Beef with Cumin

I've only tried making this dish once but Johan seems to like it - reason being the cumin taste reminded him of Mexican food. It was a tad too strong by my taste but if he request for it, it can be easily whipped up even as you use the kind of beef usually reserve for braising by just cutting it against the grain. This is taken from Dunlop Fushia's 'Revolutionary Chinese Cooking - Recipes from the Hunan Province'

Ingredients

340g beef, sliced

2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

2 fresh red chilies, seeds discarded and finely chopped, or 1 chili padi, chopped finely

2-4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt to taste

2 spring onions, green parts only finely sliced

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

400ml cooking oil.

Marinade

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon potato flour

1 tablespoon water

Steps

1. Marinade the beef for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Heat the cooking oil to about 140 degrees C, or on high. Add the beef and stir gently. Once they have separated, remove from the oil and drain well.
3. Pour off all the oil leaving about 3 tablespoons and heat over high flame. Add the ginger, garlic, both chillies and cumin and stir fry briefly until fragrant. 
4. Add the beef into the pan and stir well so it coats evening, seasoning with some salt.
5. When all the ingredients are sizzling fragrant, add the spring onions and toss briefly. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame seed oil and serve.