Classic Goan Ox Tongue Roast

Tongue is now quite easily available in supermarkets and is one of our favourite sandwich fillers for the next day's lunchbox. I usually make a spicy version that my hubby loves, but the kids don't like it as the spice is a bit more than they are generally used to.

So I decided to try making it the classic way with just onions and a few whole spices.  The traditional method is made by using saltpeter. But since it's not available where I live, I just used regular salt instead. The kids loved it and it was gone before I could say boo!

There are many ways to remove the skin off the tongue which you must, as its very tough and can't be eaten. Some involve boiling it for a little while in hot water and then pulling it out. I just prefer to slice it off with a really sharp knife.  Nowadays if you tip your butcher a little, he will do it for you.


You can adapt this recipe and use it to make it a beef roast instead, if for some reason you are not comfortable eating ox tongue. 

Classic Ox Tongue Roast

Ingredients:
1 ox tongue
2 - 3 onions cut in slices
5 peppercorns
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of 1 lemon
3-4 kashmiri dried red chillies
3 heaped tsps of gingergarlic paste
salt to taste
2 cups of waater

Method:
Once the skin of the tongue is removed, prick it all over with a fork so that it will absorb all the flavours later. Marinate with salt, lemon juice and the ginger garlic paste overnight, in the fridge, covered in clingfilm

Slice the onions and set aside. The more onions you use, the more gravy sauce you will get later for the tongue.

In a pressure cooker, heat some oil. Add in the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and dried red chillies. Then add the onions and cook till transluscent. Add in the tongue. Fry it for a few minutes and then add your water. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on full heat. When it whistles, lower and time for 45 minutes.

Once 45 minutes are over, put the heat off, and remove the steam by lifting off the whistle with a fork. Open the lid once the steam has gone and put the pressure cooker back on the heat to dry up all the liquid.

Dry up all the remaining liquid (leaving the tongue inside the pressure cooker) till you get a very thick sauce from the onions. Once cooled, remove the whole spices (discard), and  slice the tongue as finely as you can. Take a really nice sharp knife to do this.

Store in a glass airtight food container and drizzle the sauce over it. You could alternatively store the sauce separately, so you can add it when you so wish.

To be honest, for the kids, I omitted the sauce and just gave them the tongue. My hubby loved the sauce on his sandwich. 

Goan Beef Tongue Roast

A true Goan delicacy. 

The hardest part of this recipe, would probably be removing the skin off the tongue. Most butchers, nowdays will do it for you, if you give them a few bucks. A really sharp knife, otherwise will do the trick. There is also the method of boiling it in hot water for a little time to pull out the skin, but frankly, I just prefer to pay the butcher a tip instead.

Lovely to serve as an appetiser with a chilled glass of beer, or as a filling for sandwiches. If you happen to have more than you want left over, you can always convert it to a quick chilly fry with a few onions and potatoes. 

Ingredients:

1 beef tongue, skinned

Marinade ingredients:

1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp of kashmiri chilly powder

1 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of cumin powder

1 tsp of tandoori powder (unusual but needed)

1/4 tsp of pepper powder

salt to taste roughly around 3/4 to 1 tsp

1 tsp of wooster sauce

1 tbsp of Maggi's hot and sweet sauce. (use any chilly sauce if you can't find it. It is available in India and Dubai)

a couple of tbsps of oil

4 whole broken red chillies

1 cup of water

Method:
Remove the skin from the tongue. Fork the tongue nicely so that the marinade seeps inside later. Salt the tongue and add the ginger garlic paste. Next add the rest of the marinade ingredients. Marinate overnight covered in clingfilm.

Put a little oil in the pressure cooker, add a few broken whole red kashmiri chillies. Add the tongue, sear it on all sides nicely, then add all the marinating juice. Add 1 cup of water, cover and put the heat on full. 

Once it whistles, lower and time for 45 mins. After that, open the cooker and dry up all the liquid (with the tongue still inside the cooker) till the gravy is thick enough to just coat the tongue and give you a little sauce to drizzle over the slices. Remove when cooled and slice finely. Enjoy!

