Spicy beef with onions is a delicious main course that can serve as tapas too especially if you are fond of spicy food. You can stir-fry the beef until crisp or keep the strips tender. I also prefer making twice as much spice paste. It serves as a delicious sauce for the rice. Enjoy this dish with stir-fried sweet and sour vegetables for a yummier fare.

 

Ingredients:

600g beef cubes

10 dried chili, cut and seeded

4 red finger length chili, seeded and sliced

6 shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup oil

2 onions, cut into rings

2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and shredded

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lime juice

 

Cook the beef in a pot of water over high heat. Bring it to a boil and skim off any foam that rises. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1-2 hours until the beef is soft. You may use a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time to 30 minutes.

Soak the dried chili in warm water for 15 minutes until soft. Drain and then grind it along with the fresh chili, shallots and garlic to form a paste. You may use a food processor or mortar and pestle. Add a little oil if needed.

Once the beef is cooked, drain and reserve the liquid for other dishes. Let the beef cool a little and then slice it into strips.

Place 4 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef in batches for 5-8 minutes until brown. Transfer the beef to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

After frying the beef, stir-fry the onions for 2 minutes until translucent. Place the cooked onions with the fried beef to drain the excess oil. Next, fry the ginger for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Place the ginger on the plate with beef and onions.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok or skillet. Stir-fry the ground paste around 5-6 minutes until the oil separates from the paste. Return the beef, onions and ginger to the wok or skillet. Set the heat on medium and season the beef with salt, sugar and lime juice. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the beef is coated in spice paste. Serve warm with rice.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  stu_spivack