Rawon (East Javanese Black Beef Soup)

Simmer the beef in the water for about an hour, skimming the foam off in the first ten minutes, until it is starting to soften.

Crack the keluak nuts, scrape the black paste out and soak it in a few spoons of warm water for 10 minutes.

💡 Taste a tiny amount of the paste. It should be earthy and faintly bitter like dark chocolate. If it tastes sharply sour or smells fermented-off, throw that nut out — one bad keluak ruins the whole pot.

Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, ginger, galangal, chilies and the soaked keluak paste into a dark, smooth paste.

Fry the paste in oil over medium heat with the coriander, lemongrass, lime leaves and salam leaves for 6–8 minutes.

💡 It will look and smell unpromising — muddy and heavy. Keep going until the oil separates out around the edges; that is the point at which raw bitterness turns into depth.

Stir the fried paste into the beef pot with the palm sugar and a good spoonful of salt. The broth will turn from brown to near-black.

Simmer gently for another hour, uncovered, until the beef gives way easily to a spoon and the broth has reduced by about a quarter.

Taste and adjust for salt. It should be savoury and deep with only a hint of sweetness.

Ladle into bowls, drop a handful of raw bean sprouts on each, scatter fried shallots over and serve with rice, sambal and a wedge of lime.