MAKE-AHEAD MARVELS
Knowing you have home-made dinners stashed in the freezer is a great feeling, so why not get ahead with these new midweek meals and save yourself the effort later on If you like things fiery, add some finely chopped red chilli with the spices.
Fabulous food for your freezer
Hands-on time 40min. Cooking time about 1¼hr. Serves 4
1tbsp olive oil
400g diced lamb leg
2 onions, finely sliced
5 cardamom pods
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground cinnamon
½tsp turmeric
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped 500ml lamb or chicken stock
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed 150g pomegranate seeds
Large handful mint, roughly chopped, to serve
FOR THE FLATBREADS
250g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust 150-175g natural yogurt
25g butter
1tsp ground cumin
½tsp mild chilli powder
1 Heat ½tbsp oil in a large pan (that has a lid) over medium-high heat. Brown lamb all over, in batches if necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add remaining oil to pan, reduce heat slightly and fry onions gently for 10-12min, until softened.
2 Using a pestle and mortar, bash cardamom pods to break husks. Pick out seeds and discard husks; grind seeds until fine. Add to pan with remaining spices and garlic. Cook for 2min, until fragrant. Return lamb to pan with the tomatoes. Cook for 4min, until tomatoes start to break down. Stir through stock and plenty of seasoning. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15min. Uncover, stir through chickpeas and bubble for 15-20min more, until lamb is tender and sauce has reduced slightly.
3 Meanwhile, make the flatbreads. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 150g yogurt and ½tsp fine salt to make a dough, adding a little more yogurt if the mixture is dry. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 1min, until smooth and pliable. Divide into 4 and roll each piece into a rough oval, about 20cm long. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and fry flatbreads (without oil) one at a time, for 3min per side, or until slightly puffed and speckled golden. Wrap flatbreads together in a clean tea towel while you make the spiced butter.
Melt butter, cumin and chilli powder in a small pan. Brush over flatbreads. Check stew seasoning, then sprinkle over pomegranate seeds and mint. Serve with the flatbreads.
PER SERVING 682cals, 36g protein, 24g fat
(10g saturates), 75g carbs (15g total sugars), 10g fibre
FREEZE AHEAD Make stew to end of step 2. Cool completely and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost overnight in fridge and reheat on hob until piping hot. Make flatbreads to end of step 3; cool completely. Wrap individually in baking parchment, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost at room temperature and reheat in a dry frying pan over medium hob heat for 1min per side, before completing recipe.