Ingredients

• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• roasted
• 3 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 medium (about 150g/5½oz) brown onion
• chopped
• 8 long red chillies
• deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 stem lemongrass
• trimmed
• white part chopped
• 3cm/1¼in piece fresh galangal
• peeled and chopped
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
• 400–450g/14oz–1lb venison shanks
• 1 tsp palm sugar (also known as jaggery)
• 40–60ml/1½–2¼fl oz fish sauce
• to taste
• 60–100ml/2¼–3½fl oz tamarind purée
• to taste
• 5 bay leaves
• 5 cardamom pods
• toasted
• 1 large sweet potato
• peeled and cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
• steamed rice
• to serve
• 80g/2¾oz unsalted roasted peanuts
• chopped
• to serve
• 30g/1oz fresh coriander leaves
• coarsely chopped
• to serve

Directions

• To make the paste
• place the coriander seeds
• cloves
• cinnamon and cumin seeds into a small frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the spices start to release their oils. In a spice grinder or pestle and mortar blend the toasted spices
• shrimp paste and a tablespoon of cold water until smooth (you may need to add a little more water). Add the remaining ingredients
• one at a time
• blending well after each addition until the mixture forms a thick paste.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• Place a large
• flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. If the solid coconut cream has risen to the top of the tin
• use this
• or else pour in 125ml/4fl oz coconut milk and cook
• stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes
• until it separates. (If it does not separate
• add the optional olive oil). Add 60g/2¼oz of the curry paste and fry
• stirring constantly
• until fragrant
• about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the venison and fry for 2-3 minutes until browned all over. Add the remaining coconut milk
• reserving 2 tablespoons for the garnish. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Add the palm sugar
• fish sauce
• tamarind purée
• bay leaves and cardamom and return to the boil. Add 100ml/3½fl oz water to almost cover the venison and keep it moist.
• Cook in the oven for an hour or until the venison is nearly tender. Add the sweet potato
• cover and return to the oven for a further hour
• or until the potato is tender.
• Serve the curry with steamed rice topped with the chopped roasted peanuts and the coriander.