Hot Dogs With Caramelised Onions And Blue Cheese

A quick and simple last minute dinner dish. You can use any kind of sausage meat you prefer. I made this recipe for 2 people, so if you are making for more or less people, adjust quantities accordingly. You need not add all of the ingredients or sauces, just choose the ones you like and omit the others or add in some of your favourites instead.

Hot Dogs with Caramelised onions and blue cheees

Ingredients:
hot dog buns
sausages
mustard sauce
ketchup
butter
blue cheese
tabasco
2 large onions
jalapenos from a jar
1 tsp brown sugar or regular sugar
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
2 tsps pomegranate molasses
salt to taste


Method:
To caramelize the onions; chop the onions in half rings. Sauté the onions in a little oil or butter. Add the sugar, vinegar, pomegranate molasses and a pinch of salt. Fry till the onions get a nice deep brown colour. For an extra kick, drizzle a few dots of tabasco or your favourite chilli sauce. Set aside.

Place the sausages in a pot of water and boil for 5 mins. Drain and then fry on a low heat with a little oil till nice and golden. Remove and set aside.

Butter the hot dog buns and place in an oven proof tray. Spread one side with mustard and the other with ketchup. Add a few of the caramelized onions then place the sausage on top. Top with more onions, jalapenos, tabasco (if you like more spice) and blue cheese.

Set the oven to broil (where only the top grill of the oven works). Place the hot dogs in the oven for about 5 mins. Watch and check till the bread is golden and the cheese has melted.

Spaghetti Bolognese

The recipe I've used for cooking this beef mince is almost similar to the one I used for my Shepherd's Pie. The classic recipe doesn't call for any spice powders, but I've added some, to give it a bit more flavor and oomph to it..

Its hard to find beef stock cubes here in the UAE, but I did manage to get some at the grocery store. You can substitute it with chicken stock cube if you don't find any or just plain salt. Also for the Indian palate, add a tablespoon of your favorite chilly sauce right at the end to give it a bit of a zing. My favorites are Maggi's Hot n Sweet Sauce (available at Al Adil's grocery store or at Geant) or Kimball's Sweet thai chilly dipping sauce.

For this recipe, I have diced the veggies very small, and after cooking it in the pressure cooker, you don't really notice the vegetables.. which is a good thing when you are cooking for kids.. They don't know that there are vegetables in the dish and they get their quota of veggies for the day. I have used beef mince, but you could always substitute with chicken mince if you don't eat beef. Also, I prefer to buy Kashmiri chilly powder instead of regular chilly powder as it gives you a nice red colour but not as much heat as the other chilly powders in the market.

I love cooking meat in the pressure cooker, as it turns out nice and tender and saves me a lot on cooking time.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo of beef mince
bacon chopped fine
1 onion chopped fine
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 tomato chopped fine
1 beef stock cube
1 large carrot, julienned and diced small
1-2 sticks of celery, julienned and diced small
1 small packet (135gms) of tomato paste
3/4 tsp cumin/jeera powder
1/4 tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
1 tsp dried oregano

Method:
In a pressure cooker, heat oil.. Fry the bacon till golden and set aside. Add the onions in the pressure cooker and the garlic as well. Sauté till golden in colour. Add the beef stock cube. Then add in the chopped tomato and the chopped vegetables. 

 Add in the spice powders (cumin and the red chilly powder). Finally add in the mince. Cook without the lid, till the mince changes colour, making sure you break all the mince till it is separate. If you leave it without stirring it at this stage, you will end up with a lot of lumps in your mince.  Add half a glass of water and close the pressure cooker.  Turn the heat on to the highest setting and when it whistles, lower and time for 15 mins.

Once the timer is finished, take the cooker off the heat. Pressure cookers are dangerous and need to be handled with care so this is what I usually do when I need to open it; to release the steam you need to lift off the counterweight gradually and bleed off the steam, I usually do this by levering the weight with a fork and adjusting it to let out the steam gently or just run the sides of the cooker under water until it has sufficiently cooled down to reduce the pressure in the cooker.

