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Daging masak hitam
Daging masak hitam: Malaysian beef braised black and glossy with sweet soy, tamarind and whole spices
Daging masak hitam, 'black-cooked beef', is a centrepiece of Hari Raya open houses and kenduri feasts across Malaysia, and it is just as good on an ordinary weekday with rice and cucumber. Beef is braised slowly with blended shallots, garlic, ginger and dried chillies, whole spices, tamarind and both sweet and dark soy sauce until the gravy reduces to a sticky, almost black glaze. It tastes better the next day, which is why cooks make it ahead for festivals. The usual mistake is reducing too fast over a high heat: the sugar in the sweet soy scorches and turns bitter. Chef's tip: once the gravy starts to thicken, stir from the bottom every few minutes and lower the heat.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
For the paste
- 8 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger
- 8 dried red chilliessoaked in hot water
For the braise
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamom podsbruised
- 2 ¼ lb beef chuck or topsidecut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 onioncut into rings
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend the 8 shallots, 5 cloves garlic, 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger and drained 8 dried red chillies to a smooth paste with a splash of water.
5 minStep 2: Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and fry the 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 4 cloves and 4 green cardamom pods for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 3: Add the paste and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes until it darkens, smells sweet and the oil separates.
10 minStep 4: Add the 2 ¼ lb beef chuck or topside and stir for 5 minutes to coat. Add 5 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kicap manis), 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp tamarind paste and 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
80 minStep 5: Uncover and simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until the gravy is thick, glossy and black and clings to the beef, which should be tender when pressed with a spoon.
18 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does daging masak hitam take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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