Spicy sour beef with tamarind sauce recipe (sam-loh machu kroeung sach koh)

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch vegetables separately for 2 minutes or until softened. Drain well and set aside.

Combine pickled mud fish and 150ml water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then cook over low–medium heat for 15 minutes or until fish has broken down. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids and set mud fish liquid aside.

Meanwhile, place 200ml boiling water in a bowl, add tamarind paste and leave for 20 minutes or until tamarind has softened. Loosen tamarind, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids and set tamarind liquid aside.

Process lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal and garlic in a small food processor to a paste. (You can also do this using a mortar and pestle.)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add lemongrass paste and turmeric, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add 400ml water, tamarind liquid, mud fish liquid and fish sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add beef, sugar and 2 tsp salt, and cook over low–medium heat, stirring frequently and adding a little more water if necessary to cover beef, for 3 minutes or until beef is almost cooked. Add vegetables and cook for a further 2 minutes or until beef is cooked and vegetables are heated through. Serve with rice.

* Ong choy and apple eggplants are from selected greengrocers and Asian food shops.

* Pickled mud fish, available from selected Asian food shops, is used in many Cambodian dishes, just as fish sauce and dried shrimp paste are respectively used in Thai and Malaysian cooking. Liep uses Three Trees Gouramy Fish Sauce.

* Tamarind paste is available from selected supermarkets and Asian food shops.

Photography by John Laurie.