Terengganu Beef Curry (Kerutup Daging Terengganu)

This is the curry my family buys to go with our Nasi Minyak. What I love is the unique fragrance of the spices. I find this curry rather pleasing as it compliments Nasi Minyak very well especially so when accompanied by a simple cucumber and onion acar (pickle).

My search for this recipe ended when I found Chef Wan's Kerutup Daging Terengganu featured in his cookbook Simply Sedap. Chef Wan adds some sliced turmeric leaves into this curry, which he mentioned is not an ingredient in the original recipe. I agree with Chef Wan that the turmeric leaves give this curry a wonderful aroma. However, go easy on it or else the smell and taste would be overpowering.

Terengganu Beef Curry (from Chef Wan's Simply Sedap)

Ingredients
- 125ml cooking oil
- 2 onions, peeled and sliced
- 3 pandan leaves, shredded and knotted
- 1kg beef lean topside
- 750ml coconut milk (extracted from 1 grated coconut and 750ml water)(I put 1 packet of santan (200ml) into a measuring glass and added water until it reach 600ml volume)
- 2 pieces asam gelugur
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar (I omitted)
- 55g kerisik (recipe here)(or can use ready made kerisik)
- 1 tumeric leaf, finely sliced

Whole Spices
- 2 star anise
- 3 cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick

Finely Ground Paste
- 20-30 dried chillies (soaked in water, seeded and drained)
- 200g onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 tablespoons corriander powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 15-20 black peppercorns

Method :
- Heat oil and saute onions, whole spices and pandan leaves till fragrant.
- Add finely ground paste and fry till oil separates.
- Add beef and fry till it shrinks.
- Add coconut milk together with asam gelugur.
- Simmer until grave thickens.
- Stir in salt, sugar, kerisik and most of the tumeric leaves.
- Discard pandan leaves and asam gelugur.
- Garnish with remaining tumeric leaves.