Jamaican pepperpot stew

Take a short-cut to the flavours of the Caribbean with this simple stew. Using good-quality steak gives you a perfectly tender beef stew in a fraction of the usual time.

Serves 4 Ready in 30 mins

1 large onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated 4 bay leaves Leaves from 2 large thyme sprigs 600ml boiling beef stock 2tsp garam masala ½tsp ground cinnamon ¼tsp ground cloves 1-2 medium-hot red chillies, sliced (take out the seeds if you don’t like a lot of heat) 200g can chopped tomatoes 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks Low-calorie cooking spray 500g beef fillet steak or sirloin steak, visible fat removed, cut into bite-size chunks Vegetables, to serve Put the onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, thyme and 4tbsp stock in a large non-stick saucepan over a low heat. Cover and cook for 7-8 mins. Uncover the pan and stir in the garam masala, cinnamon, cloves and chillies, and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the tomatoes, sweet potatoes and remaining stock. Simmer for 15 mins or until the sweet potatoes are tender, and the liquid has reduced and thickened to a consistency that you like.

While the sauce simmers, spray a non-stick frying pan with a little low-calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. Season the beef and add half to the pan. Fry for 2 mins or until nicely browned on the outside but still pink and juicy in the centre (or cook for longer if you prefer), then transfer to a plate and repeat to cook the rest of the beef.

Stir it all into the stew and serve hot with your favourite vegetables.