February 19, 2016

Fabulous Friday Flavour: Spicy Minced Beef with Turmeric

If there is one ingredient that I always would have in my kitchen, be it fresh or in powdered form, it’s gotta be turmeric.

There’s just something about the taste that I really like. It’s also a very versatile ingredient and you can use it as a marinade, coating for deep-frying, for colouring or for a little flavouring. You can either use it on its own or with other ingredients. It also has a nice fragrant to it.

Turmeric is known for its healing properties too! It helps with inflammation, depression, diabetes as well as aiding brain health and memory to name a few. It is also all natural with no preservatives. Go ahead, Google it. There really is no excuse for not adding this fantastic spice into your food.

We grow turmeric just by planting the roots in a pot on our balcony. It’s one hardy plant that! Even when we thought that the plant is dying with no leaves to speak of as we tend to forget to water it, it comes alive again once we diligently continue to water it. I also use the leaves for cooking, making your food taste like heaven!

This week’s dish features turmeric as the main base for a beef dish. This, to me, is comfort food. It’s something my mom used to make when she runs out of idea and she uses turmeric in her chuck-everything-along dish. She calls it the “chemplang” dish; otherwise translated as the “rubbish” dish.

Sounds unappetizing, I know but don’t let that bother you because this.is.so.good that you’ll be asking for more!

Spicy Minced Beef with Turmeric
Serves 4
An easy home-made stir fry comfort food that's smothered with tumeric, ginger and lots of chillies!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 500g minced beef
  2. 1 big red onion, chopped
  3. 2 cloves garlic
  4. 5 bird's eye chillies
  5. 2-3 inches fresh turmeric, peeled
  6. 1.5 inches fresh ginger, peeled
  7. Half a cube beef stock
  8. Half a cup of fermented soya beans (taucho) - optional
  9. 1 tbsp dried basil
  10. 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
  11. 1 quarter lemon - optional
  12. Lemon thyme for garnish - optional
Instructions
  1. Pound ginger, garlic, turmeric and chillies into a paste
  2. Rinse the fermented soya beans to reduce its saltyness and then mash
  3. Heat up olive oil in a pan and when it;s hot enough, sauté the sliced onions by stir frying
  4. Add the the pounded ingredients in along with the beef stock cube. Mix well for about 5 minutes
  5. If you choose to use the fermented soya beans, add it into the pan. Fry till it gets a little brown
  6. After about 5 minutes, add in the minced beef. Continue frying till the beef is cooked (about 10 minutes). Squeeze the lemon
  7. Add a little water if it gets too dry.
  8. Then just cover the pan and simmer over small fire for about 5-10 minutes before serving it with rice.
Notes
  1. You can substitute fresh tumeric with the powdered ones, although I find that the taste will not be as good as using a fresh one. Adjust the use of chillies to your taste. Bird's eye chillies can be really spicy, so beware!
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Edit:
In conjunction with #RecipeShowdown, I am entering this recipe in a fun game hosted by All That’s Jas with this month’s guest host being, Binky’s Culinary Carnival with Turmeric as the key ingredient. Don’t forget to pop by their blogs with their mouth-watering and flavourful recipes!


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Comments
  1. This looks like a must try.

  2. I have never heard of turmeric! Now you have me wanting to give it a try in this recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us on the #HomeMattersParty. We hope to see you again when we open our doors on Friday at 12AM EST.

    • Give it a shot, Crystal. I hope you’ll be able to get some turmeric. I don’t know how difficult it would be outside Asia, but I think at least the powdered form would be available. They are amazing. Thank you for stopping by! I hope to link-up again for the next time too! 😀

  3. I need to start cooking more with turmeric. It’s so good for you! I need to try your recipe!

    • Oh yes! Gotta love turmeric.There’s something in the taste too that makes it quite distinctive and addictive. Hope you’ll try the recipe and when you do, let me know what you think! 😀

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