“This dish of mutton mince with peas is the ultimate in comforting and nourishing food and cooked three or four times a week in many Indian households. It is quick and can be used in endless ways, stuffed in bread, put into omelette, made into patties with potato.”
– Asma Khan, chef-owner of Darjeeling Express, London
Serves 4 (cooking time 25 minutes)
INGREDIENTS
500g minced mutton
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons
2 tbsp oil
½ tbsp crushed ginger
¼ tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 dried red chillies
2 cardamom pods
½-inch stick of cinnamon
2 small bay leaves
½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
50g frozen peas
METHOD
Heat the oil in a pan on a medium high heat. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, dried red chillies and bay leaves, followed immediately by the sliced onions. Stir the onions for a minute and then add the crushed ginger and garlic paste.
After a minute add the minced meat, breaking the mince with the back of the spoon to make sure it does not cook in clumps. Add salt to taste (this will vary according to the mince you are using; it is always better to add a bit of salt and taste after the mince has cooked before adding any more)[footnote]Asma’s tip: In case you end up adding too much salt to any dish, add a piece of raw peeled potato to the dish and let it cook for a bit. The potato will absorb the excess salt. [/footnote]. Cook the mince uncovered till all the liquid from the meat evaporates.
Add the tomato puree to the mince followed by 100ml warm water and let it come to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
For the final stage, remove the lid, add the frozen peas and let the liquid surrounding the mince dry out. Before serving, garnish with chopped mint leaves.
The mince re-heats very well and is great to eat the next day stuffed in an omelette or in a toasted sandwich.