Massaman Curry

Cut the beef into 4 cm chunks. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, and peel and halve the shallots.

Open the coconut milk without shaking it and spoon the thick cream from the top into a wide pan. Heat until it splits and the oil rises — this is the base every Thai curry is built on.

Fry the massaman curry paste in the split cream for 3 to 4 minutes until it smells fragrant and darkens.

Add the chunks of beef and turn them through the paste, then pour in the rest of the coconut milk and add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and star anise.

Simmer very gently, partly covered, for 1½ to 2 hours, until the beef is starting to yield, adding a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick.

Add the potato chunks, the halved shallots and the peanuts and cook 25 to 30 minutes more until everything is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Season with the fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste, tasting as you go — massaman should land salty, sweet and sour all at once, with the sour slightly behind.

Roughly chop the coriander and scatter it over. Serve with the jasmine rice, if using.