Venison massaman curry

Method

1. To make the curry paste, blend the coriander, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, shrimp paste and 1 tablespoon or more of cold water until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, blending well after each addition until the mixture forms a thick paste. This makes 125 g.
2. To make the curry, preheat the oven to 160°C. Place a wok or heavy saucepan over medium–high heat. If the coconut cream has risen to the top of the tin, just add this, otherwise pour in 60 ml coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly for 3–5 minutes, until it separates. If it does not separate, add the optional oil. Add 60 g of the curry paste and fry, stirring constantly until fragrant, for 1–2 minutes.
3. Add the venison to the paste and brown for 2–3 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish later. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind purée, bay leaves and cardamom pods and return to the boil. If necessary, add 100 ml or so of water to almost cover the venison and keep it moist. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 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 with steamed rice topped with the chopped roasted peanuts, remaining thick coconut cream and the coriander.