Nasi Kandar (Black Beef)

Upon learning that I author a food blog, people have some interesting reactions. Some (*waves at mom*) are technophobes and haven't the foggiest regarding blogs in general so the concept of a specific type of blog is quite simply beyond their reach. Others find it mildly interesting, followed by the inevitable, "Soooo, what do you blog about?" Um.. well... food. Which is usually followed by a slightly awkward silence. Clearly food is not as compelling a subject to everyone.

Others want to know "So when/why did you start?". Well, I'll have to travel back to 2006 and question my younger self (*sniff*, old age is horrible) mercilessly about her motives. Or I could just 'fess up and blame peer pressure. You see, back in the day, blogging was a novelty with the result that everyone and their aunt (my friends and TheHusband included) started a blog with wild abandon.

Most of them petered out a few months' later. Turns out, we really didn't have that much to say. Well, except for me. *ahem* So, on my 4th bloggiversary and my 200th post, what better way to celebrate than stepping back into time, say 4 years ago? 

I spent many evenings back in 2006 oiling up my wok*, chopping vegetables for stir-frying and spilling soy sauce onto the Essential Wok Cookbook, the first of many in my growing collection. I had a thing for Asian food in all its incarnations and I confess that I pilfered quite a few of the specialty sauces and ingredients that TheHusband's housemates used to stock. I was employed as a slave article clerk back then and the budget, alas, did not stretch very far.

These days my horizons have broadened and I no longer focus exclusively on Asian food (or pilfer ingredients) but I do still have a soft spot for things harking from the Far East. Like this Malaysian Black Beef. Which, let me tell you, is just the thing to serve if you are entertaining some hardcore carnivores. Those beef short-ribs become meltingly tender and they are spiced just right. Perfection sans pilfering. Because it's just not okay to pilfer anymore at close to 30, is it?

*Actually, that wasn't even mine either. I pilfered borrowed that too... Hard times I tell ya.

Nasi Kandar (Black Beef)
Adapted from Poh's Kitchen
Serves 4 - 6

2 tbsp oil
2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp garlic
2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 100ml water
1 kg (roughly 2.2 lbs) beef short ribs, cut into bitesize pieces
4 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce

1. Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat. Add chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, mint and onions and fry for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup water and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Add beef, browning on all sides. Puree two of the tomatoes and chop the other two. Add both the pureed and chopped tomatoes to the beef, as well as the tomato paste, sugar, soy sauce and remainder of water (100ml).
3. Stir through and lower heat. Allow to simmer for 1 hour or until liquid has thickened and reduced and meat is tender

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.