Bobotie

This is one of South Africa's traditional dishes. Every time we make it I have to fight to get a photo before it is devoured.... as you can see, I still have not succeeded, but that's because it is so delicious. Even my 5 year old grandson, Caleb, loves it. He calls it, "That yummy meat and eggs with rice Grampa makes...".

This dish has been known in the Cape since early in the 17th century where it was constructed by the Cape Malay servants based on an Indonesian dish known as "bobotok", which consisted of meat with a custard topping that was cooked in a pan of water until the egg mixture set. It was originally made with the leftover meat scraps, chutney or fruit from the "Master's Table". The early Cape Malays would have used ginger, herbs, lemon rind, lemon leaves or bay leaves and nutmeg, but today curry powder is used, but don't forget to add a little nutmeg to the meat mixture and sprinkle a grating of this pungent spice over the egg mixture. Traditionally, bobotie incorporates dried fruit like apricots or sultanas - don't use raisins as they are sweeter than sultanas. Chutney may also be added to the meat mixture. Although not particularly spicy, the dish incorporates a variety of flavours that can add complexity. For example, the dried fruit contrasts with the curry flavouring. The texture of the dish is also complex, with the baked egg mixture topping complementing the milk-soaked bread which adds moisture to the dish.

I was taught to make this dish when I was 6 years old by my Mother's old Aunty Katie from Lichtenburg, in the northern Cape. She insisted it was not Bobotie without nutmeg and bay leaves !

Sadly, I cannot claim this as a handed down version from my Mother as she died quite young and never wrote her recipe down, just put it together from memory when she baked it. I have adapted this from recipes I have found and what I remember my Mother - and Tannie Katie - concocting. Anyway, here's my recipe, which can serve 4-5.

Ingredients:
1 fairly thick slice crustless bread (white or brown)
375 ml milk
12.5 ml oil
5ml butter
1 onion, sliced
5ml chopped garlic , or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 ml curry powder
5ml salt
12.5ml chutney
10ml smooth apricot jam
7.5ml Worcester sauce or soy sauce
2.5ml turmeric
2.5ml nutmeg
12.5ml brown vinegar
500g beef or lamb mince
50 ml sultanas (don’t replace with raisins – they are too sweet)

4-5 dried apricots, cut into strips
3 eggs
a pinch of salt
a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg
3-5 bay leaves

Method:
Soak bread in milk. Heat oil and butter in large pan and fry onions and garlic. When onions are soft, add curry powder, salt, chutney, jam, Worcester sauce, turmeric, nutmeg and vinegar. Mix well.

Drain and mash bread - reserve the milk. Add bread to the pan together with mince, sultanas and apricots. Cook over low heat, stirring, and when meat loses its pinkness, remove from stove.

Add 1 beaten egg, mix well, then spoon into a greased, baking dish and level the top.

Beat remaining eggs with reserved milk (you should have 300 ml, or a little more) and salt. Pour over meat mixture and put a few bay leaves on top. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

Stand the dish in a larger pan of water (this is important to prevent drying out) and bake, uncovered, at 180˚C for 1 hour or until set.

Serve with rice, grated coconut, fruit chutney and sliced bananas.

P.S. I'll get a better photo next time we make it!

Curried Mince

This recipe is so easy to prepare that it almost feels like a cheat method for no-hassle mince. With mince, there’s no worrying about whether the meat is cooked through, as you would have with chunks of meat. Mince doesn’t have to be checked for tenderness, and other ingredients can be added and subtracted as you please. There’s also no link between effort and scrumptiousness!

Ingredients:

7.5ml salt

7.5ml Red Freezer Masala

10ml turmeric

5ml grated ginger root

10ml vinegar

400g beef or lamb mince

30ml ghee

1 onion, finely chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

7.5ml sunflower oil

375ml water

100g frozen peas

2 tomatoes, coarse chopped in a blender

Pan Spices:

2-3 cardamom pods

3-4 whole cloves

4-5 pieces Indian cinnamon

To Garnish:

5ml garam masala

30ml coriander, finely chopped

Method:

Prepare the marinade:

Mix the salt, Red Freezer Masala, turmeric, ginger and vinegar into a paste. Press this thoroughly through the mince with the back of a spoon.

