut into 3-cm
(1¼-in) cubes

Water 300 ml (10 fl oz / 1¼ cups)
Salt ¼ Tbsp

Long beans 300 g (11 oz), cut into
5-cm (2-in) pieces

Tamarind pulp 2 Tbsp, mixed with
2 Tbsp water and strained

Ground Paste

Shallots 15, peeled
Large onions 3, peeled and sliced
Turmeric 10-cm (4-in) knob, peeled and sliced

Dried prawn (shrimp) paste (belacan)
50 g (1⅔ oz)

Candlenuts 5
Lemon grass 1 stalk

Dried chillies 100 g (3½ oz), cut into
short lengths, soaked for 10 minutes,
seeds removed

1.   Pound or grind together ingredients for ground paste until fine.

2.   Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and fry onion until soft. Add ground paste and
fry until oil rises.

3.   Add beef and fry for about 5 minutes, then add water. Simmer until beef is tender
and curry thickens. This will take about 20 minutes over medium heat.

4.   Add long beans and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in tamarind liquid. Remove from heat.

5.   Dish out and garnish as desired. Serve hot.

NOTE

•  To save on cooking time, a pressure cooker can be used to soften the beef if you have one.
Follow the instructions on your pressure cooker.

102

EURASIAN HERITAGE

Cooking