Satay beef, pumpkin, and kaffir lime

Satay beef, pumpkin and kaffir lime stir fry, Kitchen to Table, Yamba

This satay beef, pumpkin, and kaffir lime stir fry is one of my favourite cook-at-home Thai dishes. The satay flavour from the red curry paste, coconut milk, kecap manis, and peanut butter is delicious and compliments the beef and pumpkin perfectly. We’ve added some snow peas for colour and texture. The kaffir lime leaves add a beautiful flavour to the stir fry … these are readily available in supermarkets, Asian grocers, and fruit and veg shops. Pick them up when you see them and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer so that you have them on hand.

You will need to roast the pumpkin first, so allow yourself an additional 30 minutes to prepare the pumpkin beforehand. Otherwise, this satay beef, pumpkin, and kaffir lime stir fry comes together pretty quickly and is ideal for a mid-week meal, served with steamed Jasmine rice.

You could make this vegetarian by replacing the beef with tofu. Kecap Manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce from Indonesia, it’s readily available in supermarkets and Asian grocers.

Tools and equipment you’ll need to make this dish:

This recipe is based on one by the Spirit House from their book Hot Wok.The Spirit House is a stunning destination restaurant and cooking school set in lush tropical gardens that will instantly transport you to Thailand. It’s located in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Beef, pumpkin and kaffir lime stir fry, Kitchen to Table, Yamba

Satay beef, pumpkin, snow pea and kaffir lime stir fry

A quick and tasty mid-week meal that's cooked in one pan.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 30 cm fry pan

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g pumpkin cut into 3 cm pieces
  • 500 g rump steak
  • 1-2 tbsp oil for cooking
  • 150 g snow peas trimmed and cut in 1/2 horizontally
  • 2-3 tsp red curry paste adjust depending on the level of spiciness
  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp kecap manis
  • 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
  • 3 double kaffir lime leaves finely shredded (see note below)
  • Steamed Jasmine rice for serving

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced, and line a tray with baking paper.
  • Toss the pumpkin in some of the oil, just enough to lightly coat, and season with salt. Roast for 22-25 minutes or until just tender. While the pumpkin is roasting prepare and measure the rest of the ingredients.
  • Place the beef onto a chopping board and using a meat tenderiser pound the meat a few times on each side. Remove any excess fat from the beef then cut it into thin strips, about 1-2 cm thick.
  • Combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, kecap manis, and peanut butter in a jug or bowl.
  • When the pumpkin is cooked remove it from the oven and set it aside while you start cooking the beef.
  • Place a 30 cm frypan over medium-high heat and when hot add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Add approximately 1/3 of the beef and cook for about 1 minute or until nicely browned. Remove from the pan to a warm plate and repeat with remaining beef.
  • Next, add the snow peas to the pan and cook briefly, just long enough to add a bit of colour and soften them slightly.
  • Add the beef to the pan then add the red curry paste and stir fry for a minute or two or until fragrant.
  • Add pumpkin and the coconut milk mixture and simmer until heated through. Sprinkle in most of the finely chopped kaffir lime leaves, reserving some for garnish.
  • Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.

Notes

Kaffir lime leaves are now readily available in supermarkets, Asian grocers, and fruit & veg shops. Pick them up when you see them and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer so that you have them on hand.
To prepare kaffir lime leaves - remove the leaves from the tough stalk. Stack the leaves on top of one another and roll up into a tight log, then finely slice with a sharp knife (or scissors if you find those easier to handle). You can then chop them into finer pieces using a sharp knife over them on a chopping board.
Kecap Manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce from Indonesia, it's readily available in supermarkets and Asian grocers. 

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We are closing our retail shop in Yamba

Thank you to everyone who has supported us during the past 17 years. It’s been a fantastic experience but it’s time for new adventures!

Our last week of opening is Monday 10th to Friday 14th February 2025, from 9 am to 12 pm each day. 

There’s a small selection of products available via our online store, all at 50% off. You’ll need to apply this code at the checkout – CLOSINGDOWN25.

We’d like to continue to offer cooking classes and other local food experiences, but first some time off to rest and rejuvenate! We’ll share updates here on the website, in our newsletter, and on Instagram and Facebook.

Meredith’s food tours for 2025 are unaffected by the shop’s closure. The tours to Umbria and Morocco are fully booked, however there are spots available on our fabulous Sicily tour in October 2025.

We hope to connect with you sometime soon.

Meredith & Scott

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