Intro - Keema Curry

Hi all, I'm Sharon and this is my recipe blog.  I'm going to share with you my secrets for easy, delicious recipes which require little time and effort after a hard day at work.  Of course, most of the time you might not have a hard day at work - you might have one of those jobs that require you doing very little for most of the day while trying to decide whether to write a new blog, finish your satirical novel about the Grim Reaper, or finish writing that damned comedy screenplay  - so for those people, you can just sit and dream of the fantastic meal that you are going to make later on when you get home and go back to procrastinating and playing Angry Birds.

Most of the recipes I make will be for 2 or more people - now that's not because I am married or currently in a blissful state of coupledom (those reading my other blog 'Sharon's Bad Dates' (sharonsbaddates.blogspot.com) will be under no illusions about that.)  But as a working woman who likes to have a decent lunch and not spend £3 or £4 per day in the sandwich shop / Subway / MacDonalds / Pret a Manger (delete as appropriate)  I like to have several cheap, healthy options open to me, so I freeze the extra portions for later.  It saves money and time, and makes my colleagues very jealous.   (You will need access to a microwave though.)

My first recipe is Keema curry.   It's a curry using minced beef, onion, peas and potato, it's fairly mild, so you can heat up the spice with the addition of some chilli powder at stage 3 if you wish.

Keema curry  

(serves 4)   

prep and cooking time 20 mins
skill level: easy

Ingredients

500g lean minced beef

1 onion (chopped)

1 large potato (chopped into small chunks)

1 cup (approx.) frozen peas

1 tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)

1 large clove of garlic (finely chopped)

2 tbsp mango chutney (optional)

2 tbsp brinjal pickle (optional)

1 tbsp tomato puree

½ beef oxo cube

fresh coriander (optional)

1 tbsp medium curry powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

basmati rice  (enough for 4)

Method

     1.     Cook the basmati rice  (if you have a microwave rice cooker, it will take 17 minutes)

     2.     Meanwhile, boil the kettle, put the boiling water into a small saucepan and add the potato chunks. Boil for about 10 mins until the potato is just soft.

     3.     In a large saucepan or casserole, heat the oil on medium heat, add the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds, then add the minced beef.

     4.     Stir the beef until cooked.  Add the ginger, the garlic and the chopped onion.   When the onion looks cooked, add the oxo cube, crumbled, and a little water from the kettle (about a half a cup) then add the tomato puree. Stir everything.

     5.     Add the mango chutney and brinjal pickle to taste.  You can also season with salt and pepper, and add a teaspoon of sugar if necessary.

     6.     Add the frozen peas and the cooked potato chunks. Cook until peas are soft.    

     7.     Add the chopped fresh coriander.

     8.     Serve with basmati rice and brinjal pickle (optional)

      Freeze the extra portions in fast food containers, like the one below.

       After freezing, microwave for 3 - 4 mins on high power.