Do NOT attempt to open the cooker without letting off the steam as this could result in some serious steam burns.

Open the cooker and put the cooker (without lid) back on the fire. Add the entire small tetra pack of tomato paste. I always add in the tomato paste at the end of the cooking to keep the gravy nice and thick, else you will get a very watery curry. Give it a good stir, and check for seasoning. Add in the dried oregano at this stage, making sure you rub it in between your fingers as you add it in, to release some of that aroma.

As I mentioned earlier, for those who would like an extra kick, add in a tablespoon of your favourite chilly sauce..

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve over spaghetti (cooked by the packet instructions) and top with some fresh basil and a dusting of parmesan cheese.

NOTE: For a quick tip, I buy a small block of parmesan cheese from the supermarket and grate it fine and store in Ziploc bags in the freezer. It will stay forever that way.

Corned Beef Hash

Not everyone likes the taste of corned beef. It is an acquired taste, I have to say.. but it's a lovely accompaniment to any breakfast meal. I've used a store bought corned beef tin for this dish. You could also serve this dish with some crostini (hard crusted bread slices) as an appetizer or fill this mixture in canapés or even use it as a filling for a good lunch sandwich. It is extremely simple to make, and the only effort really required here is to boil the potatoes.

Corned Beef Hash

Ingredients:
1 corned beef tin
2 onions chopped fine
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/2 cup of milk
1 large boiled potato diced into cubes
freshly cut parsley for garnishing

Method:
I boiled my potato in a pressure cooker. For that, immerse the potato in water, till almost all of the potato is covered with the water, keeping in mind that the water ( or any liquid) should never be more than 3/4 of the height of the pressure cooker. Cover and place it on the fire on full heat. Once it whistles lower and time for 10 - 12 mins, depending on the size of the potato. If you have very small ones, then 8 mins would suffice.

Once the timer is finished, take the cooker off the heat. Pressure cookers are dangerous and need to be handled with care so this is what I usually do when I need to open it; to release the steam you need to lift off the counterweight gradually and bleed off the steam, I usually do this by levering the weight with a fork and adjusting it to let out the steam gently or just run the sides of the cooker under water until it has suffficiently cooled down to reduce the pressure in the cooker.

Do NOT attempt to open the cooker without letting off the steam as this could result in some serious steam burns.

Remove the potato immediately, peel and dice into cubes.

In a casserole, heat oil. Fry the onions till nice and golden. Add in the corned beef mixture. Season with pepper powder. Then add in the milk. The milk serves to soften the whole mixture. If you would like it more dry, then omit the milk altogether. Toss in the diced boiled potato. Give it a good stir. Lastly sprinkle over the chopped parsley.

Note: when using parsley, only use the leaves and omit the stem. I prefer flat leaf parsley to the curly one. It also tends to taste and look better, when it is roughly chopped, rather than too finely chopped.

Ball Curry (Beef Meatballs In A Coconut Curry)

This is a dish my mum used to make. I have tweaked it a bit. This recipe doesn't contain any egg to bind the meatballs. My mum used to squeeze out the water from the beef mince before adding the rest of the ingredients to it. I am not sure whether the intent was to bind it better, but I found the meatballs tasted very dry that way, so I keep the beef mince as it is originally and it retains all its juice.

I have used zaatar, an Arabic spice mixture of sesame seeds, marjoram, oregano and a few other ingredients mixed together. I found that zaatar goes really well with any red meat, and especially well with any roasts. If you cannot find zaatar, use 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cumin and garam masala powder.

Again, my magic ingredient is Maggi's hot and sweet sauce. You will find it in any indian grocery store. In Dubai, you will find it in any Al Adil store. Its got that je ne sais quoi, and I usually add it just at the end to give the dish that final boost of flavor.

