Soto Betawi

Ingredients

• 700 g beef brisket
• 1.5 litres water
• 8 shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 candlenuts
• 3 cm ginger
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 4 cm galangal
• 4 salam leaves
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cm
• 3 cloves
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 300 ml whole milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 medium potatoes
• 300 ml vegetable oil, for frying the potato
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 spring onions
• 4 tbsp crisp fried shallots
• 60 g melinjo crackers (emping)
• 2 limes
• 4 tbsp sambal, to serve

Before you cook

• Cut the brisket into 3 cm cubes.
• Peel the shallots, garlic and ginger.
• Bruise the lemongrass stalks and slice the galangal into coins.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1.5 cm cubes.
• Cut the tomatoes into wedges and slice the spring onions thinly.
• Cut the limes into quarters.

Steps

1. Put the brisket cubes into a large pot with the water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
2. Skim off the grey foam that rises for the first few minutes until the surface runs clear.
3. Turn the heat down and simmer the beef gently for 50 minutes, until it is tender enough to cut with a spoon.
4. Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, coriander, cumin, white pepper and turmeric into a smooth paste with a splash of water.
5. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the paste for 7 minutes, until it darkens and smells sweet rather than raw.
6. Add the lemongrass, galangal, salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to the pan and stir for 1 minute.
7. Scrape the whole fried paste into the pot with the beef and its broth.
8. Pour in the coconut milk and the whole milk, then add the salt and sugar.
9. Bring the soup to a bare simmer and hold it there for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it never boils hard and splits.
10. Heat the frying oil in a small pan to 175C.
11. Fry the potato cubes for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden and crisp at the corners, then drain them on kitchen paper.
12. Taste the broth and adjust the salt, then pick out the lemongrass and larger whole spices.
13. Ladle the beef and broth into four deep bowls.
14. Top each bowl with fried potato, tomato wedges, spring onion and a heap of fried shallots.
15. Serve with the melinjo crackers, lime quarters and sambal on the side.