Spicy Indonesian Beef Tongseng with Coconut Milk

Tongseng Sapi

Ingredients:

• 250g beef, sliced into small pieces
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 10 red bird’s eye chilies, coarsely ground
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cm galangal, bruised
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 50 ml thick coconut milk
• 1/2 head cabbage, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1/2 tsp butter
• Water, as needed
• Salt, to taste
• Sugar, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Sweet soy sauce, to taste

For the Spice Paste:

• 8 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 candlenuts
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 3 cm turmeric

Steps:

1. Prepare the Spice Paste: Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, coriander seeds, and turmeric until smooth.

2. Sauté the Aromatics: Heat oil in a pan, add butter, then sauté the sliced shallots, spice paste, and whole spices (lemongrass, cinnamon, galangal, bay leaves, and ground cumin) until fragrant and cooked through.

3. Cook the Beef: Add the beef slices to the pan, stir well, and pour in a little sweet soy sauce. Stir until the beef is well-coated with the spices.

4. Simmer the Stew: Pour in water to cover the beef. Add sweet soy sauce, thick coconut milk, salt, sugar, pepper, and red bird’s eye chilies. Simmer until the beef is tender.

5. Add Vegetables: Stir in the cabbage and tomato slices. Adjust seasoning to taste. Cook until the cabbage is tender.

6. Serve: Remove from heat and serve hot. Enjoy your delicious Tongseng Sapi!

Notes:

• For a richer flavor, you can add more coconut milk.
• Adjust the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the number of bird’s eye chilies.
• Serve with steamed rice for a complete meal.