A note to remember, I add my curry leaves right at the end, just before adding the coconut milk. I find it gives the curry a nice scent, but if you add it in the beginning the dish tends to taste a bit bitter.

Most ball curry recipes call for garam masala powder to be added when making the meatballs and in the final curry as well. I am not a fan of garam masala, so I haven't added it here. But if I had to, I would prefer to add it in just the curry and leave it out of the meatball mixture.

If you would like more body to this dish, you could add in some diced potatoes (roughly the same size as the meatballs) at the time of adding the meatballs.

Ball curry in a coconut gravy

Ingredients:

for the meatballs:
500gms beef mince
1/2 tsp of zaatar
1/2 tsp of dry mint
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
1/2 tsp of salt
fresh coriander leaves chopped fine

for the curry:
2 onions chopped fine
1 tomato chopped fine
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1-2 tsps of ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp red chilly powder (or you could add a whole green chilly and just a pinch of the chilly powder)
2 cups of water
3 tbsps of maggi's hot n sweet sauce
5 tbsps of coconut powder, reconstituted in 1/2 cup of room temperature water till it forms a milky paste
fresh curry leaves
fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method:
Prepare the meatballs by mixing all the ingredients to room temperature beef mince. Shape into round balls and keep.

Formation of Balls for the Curry

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add the onions and when transluscent, add the ginger garlic paste and salt. Then add in the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Let it sauté for a bit, then add the spice powders. Add about 2 cups of water and simmer on low for 5 mins.

Curry for the Meatballs

 Drop in the meatballs and close the pressure cooker. Turn the heat on to the highest setting and when it whistles, lower and time for 15 mins.

Once the timer is finished, take the cooker off the heat. Pressure cookers are dangerous and need to be handled with care so this is what I usually do when I need to open it; to release the steam you need to lift off the counterweight gradually and bleed off the steam, I usually do this by levering the weight with a fork and adjusting it to let out the steam gently or just run the sides of the cooker under water until it has suffficiently cooled down to reduce the pressure in the cooker.

Do NOT attempt to open the cooker without letting off the steam as this could result in some serious steam burns.

Put the opened pressure cooker back on a medium heat. At this stage, you can add the curry leaves. Add in the coconut milk as well. You can make more milk if you would like it thicker, or add more water if you would like more of a gravy. Cook for about 10 mins, till the coconut milk is cooked. Add the maggi's hot and sweet sauce at this point and check for seasonings. Finally garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Meat ball Coconut Curry

Baked Meatballs

A slight variation on the regular meatballs with tomato sauce. The only difference here is I baked them after. Looks much nicer at a party in terms of presentation. You could throw in some cheese on top just before baking.

Baked Meatballs

Ingredients for meatballs:
500gms beef mince
fresh parsley chopped fine
1/4 tsp dried mint
3 tbsps or so of grated parmesan cheese
2-3 tbsps of breadcrumbs
1 egg
salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper powder

Ingredients for sauce:
1 onion chopped fine
3-4 cloves of garlic
half a cube or salt to taste
1 small packet of tomato paste
pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp dry oregano

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and form into small balls. If you do not have fresh parsley, substitute with fresh coriander or dried parsley. Shallow fry the balls in a pan with oil, till nicely browned. One tip to remember, since you are cooking with raw meat, do not fry it on a very high fire as the inside wont cook and the outside will brown quickly. Keep the heat on a medium flame tossing it around constantly so that all sides of the meatball get a nice chance to get browned.

To make the sauce:
Heat olive oil in a casserole, fry the garlic and onions till transluscent. Add half a stock cube or a 1/4 tsp of salt. This sauce should be barely enough to coat the meatballs. This dish is more or less dry with not a lot of gravy. Add the tomato paste. I prefer tomato paste as it adds more richness to the gravy as opposed to just crushed tomatoes. Saute for a bit, adding a pinch of sugar to balance out the tartness of the tomatoes.
If you would like a slightly more indian approach to this dish, you could add 1/4 tsp of cumin powder and a 1/4 tsp of dry red chilly powder. It will give it a background heat and a nice flavour as well, still keeping the dish continental.
Season with dry oregano and basil. If you have a bottle of herbs du provence(mixed herbs), it will do nicely as well.

