Lamb Mince Curry

My Mum's delicious lamb mince curry...

Very simple to make and never fails to impress... no fancy ingredients, inexpensive, healthy and fresh - served best with Indian rice or chapatis. Recipe for chapatis will be available soon - keep watching!

Cooking Time: 40-60 mins

Serves: 4

What you'll need:

A large saucepan with lid
Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

2 large onions
3 gloves of garlic
1 thumb sized piece of ginger
Salt
3 green finger chillies
Turmeric
Cumin
Red chilli powder
1 fresh tomato
1kg of lamb mince (lean if you can get it)
Frozen garden peas (200g)
Coriander

Method:

Getting started: Heat up a table spoon of olive oil in a large saucepan, set to a low heat.

1. Finely chop the two large onions and add to the pan. You want to cook the onions slowly, softening and browning them gradually.

2. While the onions are cooking, finely chop the garlic, ginger and green chillies.

3. Once the onions have softened - add the finely chopped garlic, ginger and chillies. Keep an eye on the pan as ginger tends to stick. If you feel it's sticking, turn the heat down. Cook slowly on a low to medium heat.

4. Once the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies have browned, add a tea spoon of turmeric, a tea spoon of salt and stir. Once all the ingredients in the pan have coloured with the turmeric, cook for a further two minutes on a medium heat.

5. Add a pinch of cumin, stir and cook for two minutes.

6. Next you'll need the tomato, chop finely and add to the pan. Once added, stir thoroughly ensuring everything comes together. This is now your base sauce. Keep on a low heat and cook slowly for a further three minutes, stirring occasionally - add one table spoon of water if you find that it's sticking to the pan.

Taste your sauce: if you feel it's too chilli, add a pinch of salt to even out - if it's too salty, add a pinch of red chilli powder. Taste again if needed, best make sure your sauce is right now, before you add the lamb.

7. While your base sauce simmers away on a low heat, get your lamb ready (however, be sure to keep checking on your sauce  - don't let it burn or stick to the pan). Remove lamb from packaging and add to pan and stir. Make sure the lamb is covered all over with your sauce, break down any large chunks to ensure even cooking - cover and cook on a medium / low heat for 15 minutes.

Keep checking your dish, stirring occasionally and ensuring the lamb chunks have been broken down and it's not sticking to the pan - as the lamb cooks, it will gradually brown.

8.  After 15 minutes - grab your garden peas, wash, drain, add to the pan and stir gently - try not to mash the peas as you stir, keep them whole. Cook for a further 10 minutes but keep an eye on the pan. You'll find the meat releases fat, as it cooks the heat will burn away the excess oil, you can stir as this happens.

9. While the lamb is cooking away on a medium heat, roughly chop the coriander, five sprigs should be enough - add to the lamb and stir. Cook for a further minute.

10. Your dish is done! Serve with chapatis, naan or my favourite - my Mum's Indian rice. For a taste sensation, chop up some cucumber, add to plain yoghurt and serve as a side.

Enjoy your meal!

If you need any further advice when using my recipes, please do get in touch - I'd be happy to help!