Making an Indonesian curry

Start with 1/2 kg of beef, cut into small pieces. Use the cheap cuts used for beef stews. About 4 shallots or small onions (or one big onion) and two pieces of garlic.

Chop the onions and the garlic into pieces.

put the onions and the garlic together with two spoons of sambal oelek into an ulekan (pestle and morter). If you want the dish to be hot, add three spoons, and if you want the dish to be less hot, only add one spoon.

Add a small spoon of koriander powder

Add half a small spoon of kunjit powder

Add about a wallnut-sized piece of assem (tamarinde) paste.

Grind it down in the ulekan. If you have a small ulekan, you'll have to do it in two turns.

Add the spices to the meat.

and mix thoroughly. You could leave it to marinate for a while. The assem will soften the meat.