Throw in some cheese on top if you like. 

Add in the already fried meatballs and coat them nicely. Lay them out on a baking dish and bake at 350F for about 30 mins. Since all the ingredients are cooked, you want the dish just warmed through in the oven with a slight caramelisation on the top. If it's browning too fast, then lower the temperature or cover it with a foil.


I served this dish with the mashed potatoes with bacon and it went really well together.

Spaghetti With Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

This is any child's favourite dish. You can't go wrong with spaghetti and all kids love meatballs. The hardest part of this dish is probably making the meatballs. But all in all its a fairly easy dish to make and you can make the meatballs in advance and keep. Just make the sauce and spaghetti when you are ready to eat. I apologise for not putting up a picture of the final dish. It went down too fast and before I realised it, the dish was finished. Yummy in our tummies..

Meatballs in tomato sauce

Ingredients for meatballs:
500gms beef mince
1 onion chopped fine
fresh parsley chopped fine
3 tbsps or so of grated parmesan cheese
2-3 tbsps of breadcrumbs
1 egg
salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper powder

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together and form into small balls. Shallow fry in a pan with oil, till nicely browned. One tip to remember, since you are cooking with raw meat, do not fry it on a very high fire as the inside wont cook and the outside will brown quickly. Keep the heat on a medium flame tossing it around constantly so that all sides of the meatball get a nice chance to get browned.

Ingredients for the tomato sauce:
1-2 large tomatoes chopped fine
1 small packed of tomato puree
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 cube (or salt)
1 small onion chopped fine.
1/2 tsp of sugar

Method:
In a casserole, heat olive oil. I use olive oil for this as it helps create the sauce as well. Add in the garlic, onion and the tomatoes. (if you have the time, you can skin the tomatoes for a better sauce. You need to make a cross at the base of the tomato and blanch it in hot boiling water for 5 mins then peel off the skin).  Add in the tomato puree and the cube. Add in the sugar. Another tip of mine is to always add a pinch of sugar when making any tomato sauce. It balances out the tartness of the tomato. If you want the sauce more smoother or thinner then you can omit the onion. At this point you can throw in some basil leaves as well. Most kids dont like them, so I tend to omit adding it at this point and use it just as a garnish or sometimes I serve the children first and then add it to the sauce for the adults.

Make your spaghetti as per the instructions given on the packet. Now you can either get a big dish and toss the spaghetti, meatballs and sauce altogether (as the italians would do) or you can serve the spaghetti in the serving bowls, add in the meatballs and then pour the sauce over it.

Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese.

Beef Mince Frankies

This a lovely light and fresh meal, bursting with flavour and crunch, which the kids love too. I have used store bought frozen chappatis but you could also use parathas or tortillas as well. Cook the mince using the recipe from the stuffed peppers. Serves 6.

Beef Mince Frankies

Ingredients:
Chappatis or parathas
3 eggs, beaten
salt
pepper
Cooked dry mince
1 onion chopped fine
1 tomato chopped fine
Chilli sauce or ketchup

Method:
Fry all the chappatis you need for for this recipe and keep. Usually 2 per person should do. Beat the eggs in a bowl, adding a dash of salt and pepper. Warm the cooked mince in the microwave and keep ready. Chop your onion and tomato fine.

Heat a flat non stick frying pan with little oil. Add a little egg to the pan and quickly top it with one of the cooked chappatis. After a minute or two, turn the chappati over. Give it a few seconds on the other side and remove onto a plate. Top with the warm mince and ketchup for the kids. For the adults, add some of the chopped onion and tomato to the mince. Drizzle with your favourite chilli sauce or even some horseradish sauce. You could even add in a few rocket leaves or some lettuce leaves for a fuller meal. Bring in the sides to form a roll shape and eat it like you would a wrap.