Heat the ghee in a saucepan on medium-high. When hot, add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and sizzle for ½-1 minute. Add the onion and braise, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until translucent to golden brown.

Add the mince to the pot and mix well into the onion. Brown for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly , breaking up the meat to prevent clumping until the mince juices have reduced considerably.

Reduce the heat, add the potatoes then add 7.5ml oil and about 60ml water and stir. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix in the peas and chopped tomatoes into the mince, add about 200ml water Stir gently and cover, returning the pan to a simmer for 15 minutes. The dish is done when the potatoes are cooked through. Adjust for the required amount of gravy by adding water in small amounts, heating between each addition.

Garnish with garam masala and fresh coriander. Serve rolled in roti or as a filling for bread rolls or Vetkoeks. 

Spicy Braised Lamb Chops

This one of the best ‘dry’ meat curries. 

Prepared with succulent strips of cabbage, 

the lamb chops are served dressed in a rich array of spices. 

This is a dish you will be proud to serve your friends.

Ingredients:

500g lamb chops

2,5ml salt

5ml Red Freezer Masala

5ml turmeric

5ml oil

45ml oil

½ onion finely chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks

300ml water

½ tomato finely chopped

1/8 head of cabbage, shredded (100g)

Pan Spices:

2 cardamom pods

3-4 whole cloves

5-6 pieces Indian cinnamon

To Garnish:

2.5ml garam masala

30ml finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Put the chops in a bowl, sprinkle with 2.5ml salt and add sufficient water to cover them; soak for 2-3 minutes. Drin, rinse and drain again. Open each chop by slicing from one bone end into the main part of the meat, creating a flap. Score the meat in several places.

Make a paste of 2.5ml salt, Red Freezer Masala, turmeric and 5ml oil. Rub this paste thoroughly into the meat. Heat 45ml oil in a wide pot on medium heat. When hot, add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon; stir and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the onion and braise for 3-5 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat and add the lamb chops. Brown the chops on all sides for about 5 minutes, then cover and braise for about 20 minutes, allowing the meat juices to reduce to a thick brown gravy, turning the chops once during cooking.

Add the potatoes and 250ml water, stir and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring carefully every 5 minutes. Add water, about 50ml at a time, if necessary to prevent scorching.

Sprinkle the tomato over the lamb, followed by the shredded cabbage. Add about 50ml water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes melt into the dish and the cabbage wilts.

Turn the chops and potatoes. Garnish with garam masala and coriander and continue to cook undisturbed until all the excess water has steamed off. The dish should be very moist, but with very little or no gravy.

Serve warm with rice.

Serves 4

Meat and Bean Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

225g cooked lamb, diced

225g salami, skinned and diced

3 thick slices cooked ham, diced

225g English cucumber, diced

2 granny Smith apples, cored and cited

225g cooked macaroni

2-3 spring onions, chopped

Small can butter beans, drained

125ml mayonnaise

12,5ml lemon juice

5ml Worcestershire sauce

Lettuce

Method:

Combine all the ingredients except the mayonnaise, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce in a large salad bowl.

Blend the mayonnaise, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and pour over the salad mixture. Toss lightly, ensuring all the ingredients are covered with the dressing. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Mild Curry Puffs

These delicious curry puffs can be made with 

shop-bought puff pastry, 

as long as you use all-butter pastry. 

If you prefer to make your own pastry, 

then use flaky pastry or puff pastry. 

