Indonesian Beef Patties

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons shrimp paste
• 1 onion, large, roughly chopped
• 1-2 red chilies, fresh, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
• 1 small egg, beaten
• vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, fresh ground, to taste
• 4-6 Thai chiles, red and green, for garnish

Directions

1. 1

   Wrap the shrimp paste in a piece of foil and gently warm it in a dry frying pan for 5 minutes, turning a few times. Unwrap the paste and put in a food processor or blender. Add the onion, chilies and garlic to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Set aside. Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds in a hot frying pan for 1 minute, to release the aroma. Tip the seeds into a mortar and grind with a pestle.

2. 2

   Put the meat in a large bowl. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the ground spices, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and beaten egg. Season to taste. Shape the meat mixture into small, even-size balls, and chill these for 5 to 10 minutes to firm them up.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and fry the meatballs for 4-5 minutes, turning often, until cooked through and browned. You may have to do this in batches. Drain the meatballs on kitchen paper, and then pile them on to a warm serving platter or into a large serving bowl.

4. 4

   Finely slice the green chili and one of the red chilies, and sprinkle over the meatballs. Garnish with a whole red chili, if you like. Serve with the sambal, spooned into a small dish.