Kilishi

Method

1. Wrap 250 g of trimmed lean beef and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes, just until firm at the edges — this is what lets you cut it thin enough. Unwrap and, with a long sharp knife held almost flat, slice against the grain into the widest sheets you can manage, 2-3 mm thick. Open out any thick spots by slicing through them like a book.
2. Lay the sheets flat and well apart on wire racks, without overlapping. Dry them in full sun for 4-6 hours, turning once at the halfway point, until they are stiff, dark and dry to the touch but still slightly flexible. In a kitchen, use the oven at its lowest setting (about 60C) with the door propped ajar for 2-3 hours.
3. Make the labu: put 30 g of groundnut paste, 15 g of kuli-kuli powder, 30 g of chopped onion, 1 garlic clove, 5 g of peeled ginger, 2 tsp of ground hot chilli, 0.5 tsp of black pepper, 0.25 tsp of ground cloves, 0.5 tsp of salt and 1 crumbled seasoning cube into a blender with 60 ml of water. Blend smooth to the consistency of thin pancake batter, adding a splash more water if it is thick enough to cling in lumps.