Ingredients:
500g ready-made puff pastry

Filling:
150g beef or lamb mince
80ml sweetcorn
1 red chilli
1 cm root ginger, grated
2 cloves of garlic, grated
10ml mild curry powder
a handful of coriander leaves, chopped
2-3 curry leaves, shredded
1 small onion, chopped fine
2.5ml salt
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
10ml sunflower oil

Method:

Add the oil to a frying pan and sauté the onions, garlic and ginger until soft, but not coloured. I add the salt at this stage, which helps them to soften by drawing out their liquid into the pan. This also prevents them caramelising. 

Add the curry powder and mix through the onions. Now add the beef or lamb mince and stir until browned.

Add the sweetcorn and combine with the mince mixture.

Take off the heat and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. If the filling is too hot when put into the pastry, the pastry melts, stretches and breaks. When the filling has cooled completely, add the coriander and mix through.

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Roll out your pastry to 3-4mm thick. Cut the pastry into 7-8cm squares.

Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each square, being careful not to allow the filling to spill over the edges. Brush the edges with beaten egg. Fold the pastry over to form a triangle and seal along the edges with a fork. Use a sharp knife to make a tiny cross on the top of each puff to allow the steam to vent while cooking before you egg wash the top of each pastry. 

Place the pastries on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to take them off the tray. Place the pies on a cooling rack and serve them warm. They are nice warm than piping hot, then you get to taste them, and they are delicious.

Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Meatballs

Ingredients:

500g finely minced lean lamb or beef
pinch of salt
1 onion, finely chopped
10ml ground cumin
5ml ground allspice
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves
olive oil

Method:

Blend all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor until smooth and pasty.

Wet your hands to stop the mixture from sticking, and form small balls.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs. Test the tiny meatballs after 5 minutes; larger ones may take 10 minutes.

Drain well on kitchen paper.

The meatballs can also be partially cooked and finished in the oven.

Make smaller meatballs if serving with drinks. The mixture will yield about 40 cocktail-sized meatballs and about 25 larger ones to serve as part of a meal.

Lamb Kofta with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:
For sauce:
1 cup plain yoghurt, preferably whole-milk
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Sea salt

For kofta:

2 slices firm white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
500g ground lamb
1 small red onion, grated
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
15ml baharat spice blend
15ml chilli flakes
10ml sea salt

Optional accompaniment:
16 soft lettuce leaves for wrapping

Special equipment:
16x10-inch-long wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Charcoal or gas grill
Method:
For the sauce:

Stir yoghurt together with garlic and salt to taste in a small bowl.

For the kofta:
Cover bread with water in a small bowl and let soak for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal or gas grill: If using a charcoal grill, open vents in bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Fire is hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for just 1 to 2 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat on high, covered, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.

Squeeze bread to remove as much moisture as possible. Put in a large bowl, add remaining ingredients, and mix with your hands until thoroughly blended. 

Divide lamb mixture into 16 portions and form each into a ball. Roll each ball into a 7- to 8-inch-long cigar, rolling it first between your hands and then on a work surface (be sure the kofta are uniformly thin for even cooking.) Slide a skewer lengthwise through centre of each kofta.

Oil grill rack and grill kofta, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil, and serve warm with yoghurt sauce, wrapping them in lettuce leaves, if using.

Moussaka

Moussaka is a great standby for those family gatherings when you need to be sure you have enough food for the multitude, and it makes a nice change to lasagne, LOL. Make it in advance, leaving you time to chat with friends while it cooks in the oven... Yum, love it!

Ingredients:

Eggplants and meat sauce: 

5-6 medium large brinjals (aubergines)
A pinch of salt (do not use salt substitute- salt is used to eliminate the bitter taste of the eggplants)
Olive oil for sautéing and broiling
3 medium onions, peelled and chopped into small pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
7 whole garlic cloves
black pepper, to taste
2.5ml of freshly ground cinnamon 
1ml allspice
2 fresh bay leaves
750ml ripe tomatoes chopped (substitute with 750ml canned tomatoes with the juice, if desired)
250ml whole wheat bread crumbs 
125ml red cooking wine
1.3 kg of beef or lamb mince (lamb is the meet traditionally used)
Grated Kefalotyri cheese for garnish (optional, if you can’t get Kefalotyri, use Cheddar) 

Béchamel sauce (6 cups) 

Note: - When doubling the recipe, use no more than 3 yolks. 

