Ingredients

• 1 tblsp each minced garlic and ginger
• ¼ tsp each ground chilli powder, nutmeg and ground coriander
• sprinkle of ground cloves
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 250 grams minced beef
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• ½ cup beef stock
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tblsp dry sherry or mirin
• 2 spring onions, trimmed, finely chopped
• 30 prawn crackers

Method

1. Heat a good dash of oil in a frying pan and cook garlic and ginger over a low heat for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the spices and lemon rind and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
2. Add minced beef, break up with a fork and brown. Stir in kaffir lime leaves and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix the cornflour to a paste with the fish sauce and sherry and stir into beef. Cook only until thickened. Stir in the spring onions and remove the lime leaves.
3. Deep fry the prawn crackers in hot oil. Drain on absorbent paper. Fill crackers with about 1 heaped teaspoon of mixture and serve immediately. This recipe goes well with Thai Salad and Thai Stir-Fried Rice.

Cooks Tips

- Laos, or galangal, is a rhizome similar to ginger. You buy it ground or in dried slices. I prefer ground. If you don’t have it add a further tsp of chopped ginger. - Kaffir Lime leaves come from a particular lime tree. You can substitute crushed fresh lemon or lime leaves. - Nam pla is a fish sauce. If you don not have it omit it. - You can cook the crackers in advance and store them in an airtight container. Once filled they will go soggy so fill them as required.