Beef Chuck Kharcho

Ingredients

• 1 lb Beef Chuck, cut into small chunks
• 6 cups water or beef stock
• ⅓ cup long-grain rice
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ cup walnuts, ground
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (standing in for sour plum)
• 1 tsp khmeli suneli
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp chile flakes
• Handful cilantro

Method

1. Simmer the Beef Chuck in the water, skimming foam, for 45 minutes until it begins to soften into the broth.
2. Soften the onion in a little oil, stir in the tomato paste until it darkens brick-red, and scrape the lot into the pot.
3. Add the rice, walnuts, tamarind, khmeli suneli, and chile flakes; simmer 20 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the walnuts have thickened the broth to velvet.
4. Stir in the garlic and season with salt — the balance should read sour, spiced, and rich in that order.
5. Rest 5 minutes, then serve buried in cilantro.