200ml plus 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
200g of unsalted butter
1.5L hot whole milk
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2.5ml nutmeg

Method:

Eggplant preparation: 

Wash eggplants and trim the steams. Peel off the skin and cut  
lengthwise into medium-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and 
sprinkle liberally with salt. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. 

Rinse the eggplant slices and coat liberally with olive oil. Place in a 
baking tray.

Broil for 10-15 minutes, until the eggplant is lightly browned and soft. 
Set aside to cool.

 Meat sauce preparation:

Heat a lightly oiled skillet on medium-low heat. Sauté the onions and 
the garlic for 10 minutes, or until transparent and soft. 

Add the meat and sauté until lightly browned.

Add tomatoes, and sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly

Add the spices tomato paste and wine. Cover the pen and simmer for 45-50
minutes or until all liquids are absorbed. If the mixture still contains liquids, 
uncover, and mix thoroughly for an additional 5 minutes until dry. 

Turn off the heat and set aside uncovered.

 Béchamel sauce preparation: 

To save time, prepare the sauce while the meat is simmering. 

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan under low heat. 

Gradually add the flour, ¼ cup at a time and stir until smooth. Repeat until all of the flour is added.
    
Increase the heat to medium-low and slowly ad the milk whisking constantly, until creamy and 
thick.

Remove from the heat and add the beaten egg yolks and the spices. 

Return to the heat and whisk for an additional minute until all ingredients are combined. Set aside 
to cool. 

Assembly:

To save time, preheat the oven to 180°C before you begin assembling the Moussaka.

On a lightly oiled baking pan, sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs.

Align the eggplants on top of the breadcrumbs.

Spread the meat mixture on top of the eggplants.

Cover the meat with remaining eggplants.

Spread the béchamel sauce on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, and then sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven and bake for an  
additional 15-20 minutes until the top becomes golden brown.

Eastern Spice Crusted Lamb Shoulder

I absolutely love eating lamb whenever we can afford it. It’s quite pricey here in South Africa, even though we ‘grow’ our own in the Karoo. I lived in Wales for some time and it was run of the mill there, LOL. You could almost go out onto the moors and pick your own. One tip: make sure your lamb is grass fed, or even better, fed on the high moors – of Wales if you can get Welsh lamb. However, if you are not in Wales, buy your local lamb. I love lamb roasted, and if it’s spiced, even better! This recipe with Eastern spicing makes the meat so succulent and juicy, you have got to give it a try. The shoulder is one of the better cuts of lamb with the most meat for your money, and when you are done, there are bones for soup. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 fresh lamb shoulder, patted dry and scored with a knife.

50ml Madras curry powder (readily available in most Indian spice stores)

30ml Smoked paprika

5ml each of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

15ml onion powder

15ml garlic powder

125ml red wine

Method:

Preheat the oven to 230˚C.

Mix the Madras curry powder, paprika, salt, pepper, onion and garlic together in a container.

Pour the red wine over the lamb shoulder in a roasting pan. Rub the spice mix into the fatty top side, be very generous with it. Rub it in, then put some more on, we want a nice crust of spice on this lamb. Don’t worry too much about the bottom; it’s mostly sinew and bone.

Pop this in the oven, and turn the heat down to150˚C. We started it at 230˚C to quickly sear the meat; then it’ll cool down and slow roast it until it’s tender and falling apart. Roast for 2 hours, or until meat can be easily pulled from the bone with a fork.

Lamb in Pickling Spices

Ingredients:

500g lean lamb cut into 4-5cm cubes

1/2 tsp nigella seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

4 - 6 cloves crushed

5cm piece of grated ginger

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp jaggery, broken into small pieces

Juice of 1 lime

Fresh coriander to garnish

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

25ml of mustard oil

100g ghee

4 large onions, thinly sliced

4-6 whole dried red chillies, broken in half

6 whole cloves

3 black cardamom

4 green cardamom

Chapattis to serve

Method:

Boil the meat with salt and turmeric in only as much water that it should dry up when tender. If some liquid remains, drain and keep aside for later.