Cheat's pizza on the run

Kids adore this one. You can get them involved in making it too. Get the older ones to cut the frankfurters and the mushrooms and drizzle the ketchup. They love being a part of this dish.

All you need is toppings of your choice and some store bought frozen pizza. I always keep a couple of them in my freezer. I buy the Dr. Oetker's quattre formaggi (four cheese) or the formaggi & pomodori (tomato cheese and basil).

This way you have a good cheese base ready for your toppings. The ones I have used below are kid friendly but you could add anything from chorizo to some rocket leaves, boiled egg.... the list is endless.

Cheat's Pizza on the Run

Ingredients:
4 frankfurters
2 mushrooms
2 slices ham
ketchup

Method:
Boil the frankfurters in water for about 5 -10 mins. Drain and slice them on the diagonal. Cut the mushrooms in slices and chop the ham. Arrange on the frozen pizza. Drizzle with ketchup (for the kids) or chilli sauce (for the adults). Using ketchup gives it a fresh burst of flavour.

Cook according to packet instructions. If you like, set the oven on broil for a few minutes to give the top of the pizza some extra cooking time. Give it a maximum of 3 minutes on the broil, keeping an eye on it, as it can burn easily if you wander off.

Serve hot.

Stuffed Peppers With Beef Mince

Its always good to have some cooked dry mince in the fridge. It can be used to stuff peppers or tomatoes, or make quick patties, use as a filling for mashed potatoes to make tikkis. You could add some sliced onions and peppers for a quick stir fry. I love using leftover mince in my omlette for breakfast. You could stuff the mince in some iceberg lettuce to give it a chinese take. You could use it to stuff pre cooked parathas/chappatis lined with a fried beaten egg to make a frankie roll (adding some fresh onion and tomatoes as a garnish)

I will give you a basic mince recipe and an option of spices depending on the spice level you would like.

Stuffed Peppers with Beef Mince

Ingredients:
500gms beef mince
2 onions chopped fine
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tomato chopped fine
salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp Shan's achari ghosht masala powder
(you can add or substitute the achari powder with 1/4 tsp kashmiri chilli powder or 1/4 tsp tandoori masala powder - I don't add chilli powder when using the achari or tandoori masala to keep the spice level down for the kids)
1 cup of fresh coriander chopped
1 tbsp of Maggi's hot and sweet sauce (optional)
1/2 cup of water

Peppers or capsicums

Method:
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil, add in the onions and saute for a little while. Add the ginger garlic paste and salt. Now add in the tomatoes and all the spice powders. Add in the mince and give it about 10 mins of slow cooking. It is important to break up the mince till you find the colour changes and it is semi cooked. If you avoid this step you will get lumps in your mince once its done. Add in the water, and cover the pressure cooker and increase the heat to full. Wait for the pressure cooker to whistle and then lower the heat to the first or second lowest setting on your cooking range and time for 15 mins.

After 15 mins, take the cooker off the heat. Pressure cookers are dangerous and need to be handled with care so this is what I usually do when I need to open it; to release the steam you need to lift off the counterweight gradually and bleed off the steam, I usually do this by levering the weight with a fork and adjusting it to let out the steam gently or just run the sides of the cooker under water until it has suffficiently cooled down to reduce the pressure in the cooker.

Do NOT attempt to open the cooker without letting off the steam as this could result in some serious steam burns.

The mince will still have some gravy in it. Leaving it open, dry the mince on a medium to high flame till the water dries up. Turn off the heat. Add in the hot and sweet sauce and the fresh coriander.

This is your basic mince recipe.

For another version you could leave the gravy in it, and add in some diced potatoes and/or green peas. (Close the cooker and put the heat on its highest setting. As soon as it whistles, turn off the heat and leave the cooker closed till the pressure cooker cools off on its own)

For this recipe:
You can use regular sized peppers or the long ones like I did in this recipe. The long ones are mild in taste just like the regular sized peppers.

