Keema Spicy Minced Meat

A great little dish to feed hungry children. It doesn't take long to make, is very tasty and it can be a fun meal. When I was a child there was a dish called Savoury Mince , which I guess was a drier version of a bolognese sauce, perhaps adapted by Aussies. I always loved it the next day on toast for breakfast.
Well this is similar but far tastier and you have it with naan bread or chapatis or even a wrap.
It is Indian in origin and whilst I would like to think the savoury mince had its origins here we didn't eat Indian food then. A curry was made with Keens Curry Powder  and was enough to turn you off curries for life, particularly bad if it was added to a béchamel sauce.
We have become very sophisticated in our tastes since then and embrace all of these flavours.
Put less chilli in it if you are serving it to little children, but it is good to introduce them to a bit of spice, gradually. Easily adaptable and quantities increased if needed.

1/2 kilo beef mince
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 cup peas  ( optional )
canola oil

For serving

1/2 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons chopped mint and coriander
mango chutney
naan, chapati or flat bread

Heat the oil in a fry pan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the mince and stir and turn until just browned. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and continue to fry as you mix the spices in. Add the salt and yoghurt and mix in as it cooks. If using the peas add now. Lastly add the coriander. Depending on the mince you use i.e. the fat content you may want to add some more yoghurt. Cook for another 10 minutes on a gentle heat. Adjust the seasoning.
Serve in a bowl on a platter with the condiments.

Tandoori Turkey Burgers with Mango Salsa and Minted Chutney

I am having a turkey moment. I am not sure if its because it is nearly Xmas when we traditionally eat it,  because I have been trying middle eastern recipes using turkey, or because its a very lean meat to eat.
A little of all of the above, I think !
If you don't wish to use turkey mince you can use chicken mince of course. My son loves these burgers but he prefers them with chicken.
They are very easy to make and are delicious the next day as well. A kilo of mince will make quite a few approx 8-10 large  plump burger patties or more if you flatten them a little.
You could also make them into small meatballs and serve them as finger food for a party. Mix some chutney or pickle through the yoghurt as an alternative dipping sauce.
The lime pickle I used is actually a condiment and you could use a little lime juice, instead. If you are using turkey, I like a little sweetener in it, so use a mango chutney or any kind of sweet chutney you may serve with an Indian meal.

1 kilo turkey mince
2 tablespoons Tandoori  Paste mix like Pataks
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 small onion very finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sweet lime pickle or another  Indian chutney
1 large egg
canola oil for frying
burger buns

Salsa for 6 burgers

1 fat mango cheek diced
1 small red onion finely diced
1 cucumber deseeded and finely diced
1 tomato finely diced
4 tablespoons chopped coriander
1/2 small red chilli finely diced

Minted Yoghurt

1 cup plain yoghurt I use Greek as its thicker
4 tablespoons finely chopped mint

Cos lettuce leaves


Mix the mince in a large bowl with all the other ingredients and set aside to infuse the flavours, for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile chop and mix all the ingredients for the salsa and also set aside.
Mix the yoghurt with the chopped mint and set aside
Remove the turkey mince from the fridge and shape into large patties pressing the ingredients firmly together.
All of the above steps can be done well ahead of time.
Heat the oil in a shallow pan and fry the burgers turning carefully so they don't break. If they are quite thick they will require about 10 minutes each side.
Toast the burger buns slightly nearing the end of the cooking time of the patties.

Assemble by spreading a thin layer of the yoghurt mixture on the toasted bun and then an even amount of the salsa. This stops the salsa from spilling out of the bun. Top with the meat pattie and more yoghurt, more salsa if liked and finally the lettuce leaves.
You could also add extra pickle or chutney if liked. Enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Relish

We just had another beautiful week end at the coast with a great bunch of friends. I went crazy and cooked quite a few dishes out of the Jerusalem cookbook by Ottolenghi. These cookbooks are so good. Put one on your Xmas list if you don't have any. Refreshingly different from the normal, but then I have always loved Middle Eastern  and Jewish food. Really interesting salads and meat dishes, wonderful pulses and grains with spices, delicious! A lot of it not expensive either, but beautiful fresh ingredients and perfect for a big crowd. There are lots of sauces and condiments in them too, a lot based on garlic and lemon.
I am a huge relish, sauce and condiment fan. Maybe I need to write a new recipe book, just for sauces and relishes.
I particularly love making them at Xmas time and this tomato relish is a favourite. They are a great hostess gift or simply lovely to bring out to smarten up the barbequed meat or spread on a yummy sandwich, or fabulous on the morning after bacon and egg roll. Pretty good on a cheese platter with some cheddar or on some toast under a poached egg. Also fabulous to have with pies, sausage rolls or on a burger. Use your imagination ! Far more glamorous than the Aussie tomato sauce from a bottle. The following recipe is as always adaptable. You could add some chillies if you prefer it spicy hot. Start small, maybe 2 and taste as you go.





1 kilo red tomatoes
500 grams onion chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
400 grams white sugar
500 mls white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds


Chop the onions and garlic and sauté in a little olive oil, in the saucepan you are going to cook the relish. Chop the tomatoes into large dice and add to the onion, garlic mixture with the white wine vinegar. Add the sugar and stir through and bring to a gentle simmer. Finally add the cumin, Worcestershire sauce and yellow mustard seeds. Simmer gently on the stove top, stirring about very ten minutes. As the mixture thickens and reduces it will spit as you stir so be careful. It takes approximately an hour to cook. It should be quite thick.
Spoon into sterilised jars.