Curried Java Soup/Sayur Kare

Curried meat dishes, such as this savory soup, are typically served during Ramadan after the sun sets.
1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into
bite-sized pieces*
4 c. water
3 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
2 tbsp. butter**
4 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chili pepper, minced
1 tbsp. ground dried ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. shrimp paste
1 stalk lemongrass
1 salam leaf
1 c. diced fresh or frozen green
beans
5 small red potatoes, peeled and
chopped
1 c. reduced-fat coconut milk
¥ tsp. sugar
1. In a Dutch oven, combine beef, water,and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
2. While meat is cooking, heat butterin a wok or skillet over mediumhigh
heat. Add scallions, garlic, chilipepper, ginger, turmeric, coriander,
cumin, and shrimp paste and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add lemongrass and salam leaf and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add spice mixture to the beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in green beans and potatoes.Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add coconut milk and sugar. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or until
the vegetables are tender. Serve hot.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 6
*Other meats may be used in place of the beef if you prefer.
To make this a vegetarian dish, substitute fried tofu cubes for
the beef and vegetable bouillon cubes in place of beef or
chicken bouillon. Add the tofu cubes at the very end and allow
to cook for 10 minutes, or until the tofu is heated through.
**To reduce the saturated fat in this recipe, use canola oil or
peanut oil in place of the butter.
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