Slice the long capsicums in half length wise, keeping the stem intact so the filling stays inside. Remove the seeds and stuff with the cooled mince. Drizzle a little bit of oil on the top of each stuffed pepper. You can either bake them like I did, in the oven at 350 for about half an hour or so till the peppers are tender. Dont over cook them or they will get too soft.

You can also pan fry them. To do that you need a beaten egg and some bread crumbs. Spoon some of the egg on the top of the mince and then upturn and dab it on a plate of breadcrumbs, till you achieve a crust. Fry the peppers crust side down in a pan with oil and then turn it over , keeping the flame low, to cook the pepper side.

Stuffed Peppers with Beef Mince

Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

The difference between shepherd's pie and cottage pie is the former is made with lamb mince, while cottage pie is made with beef mince. For this recipe i've used beef mince (cottage pie). This is my take on the recipe, so you will find it slightly different from the classic version. Its a great dish to make in advance for a party, and one that kids will always love. So you are sure to get a hit when you serve up this dish at a party.

Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

Ingredients:
500gms beef mince
1 onion chopped fine
1 carrot chopped fine
stock cubes to taste
1 stick of celery chopped fine
2 tbsps tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp all purpose flour
135gms tomato puree (small tetra pack)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
fresh parsley chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled
butter
1 cup of milk
mozzarella cheese
grated cheddar cheese

Method:
First cook the beef mince in a pressure cooker. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add in the onions, carrots and celery. Saute them for a bit. Then add in the powder stock cubes(one big or two small ones) and tomato paste. Next add the spice powders i.e. cumin powder, cayenne powder and pepper powder. Add a cup of water, give it a good stir and close the pressure cooker.
Turn the heat on to the highest setting and when it whistles, lower and time for 15 mins.

Once the timer is finished, take the cooker off the heat. Pressure cookers are dangerous and need to be handled with care so this is what I usually do when I need to open it; to release the steam you need to lift off the counterweight gradually and bleed off the steam, I usually do this by levering the weight with a fork and adjusting it to let out the steam gently or just run the sides of the cooker under water until it has suffficiently cooled down to reduce the pressure in the cooker.

Do NOT attempt to open the cooker without letting off the steam as this could result in some serious steam burns.

Once you open the pressure cooker, put the open cooker(without lid) back on the heat and add in the tomato puree. Tomato puree is different from tomato paste. Tomato paste is more concentrated than the puree. I use the paste in the beginning and then to create a sauce I use the tomato puree.

NOTE:
To get a nice thick tomato sauce, don't add the puree in the beginning as it will thin out and you will get more of a curry than a sauce. Add it last in the cooking process and you get get a lovely sauce. Keep in mind when making other tomato based sauces like bolognese etc. Adding a pinch of sugar is another trick to balance out the tartness of the tomato.

Take some dry oregano and basil, rub it between your palms to release the flavour and add it in the beef mince. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley. Taste again to make the seasoning is right. Now stir in the flour. There is no need to cook the flour at this stage as it will finish cooking later in the oven. Adding the flour will keep the sauce nice and thick and make it easier to serve later. The first half of your dish is now complete.

Now you need to boil the potatoes. Again I use a pressure cooker. Wash the potatoes giving the skin a good scrub. Now put the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Cover with water till it just covers the top of the potatoes.

NOTE:
You should never fill a pressure cooker more than 3/4 of the way up with liquid as when it whistles it will release all that extra water and you will have a mess on your stove. It could also be dangerous as well.

Close and put on the highest setting. When it whistles lower and time. Depending on the size of your potato, for a medium one, I time for just 10 mins. We get some extra large ones here in Dubai, so I time them for 12 -15 mins depending on their size. Since we are making a mash later, it doesn't matter if it gets slightly overcooked.  Use the usual precautions for a pressure cooker once the timer is done. Open the cooker and remove the potatoes. Peel and mash with a fork, making sure there are no lumps.

