Minty Minced Lamb

I first cooked this dish over a decade ago and despite it being so well received by family and friends, I haven't really served this up as often as some would like me to... So sorry. But here it is for you all to try at home yourselves, whether you are entertaining or simply feeding the masses, this dish is filling and full of aromatic flavour. This recipe will generally serve a family of 4-5 and depending on portion sizes, you might be able to stretch that number to 6 people.

For the lamb, you will need:

• 500g of fresh lean minced lamb
• 2 medium sized white onions, skins peeled and diced
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced in a garlic crusher for best results
• 5 cardamom pods, remove shells and keep the seeds
• 1 heaped teaspoon of dijon mustard
• 1 heaped teaspoon of pureed lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon of madras powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of fenugreek, a very important ingredient for your store cupboard (essential for curries).
• 1 red chilli, seeded and diced
• 1 green chilli, seeded and diced
• 2 cups of fresh carrots, cubed small
• 2 cups of frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon of mint sauce
• Juice of half a lemon
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt and black pepper to taste

NB There is no need for any oil with this recipe. As you will see, plenty of naturals oils will be released from the lamb.

1.  In a non-stick pan, gently begin cooking your minced lamb. You will notice the colour of the meat turning pale brown. You should add in you onions, garlic, cardamom, mustard and lemongrass, now. Allow it to cook for five minutes on a medium heat.

2.  A decent amount of natural oils and juices will be released from the meat. This is fine. At this point you should add in your madras powder, ground cumin, fenugreek, mint sauce and the red and green chillies.

3.  Stir thoroughly and ones the mince has been evenly seasoned, you can add the carrots and peas. Turn the heat down low and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

4.  Drizzle over your lemon and lime juice and season with salt and black pepper.

Serve your minty minced lamb with some flavourful boiled basmati rice. I will be sharing the recipe to my perfectly complimentary style of aromatic rice in my next post, so keep an eye out (by following my page on Instagram) and check-in soon.