In a separate pan heat the mustard oil, when it begins to smoke add the clarified butter or ghee.

Fry the  sliced onions to a golden brown, remove and set aside. This will take around 15 minutes and be sure to continue stirring them to get an even golden brown.

In the same oil add the whole dried chillies and fry until they blacken, remove the pan from the heat and discard the chillies.

Bring the same oil to the heat once again, and add the cloves and both the cardamoms and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds, then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel, nigella, fenugreek and asafoetida.

Once the seeds crackle and pop, add the garlic and ginger stir-fry for one minute then add the cooked meat along with the red chilli powder, jaggery and two thirds of the fried onions.

Stir-fry for a few minutes, add some of the leftover meat liquid or water to keep it moist and break the meat up a little with the spoon.

Add the lime juice with two tablespoons of water and simmer over a low heat until the liquid dries up and only the ghee remains.

Serve with hot chapatis and garnish with the remaining fried onions, and chopped fresh coriander.

Lamb Shanks in Dark Ale

My family absolutely love lamb shanks. When you cook them until they're just falling apart, they develop the most amazing flavours. This recipe is all about investing in dark sticky sauce and tender meat. In the UK we're spoiled for choice when it comes to interesting ales, and adding a good dark ale to the onions creates the most brilliant depth of flavour. Whatever you do, do NOT skip the mint oil or spring onions. It's like flipping a light switch - just that simple little touch makes the whole dish sing.

Ingredients:

3 red onions, peeled
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
2 handfuls of raisins
100ml thick-cut marmalade
30ml tomato ketchup
50ml Worcestershire sauce, plus extra for serving
200ml smooth dark ale
6 lamb shanks, roughly 350g each
8 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 litre chicken stock

To serve:

a small bunch of fresh mint leaves
a few tablespoons olive oil
2 spring onions, trimmed
cider vinegar

Method:

Finely chop the onions and put them into a really large casserole-type pan (roughly 26cm in diameter and 12cm deep), with a good splash of olive oil and a reasonable pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over a medium to high heat, stirring as you go, until the onions start to caramelize. Add the raisins and marmalade, then add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and dark ale. Give it all a good stir, then leave to gently simmer.

Put the lamb shanks into a large frying pan (roughly 30cm wide) on a medium to high heat with a drizzle of olive oil – you can cook them in batches if needed. Turn them every few minutes; once they have some good colour, pick in the rosemary leaves and move them around in the pan to get crispy, but don’t let them burn. Use tongs to move the shanks into the pan of onions, then pour in all their juices and the crispy rosemary. Add the stock, put the lid on, turn down the heat and leave to blip away slowly for around 3 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone easily. Try to turn the shanks halfway through so they cook evenly.

When the lamb shanks are ready, carefully move them to a platter, making sure the meat stays intact. Whiz or liquidize the gravy with a stick blender until smooth, then allow to reduce and thicken. Pound most of the mint leaves in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt and the olive oil, then take to the table. Finely slice up the spring onions and toss on a plate with the remaining fresh mint leaves, a drizzle of cider vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Gently, so they don’t fall apart, transfer the shanks to a serving platter. Add a little splash of cider vinegar and a few more splashes of Worcestershire sauce to the remaining gravy in the casserole, then ladle it all over the lamb shank and pour the rest into a jug for people to help themselves. Scatter the vinegary spring onions and a few fresh mint leaves all over the top, drizzle the mint oil all around the shanks. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Lamb Dhansak