In another saucepan, melt some butter and add in the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add in about a cup of milk till you get a smooth paste like consistency. Turn off the heat and let it cool. You are now ready to assemble the dish.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Now take (about 1 and a half to 2 inches) deep baking dish. Place the cooled beef mince sauce at the bottom and then spread the potato mixture on the top, taking care to cover all the mince. Slice some mozzarella cheese and lay on the top of the potato. And/ or sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese. I used both types of cheese as cheddar doesnt melt as well as mozzarella, but if you want some of the sharpness from the cheese then by adding the cheddar you achieve that result.

Place it in the oven, without any cover and bake for about an 45mins to an hour. Check and see if you feel it is ready earlier you can remove it. It doesnt need too long as the ingredients are already cooked and you are just looking to warm the dish and melt the cheese.

This whole process seems long as I have tried to write down every detail but it is very simple and like I mentioned earlier it can be made a day in advance. Just take it out from the fridge and let it come to room temperature before you add it in the oven..

Coconut Meat Curry With Potatoes

To me, there is nothing more comforting that the good old fashioned meat curry with rice. I've given this a slight twist by adding some coconut milk to it. All my recipes are family oriented, so i've reduced the spice level so that its good for children as well.

I usually cook all my beef and pork in a pressure cooker as this not only saves on time but it makes it "melt in the mouth tender" as well. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook it on a slow fire, which will probably take close to an hour or so of cooking.

Coconut Meat Curry with Potatoes

Ingredients:
500gms beef cubes, 1" cube pieces
2 onions, chopped fine
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsps coconut powder
handful of curry leaves
2 potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

Method:
In a pressure cooker, saute the onions and ginger garlic paste in oil. Add in the salt and tomato paste (I never use more than half a teaspoon of salt in any of my dishes).

As for the tomato paste, here in Dubai, I have noticed that the local tomatoes do not have any colour or taste and the better variety that are imported are overpriced, so I buy good quality tomatoes only for salads or certain dishes. In this case, you will hardly notice the difference by adding the tomato paste.

Add in the masala powders and stir into the sauted mixture of onions, tomato, ginger and garlic. If at any point you feel the mixture is burning, add in a little bit of water.

Now add the meat and fry the mixture for a bit. When the meat takes on a nice brown colour, you can add in about 1/2 a glass to 1 glass of water depending on the size of your pressure cooker and just enough to cover the mixture. Now fit the pressure cooker lid on, and increase the heat to full. Wait for the pressure cooker to whistle and then lower the heat to the first or second lowest setting on your cooker and time for 25 mins.

After 25 mins, take the cooker off the heat. Pressure cookers are dangerous and need to be handled with care so this is what I usually do when I need to open it; to release the steam you need to lift off the counterweight gradually and bleed off the steam, I usually do this by levering the weight with a fork  and adjusting it to let out the steam gently or just run the sides of the cooker under water until it has suffficiently cooled down to reduce the pressure in the cooker.

Do NOT attempt to open the cooker without letting off the steam as this could result in some serious steam burns.

Once your pressure cooker is open add in the potatoes. Give it a quick stir to get the potatoes nicely mixed in with the curry and close the cooker again. Put it back on the heat on full power and as soon as it whistles, turn off the heat and open the pressure cooker taking the precautions I mentioned above.

Potatoes don't take very long to cook unless you keep them in very big chunks. So if you have left them as big chunks give it an additional 5 mins on low heat after the first whistle.

Once the potatoes are done, take the coconut powder in a small bowl and mix with some water, about a cup of water should do, mix it to an even consistency and add it in the meat curry. Don't stir it too much at this stage as you dont want to break up the potatoes.

Add in the curry leaves. I leave the curry leaves for the last as you get a nice strong flavour as opposed to adding them earlier where they make the curry slightly bitter.

Turn off the heat once the curry starts to bubble. You do not want it to reach full boiling point. This dish once cooled can stay in the fridge for a couple of days.

I enjoy this dish best with nice hot steaming white rice.