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Beef smoore (beef with palm sugar): recipe illustration
Meat

Beef smoore (beef with palm sugar)

A Sri Lankan beef stew with Dutch roots, caramelised with palm sugar and given a lift with vinegar and cinnamon. Its sweet-sour sauce and melting meat make it a festive dish.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Sauce

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large casserole and sear the beef cubes on all sides, in small batches, then set aside.
  2. In the same casserole, fry the onion for 6 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
  3. Add the palm sugar and let it caramelise for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it turns amber.
  4. Return the meat, then add the vinegar, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, chilli, tomato purée and water.
  5. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over very low heat for 1 hour 30 to 2 hours, until the meat falls apart.
  6. Uncover for the last 15 minutes to reduce the sauce, remove the cinnamon and cloves, then serve with rice.

Variations and tips

Chicken version. Replace the beef with chicken thighs and shorten the cooking to 40 minutes.

More ideas

Original Ecomely recipe.