This is a one pot curry that just needs rice and a relish or chutney to go with it. You could also make it with chicken instead of lamb. Ideally, this needs to be started the day before it is to be eaten.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
500g stewing lamb or mutton, cut into cubes
500g yellow lentils
110g red lentils
110g mung beans, soaked overnight
Oil or ghee for frying
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
5ml turmeric powder
5ml coriander powder
5ml cumin powder
1 brinjal (aubergine), peeled and diced
250g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and diced
Salt
500g fresh spinach leaves, well washed and drained

For the Curry Paste:
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6-8 dried red chillies
6 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
5ml black peppercorns
15ml coriander seeds
15ml cumin seeds

Method:
Rinse and drain the lentils and mung beans. Grind all the curry paste ingredients with a little water to make a smooth paste.

Heat the oil or ghee and fry the onions until golden brown, then stir in the curry paste, turmeric, coriander and cumin and stir-fry gently for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lamb and cook gently over a low heat until the meat is coated with the curry paste and any liquid from the meat has been absorbed. The dish should be quite dry.

Add the lentils, mung beans, brinjal and pumpkin or squash and stir in a little water to form a gravy. Season with salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the meat is cooked and tender.

Remove the meat from the pan and put to one side. Purée the lentils, vegetables and gray with a hand blender and return the meat to this mixture.

Quickly stir-fry the spinach in hot oil, then add to the lamb mixture and serve.

Lamb and Cashew Nut Curry

Cashew nuts, yoghurt and saffron make this a delicious dish for a special occasion. Served with rice, dumplings or Indian breads, it makes a substantial meal.

Ingredients:
1-2 inch piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
3-4 garlic cloves
2 green chillies
50g unsalted cashew nuts
60ml water
4 whole cloves
6 cardamom pods, bruised
15ml coriander seeds
15ml white poppy seeds
50g ghee
2 onions, finely chopped
1kg lamb, cubed
300ml yoghurt
a pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 30ml boiling water
5ml salt
juice and zest of a quarter of a lemon
30ml chopped coriander leaves
3/4 of a lemon, sliced

Method:
Put the ginger, garlic, chillies and cashew nuts in a blender with half the water. Blend to a smooth paste. Add the cloves, cardamom, coriander and poppy seeds and the remaining water and blend. Transfer the puree to a bowl.

Melt the ghee in a large saucepan. Add the onions and fry over medium heat until the onions are golden brown. Stir in the prepared puree and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the lamb cubes and fry until they are evenly browned.

Mix the yoghurt with the soaked saffron, including the liquid. Add the salt and stir this mixture into the meat in the pan. Increase the heat and bring your curry to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and sprinkle over the chopped coriander leaves. Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the lamb is tender.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish garnished with lemon slices.

Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Herbed Raita

Here's another nibble on a stick for serving at a cocktail party or around the braai or barbecue while waiting for the steaks or chops. It's quick and easy to prepare and can be made up a day or so in advance, ready to be brought out and cooked quickly when the fire is just ready to cooking.

Ingredients:
For the lamb kebabs:
750g lamb mince
1 onion, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
5ml ground cinnamon
10ml paprika
10ml ground cumin
2ml chilli powder
30ml chopped fresh mint
60ml chopped fresh parsley
15ml dry red wine or red wine vinegar

For the Raita:
500ml plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15ml chopped parsley
30ml chopped fresh mint
15ml chopped fresh chives

Method:
For the lamb kebabs:
Soak about 30-40 skewers in water at room temperature for about an hour. Combine the lamb, onion, garlic, spices, herbs and wine in a bowl, mixing well with the fingers. Shape a tablespoon or more of mixture around the sharp end of each skewer. Put the loaded skewers on a tray in the fridge for about an hour - or overnight if you are preparing them the day before - so that they can set and firm up. Just before serving, grill over prepared hot coals until browned all over and cooked through. Serve hot with herbed raita.

For the Herbed Raita:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If desired, put a little into individual dipping bowls for each guest.

