Debbie Hamilton

Of Crohn’s, Cooking and Me brings us Indian beef keema

Here we are right on the cusp of the festive season and once again coronavirus is proving that Christmas is its favourite time of year, looming like an ever present shadow trying its hardest to put a spanner in the works.

Here is hoping that the vaccination programme is the tool that allows us to fight back this time and save this Christmas, and our sanity.

GOOD AND BAD DAYS

Cooking these past few weeks has once again been limited due to my Crohn’s. But on the good days I have been trying to stick to my basic principles of local produce, organic with no over-processed ingredients wherever possible.

Taking these ingredients and doing something a little different keeps things interesting and can sometimes be a challenge during the bad periods.

But challenge or not I gave it a try. So instead of making our regular cottage pie we made a chicken and potato pie. The same principle but using a creamy chicken filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes and cheddar – a winning combination.

I have been freezing portions of everything I cook to ensure that even on work days I have a homecooked meal, rather than grabbing something from the supermarket on the way to work in the morning.

INDIAN BEEF KEEMA

The family’s favourite meal this month was Indian beef keema which is my mince and tatties done a little differently. Served with rice and mango chutney it makes a warming weekday meal which is certain to be a hit with the whole family.

To make Indian beef keema for a family of four, you need 500g of minced beef; 1 onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp of ground ginger; 1 large potato, cut into small chunks; 2 carrots, sliced; 1 tbsp of tomato puree; 2 tbsp curry powder; 500ml of vegetable stock. To serve: Rice; mango chutney, a dollop per person; mini poppadoms.

Brown the mince on a high to medium heat in frying pan and drain away any fat then set aside. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and melt, then add your onion, garlic and ginger and soften on a medium heat stirring regularly to stop the onions from burning. This will take roughly 8-10 minutes.

Now add the potatoes, carrot, tomato puree and curry powder and cook for a few more minutes stirring well to coat the vegetables in the spices. Gradually add stock, stirring well each time to allow it to blend with the spices to give a nice thick sauce.

Now add your mince back to the pan and let simmer on a medium heat for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice, mini poppadoms and mango chutney.

Beef keema . . . mince and tatties done differently.