This is an excellent dish to accompany my previous recipe, Nasi Tomato. Daging Masak Kurma is beef kurma. Kurma is another Indian cuisine, besides curry. The recipe is almost the same. The only significant is the cooking powder used. Instead of curry powder, kurma powder is used.The truth is I do not really fancy this dish. Even my mother hardly cooked it when I was smaller. The reason could be due to the absence of chilly flavour in this dish. But I learn to appreciate it after married to my husband. This is one of his favourite dishes & the girls eventually, inherited his taste.Like most Asian's cuisines, shallots & garlics are always essential. For this recipe, sliced shallots, garlics & ginger, together with lightly pounded lemon grass & a half stick of cinnamon are all stir-fried together.
While waiting, prepare the kurma paste by adding water to the kurma powder. Once the ingredients in the pan turn golden colour, join the paste together. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Before starting cooking this dish, I have already pressure cooked the beef. The girls love the smooth texture & it makes my cooking time shorter.
Once the paste is ready, put the beef together with the water into the pan. If the water is not enough, add up more until it covers the beef.
Next is the potatoes. I usually cut the potatoes to smaller pieces. First, is easier for the girls to eat. Second, is to make the process of cooking shorter as to balance it with the already tendered beef. In midway of cooking, I lightly poke the potatoes with a fork to make them tender faster.
Once the gravy boils, add in 2 - 3 tablespoon of coconut milk.
Lastly is the tomatoes. Cut into 4 or 6 pieces, whichever desired. Add salt according to taste & wait until the tomatoes tender.
Try it. Daging Masak Kurma. Also can be eaten with bread & white rice.
To be frank, I don't really enjoy this dish. Anyhow, this is Wardah's favourite. My two other girls, Yasmin & Balqis like this too. I think hubby enjoys it too. He never complains when I serve this dish. The regular fish I use is always pomfret (ikan bawal). The fish is cut to two or even three if it is too big. Deep fry the fish after marinated with turmeric & salt. The reason why I do not mind at all cooking this is merely because of the vegetable. My girls fortunately are not that picky when it comes to vege. But that depends only on the vege that they are familiar with. Most of the vege that accompanies this dish is their regular. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower & baby corns. They only refuse to eat the capsicum. Well... that is meant for hubby. And they love the pineapple. Ok, here's how I go about cooking it. First, stir-fry the chopped onions. Then add in carrots, cauliflower & baby corns. Cook until tender.
Next pour in a can of processed peas, together with the water.
After that, combine broccoli & capsicum inside the pan. Next add tomato sauce & stir.
Lastly put in chopped pineapples with a little bit of the syrup. Don't forget to add sugar & salt according to taste.
This dish is normally served with the gravy poured onto the fried fish. But it has to be eaten once cooked. As I always prepare food earlier due to time constraint, I normally put aside the gravy & the fish. Combine both only when it is time to eat.
Tips - It tastes better with chilly. Either serve with cut fresh chillies or stir-fry chilly paste together with onions. Try it!
This is one of my favourites. A dish cooked by my Indonesian helper. I just love the taste of the tender brinjal mixed together with the chilly paste. This menu is for me when hubby is away. Whenever he does not dine in, I will just eat whatever the girls are having. As they still can't appreciate spicy foods, this dish helps to appetize. The recipe? I'm yet to ask my maid...