Rezala

Rezala is a Bangladeshi and Bengali mild lamb or goat curry with saffron, rose water, yoghurt or curd, lightly spiced with cardamom and cassia. As a dish for high days and holy days, it's almost a sweet and sour, rich and poor representation of the people of the land from which it comes. If you can get goat, well and good, but if not, make it with lamb or hogget, as I have here. Hogget is lamb that is past its first year and has far more taste and flavour than lamb.

Ingredients:
4 onions, halved
3-4 inch piece of root ginger, roughly chopped
8-9 cloves garlic
100g ghee or clarified butter
10 green cardamom pods
3-4 sticks of cassia bark (tuj or Chinese cinnamon)
1.5kg shoulder of hogget, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
250g full-fat natural yoghurt
15ml dark muscovado sugar
5ml salt
6 dried chillies
30ml rose water
a loose pinch of saffron threads
2 long thin green chillies, cut lengthways
zest and juice of a lime

Method:
Thinly slice half the onions and roughly chop the rest. Put the roughly chopped onions in a blender with the ginger and garlic and blend to a smooth paste.

Heat the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the cardamom and cassia and leave to sizzle for a short while until they give off an aromatic odour.

Add the sliced onion and fry for about 10 minutes until the onion is past being translucent and has quite a bit of colour. Add the onion paste and fry another 5 minutes, stirring as they cook so as not to allow them to catch on the bottom of the pan.

Add the hogget and fry for 5 minutes, stirring to cook the meat all over. Now add the yoghurt, a little at a time, stirring between each addition for a minute or so before making the next addition. This is to ensure that the yoghurt does not split - stirring is essential. Continue untill all the yoghurt is added, then mix in the sugar and salt. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about half an hour.

Meanwhile soak the dried chillies in enough boiling water to cover them and leave to soak for half an hour. Soak the saffron in rose water in a small bowl, crushing the threads a little with the back of a teaspoon. Place the bowl over a dish of hot water so as to warm it and leave it to soak for half an hour.

Drain the soaked chillies and finely chop them - or put them in a blender and pulse tow or three times to chop - don't whizz or they will become a paste, which you don't want. Stir the chopped chillies into the meat with the split green chillies and the saffron and rose water.

Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for another half an hour or until the meat is tender. Remove the lid, stir in the lime zest and juice and check the seasoning, adding more salt if required.

Serve with sticky rice, naan bread or parathas.

Lamb in Asparagus Cream

Thanks to the Romans' penchant for asparagus, we have this delectable seasonal vegetable in Britain. It has always been a luxury affordable to the rich, but with today's extensive farming of this crop, it is available to almost everyone, even if it's only once in a while. After all, it is only available for two months of the year, so as they say, "make hay while the sun shines"; spoil yourself and graze some 'sparrow grass'.

I've been looking for all the ideas I can get for using this amazing little veg and was amazed to find this classic recipe in one of my old cookbooks. Who would have thought to put creamed asparagus in a stew?! The original recipe comes from the Argenteuil region of France, just north-west of Paris, where asparagus is grown, but the tender early British asparagus gives just as good a flavour to this succulent lamb stew.

Ingredients:
1kg asparagus
1 kg boned shoulder of lamb
4 small onions
30g butter
30ml flour
5ml steak and chop seasoning
125ml double cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
juice of half a lemon

Method:
Wash the asparagus, but do not trim. Cook in a large pan of lightly salted water for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and set the cooking liquid aside. Cut of the tips about 3 inches down the spears and set aside. Put the rest of the spears in a liquidiser or blender and puree. Pass the puree through a sieve and discard any course and stringy bits.

Cut the lamb into 1-2 inch cubes. Toss in seasoned flour to coat evenly. Peel and roughly chop the onions.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and brown the meat. Once the meat is seared on all sides add the onions and cook together until the onions are browned. Gradually blend in about 250ml asparagus cooking liquid, stirring continuously until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Simmer for about an hour until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. If the liquid evaporates too much, cover the saucepan with a lid.

When the meat is cooked and tender, stir the asparagus puree and cream into the sauce. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the lemon juice. The sauce should be fairly thick.

