Sri Lankan Beef Curry with Onion and Aubergine Salsa

Sri Lankan Beef Curry

500g beef, diced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

10 fresh curry leaves

1 green chilli

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

1/4 cup hot water

3 cups water

Dry Spice

1 tablespoon raw white rice

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 stick cinnamon

5-6 cardamon seeds

Roast dry spices on a hot pan and then grind into powder using a mortar and pestle. In a large saucepan heat oil. Add curry leaves, green chilli, onion and turmeric and fry for 3 minutes. Add beef and salt and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until meat is browned.

Add reserved dry spice powder and coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes to infuse flavours.

Add tamarind pulp to 3 cups of water. Add liquid to the pot and simmer for at least an hour, leaving the lid off the pan and until liquid reduces. Serve with rice and side dishes below.

Hot and Sweet Onion Date Chutney

3 dried red chillis, stemmed

2 tablespoons raw sesame oil

1 large white onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped dates

Place red chilli's in hot water and soak for 10 minutes. Heat oil in saucepan, add onions and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Drain chilli's and place in food processor with dates. Add onion mixture to food processor and process until ingredients are chopped.

Spiced Eggplant

4 long purple eggplants

1/3 cup raw sesame oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon cayenne 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed coarsely

2 tablespoons minced green chilli's

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/4 cup fresh coriander

Preheat oven to 220oC. Prick eggplant over with a fork and rub with oil. Place on a roasting pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Cool eggplant. Heat 1/4 cup oil in saucepan. Toss in onion, garlic, cayenne, turmeric and cumin and stir to mix well. Lower heat and cook onion until transperant (approx 10 minutes). Add chilli's to onion mixture and stir fry for a minute.Scrape pulp from eggplant and place in a bowl. mash eggplant pulp with a fork to break it up. Add eggplant pulp to onion mixture, adding salt and warm through. Mix the minced shallots through and serve with coriander.