Spiced beef with a beetroot puree and a double relish

Spiced Beef


Ingredients

• 150g of good quality beef 
• 2 medium sized onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 stalk of ginger
• 3 tbs of chili powder, 
• 1/2  tbs of turmeric powder
• 4 vine ripen tomatoes 
• coconut milk 
• salt to taste

Spice mix

• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds 
• 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp of coriander seeds
• 1cinnamon stick. 
• 4 tbs of dark soy sauce 

Method

Spice mix

• First toast the spices in a dry pan for about minutes on a medium heat and when it begins to release its flavour, take off heat and grind them very finely. 
• next mix the powder with the 1 1/2 tbs of chili powder, turmeric powder, a pinch of salt (if needed) and soy sauce and mix well until combined to a thick paste. and set aside.

Spiced beef

• First, cut the meat into small cubes and rub the spice mix paste onto the meat, add a little water if needed. and allow it marinate at least for an hour a couple would be great,
• Next grind the garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle and fry them of in a little bit of oil until golden brown. 
• Next add the marinated beef to the pan and add some more oil and cook it until the meat is caramelized, Next chop tomatoes and fry them gently for a minute before adding them to the beef, add the remainder of the chili powder, and add salt to taste 
• Next pour in the coconut milk and allow the meat to cook until tender. don't add any water, cook until a really thick sauce is created. and remove off heat. 

Beetroot puree

Ingredients

• 2 large beetroot
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 knobs of butter

Method

• First steam the beetroot until soft and tender 
• next blend it in a stick blender, adding the butter, salt and pepper to a fine puree
• pass it through a sieve to drain out all lumps if any. 
• you can add as much or less amount of butter. 

Two Sides

Side 1 - Avocado mix

Ingredients 

• 1 ripen avocado ( not fully ripen but not raw either should have slightly firm texture)
• one medium sized onions
• 1 green chili ( de-seeded )
• salt to taste

Method

• dice the onions and the chili and mix it well with the avocado and salt to taste.

Side 2 - Coriander salsa 

Ingredients

• 6 stalks of coriander
• 2 medium sized vine ripen tomatoes 
• 1 medium sized Spanish onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbs of lemon juice.

Method

• Finely chop the coriander, and dice the tomatoes and the onions and mix well, add salt and pepper to taste, and add the lemon juice 

To serve spread the beetroot puree on a rectangle serving plate and place the spiced beef on top and drizzle the thick sauce ( used to cook the beef) on top, next place two relishes in small serving bowl. 

Sauteed beans and Aubergines with a red puree and passion fruit reduction

Ingredients 

sauteed beans and aubergines

• 6  long green beans  ( cut in to 2mm cylinders)
• 2 aubergines thinly slice into circles ( use mandoline slicer)
•  mustard seeds
• curry leaves
• salt
• turmeric powder 
• chili powder 
• sesame oil
• ginger 
• onions
• grated coconut 

Red Puree 

• one beetroot
• 100g of pumpkin
• 2 medium sized carrots 
• butter 
• salt 
• pepper

Passion fruit reduction

• 3 passion fruits
• salt
• sugar 
• butter

Garnish - Raisins or sultanas 

Methods

Sauteed beans and aubergines 

• heat some sesame oil in a pan and saute the beans and aubergines, add the beans first and the aubergines after a couple of minutes
• add the salt (to taste), turmeric powder (1/4 tsp) and chili powder ( 2 tsp) and allow it cook
• Next in a separate pan fry the mustard seeds, onions, ginger and curry leaves and add the mixture to the beans and aubergines 
• cook until the vegetables are soft and tender and finish it off with the grated coconut ( mix it all together)

Red Puree 

• Grate the beetroot, carrots and pumpkin and cook them in some vegetable oil and finish it off with some butter until it is smooth and passes through your finger
• Next puree the cooked vegetables in a blender add salt and pepper to taste ( add some more butter for extra silkiness if you like)

Passion fruit reduction

• Take out all the flesh of the passion fruit and pass it through a sieve 
• add some sugar and salt and reduce it until it thickens but still runny 
• finish it off with some butter for more smoothness ( add about 1 tbs of  butter to the sauce)

To serve spread the red puree on a serving plate and place the sauteed veg in 3 different angles, drizzle the passion fruit reduction around and top it off with a handful of raisins or sultanas. 

A Quick lunch with a dipping sauce

Ingredients

• 3 small carrots
• 5 Large okras
• 5 long beans 
• 1 large potato 
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 5 table spoons sesame oil 

Dipping sauce 

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 50g of palm sugar
• 1 cup water 
• pepper to taste 
• 1/4 of Tomato sauce 

Method 

• First clean cut all the vegetables into long equal sized strands and steam them, make sure you cook enough to leave a crunch. add salt and pepper to taste 
• Boil the Potato and cut them into squares and saute them in sesame oil until the outside is crunchy and add a teaspoon of chili powder and cook until the it is Incorporated with the potatoes 

For the Dipping sauce 

• Put all the ingredients into a small pan and cook, bring it to the boil  take off heat and drain, set aside, refrigerate the remaining sauce for later 

To serve

• Place the veg on a small bowl, and place the egg on top. and place the chilied potato on another bowl and serve them both with the dipping sauce. 

Spiced Chicken on a bed of Buttered Mushrooms

Ingredients 


Spiced Chicken

• 250g of boneless chicken 
• 3 ripen tomatoes Quartered
• 2 medium sized onions Diced
• 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup of good quality Chicken Stock
• 1 tbs Turmeric powder, 3 Tbs of Chili powder 
• 2 tbs of sugar or palm sugar
• salt
• any neutral cooking oil.

For the Spice Mix

• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of coriander seeds
• 3 dried chilies
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 stalk of ginger

For the Buttered Mushrooms 

• 200 g of Button mushrooms
• 100g of Portobello Mushrooms
• 1 whole onion
• 1 tomato
• 3 cloves of Garlic
• 350 g of butter
• 1 leek
• salt and pepper
• 4 table spoons of Sesame oil 

Method

Spice mix

1. Heat a Pan and roast all the spices including the ginger
2. next separate  the cinnamon quill and ginger and grind the rest in a mortar and pestle until smooth
3. grind the cinnamon quill and ginger each separately in a blender until very fine and roast them in a pan and add them to the rest of the spice mix.
4. Set aside.

For the Spiced Chicken

1. Heat some oil in a pan, add the garlic then add the onions and fry them until golden brown, and set aside.
2. Next create a dry marinate using the chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and the spice mix, coat the chicken and leave it marinate for 15 mins 
3. Next cook the chicken in some oil until golden brown
4. Add the chicken stock just  enough to cover and the add the tomatoes and the sugar or palm sugar and cook until the sauce is well thickened and the chicken is soft and tender, then add the fried garlic and onions and cook for another 2 minutes
5. add a dash of lime juice and set aside. 

For the Buttered Mushrooms 

1. first heat the sesame oil in a pan and cook the garlic and the onions until slightly golden brown.
2. next add the Tomatoes and the leeks allow them to cook until tender and remove the pan off heat
3. Then add the butter and cook the mushrooms in it until soft and tender
4. drain of the excess butter and oil in both ( keep the butter to create sauce) and add them together and cover it with a lid so the heat in the pan would bring the flavours together ( keep the pan of the stove but don't switch it on)
5. Next reduce the butter down a little bit, and add some pepper to it to create a sauce 

To Serve Place the buttered mushrooms on a serving plate and place the chicken on top and drizzle the butter sauce around. or just be more creative with it  :)