Beef Vindaloo

Directions

Place the garlic and vinegar into a blender and mix to a smooth paste.

Remove the tops and bottoms of the chiles and remove the seeds.

(do NOT put your fingers near your eyes, or they will become inflamed).

Add the peppers to the blended paste.

Put cumin seeds, tumeric, mustard, ginger, salt and sugar into a small bowl and mix together.

Pour this mixture into the blender.

Remove the peel from the lemon, squeeze the juice, discard the pips and chop the inner pulp.

Add the juice and the pulp to the blender, then blend thouroughly.

Place the beef into a bowl and pour the blended mixture over it.

Stir in the poppy seeds and marinate for two hours.

(Be careful not to spill this marinade, or you might have to move from your home!) After meat is marinated, finely slice the onion.

Pour some clarified butter a skillet over medium heat, and add the onions.

Cook until opaque.

Add the bay leaves and cloves. With a slotted spoon, lift the meat from the marinade and add to the frying onions, increasing the heat so that the meat is sealed quickly.

When the meat is sealed all over, add the marinade.

Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

After the meat has cooked for 1 hour, add the tomato paste, stirring it thoroughly into the meat mixture, and cook for another 30 min.

When the meat is tender, serve at once - piping hot.

This is very hot! Nice served with plain boiled or steamed long grain rice.

For a nice cooling touch you might serve with a lime cordial.

Note: When using the hot chilies, remove the placenta as well as the seeds (the inside fleshy membrane) as it contains Capucin and can cause inflamation if you eat too much.