Braised Asian beef

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (smashed with the side of a cleaver)
• 2 stalks lemon grass (white part only, bruised)
• 1 kg lean stewing beef (cut into 3'4 cm cubes)
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 cups diluted salt-reduced or homemade beef stock
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp ground bean sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 carrots (peeled and sliced into 1 cm thick chunks)
• 2 scallions (cut into 2 cm lengths)