- 100ml/3½fl oz sake
- 100ml/3½fl oz mirin
- 600g/1lb 6oz white miso
- 300g/11oz caster sugar
- 125g/4½oz tamarind paste
- 75ml/3fl oz den miso (see recipe above)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 6 x 150-175g/5-6oz onglet steaks, trimmed
- 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing and deep-frying
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 15 fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
- ½ green chilli, finely chopped
- ½ bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 200g/7oz gram flour (besan or chickpea flour)
- 600ml/1pint 2fl oz water
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 2-3 tbsp polenta
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 bunches watercress
- For the den miso, place all the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over a medium heat until the sugar and miso have dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- For the steak, mix the tamarind paste, den miso, garlic and thyme in a bowl until well combined. Add the steaks, make sure they are well coated in the marinade and set aside to marinate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.
- Meanwhile, for the besan chips, heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the spices, ginger, chilli and coriander and cook for a few minutes until aromatic.
- Sift the besan into a bowl, then whisk in the water until smooth.
- Pour the paste into the saucepan, add the salt and pepper and stir over a moderate heat with a wooden spoon or spatula for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan (the process is similar to making firm polenta, but the besan takes a little longer to thicken).
- Grease a small oven tray and sprinkle with the nigella seeds and a little polenta. Pour over the besan mixture, cover with a piece of greaseproof and quickly flatten out the mixture. Chill in the fridge until the mixture has hardened.
- Heat a griddle or a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat until hot but not smoking (if the pan is too hot, the outside of the meat will burn before it has cooked enough.)
- Brush the steaks with the oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
- Transfer the steaks from the pan to a rack, cover with foil and set aside to rest in a warm place for up to 10 minutes (this helps the meat to ‘relax’ and maximises taste and tenderness).
- Preheat a deep-fat fryer to180C/350F. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- Carefully turn the hardened besan out onto a chopping board and cut into chips. Dust the chips with polenta.
- Deep-fry the chips for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
- For the watercress salad, whisk the pomegranate molasses, vinegar and olive oil together in a bowl until well combined, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Coat the watercress with the dressing.
- To serve, place the steak onto serving plates with the chips and watercress alongside.