Arrange the asparagus tips around the edge of a warm serving dish and spoon the meet and sauce into the middle. Serve with boiled baby potatoes in their jackets with a parsley butter sauce.

Grilled Lamb with Asparagus and Wild Garlic

Nothing speaks of spring better than pungent wild herbs, fresh asparagus and the sweetness of new season lamb.

Allium ursinum, known as wild garlic or Ramsoms, is a wild relative of chives that grows in deciduous woodlands with moist acidic soils. This prolific allium flowers before the trees get their leaves in spring, filling the air with their distinctive garlic odour. The leaves are edible and can be used in salads, cooked like spinach, or as an ingredient of pesto. The bulbs and flowers are also very flavoursome.

Ingredients:

6 lamb cutlets

5 springs thyme

3 sprigs rosemary

2 cloves garlic, crushed

olive oil, for drizzling

6 new potatoes

12 spears asparagus

1-2 shallots, finely chopped

1handful of spinach, finely chopped

1handful of wild garlic leaves, finely chopped

30-50ml double cream, finely chopped

a few florets of purple sprouting broccoli, finely chopped

30g butter, finely chopped

Method:

Place the lamb cutlets on a plate. Make a rub with about 20ml of olive oil and the thyme, rosemary and crushed garlic. Rub the cutlets with this mixture and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the new potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and cut into quarters, then place into a bowl and season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat.

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and add the new potatoes. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil, season and add to the griddle. Cook the potatoes and asparagus for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely charred and tender. Set aside.

Heat some more olive oil in a separate pan and fry the shallots with a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the spinach, wild garlic and a splash of water. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the purple sprouting broccoli florets.

Pour the stock into the pan, followed by the cream. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the liquid has reduced slightly in volume. Just before serving, stir through the butter until melted.

Return the griddle pan to the heat and add the marinated lamb cutlets. Griddle for 2-3 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over and cooked to your liking.

Divide the asparagus and potatoes between two serving plates and lay three lamb cutlets on top. Spoon the cooked vegetables over the top and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Lamb Biryani

This elegant queen of dishes, a sumptuous North Indian classic, combines the fragrance of basmati rice with garam masala and meltingly tender pieces of lamb.

The name, Biryani, was derived from a Persian word that meant fried or roasted. The dish originated in Persia and was brought to the Indian sub-continent by Persian traders.

Today there are as many variations of Biryani as there are cities in the sub-continent, the cooking of the dish having spread to Arabia and North Africa as well as to every other country that has been touched by the peoples of the Indian Sub-continent.

Traditionally served on auspicious occasions, this luxurious fare is fit for royalty.

Ingredients:

a good pinch of saffron strands

2ml cardamom seeds

2 blades mace

4 onions

100ml vegetable oil, plus extra for deep frying

8 cm ginger, peeled

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5ml chilli powder

1 lime, juice only

750 g lamb shoulder, cut into 4cm cubes

5 green cardamom

2 black cardamom

5 cm cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

2 dried bay leaves

5ml garam masala

3 green chillies, deseeded and sliced

200 ml Greek yogurt

450 g basmati rice

handful mint leaves

30ml butter

Method:

Soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside until ready to use.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the cardamom seeds and mace to a powder and leave on one side; you'll need this later when layering up the rice and meat.

Slice 2 of the onions then sprinkle them with salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water from the onions and pat them dry with paper towels. Deep-fry the sliced onions in hot oil until golden and drain on paper towels. Reserve half for garnishing the biryani.

Transfer the remaining fried onions to a food processor, pour in 3 tablespoons of hot water then purée; you should have about 2 tablespoons of onion paste.

Finely grate half of the ginger and combine with the garlic, chilli powder, and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the onion paste and add the lamb. Mix everything together and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Dice the 2 remaining onions. Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan set over a medium heat and soften the diced onions for 5 minutes, without colouring.

Slice the remaining ginger into fine strips and set aside. Add the green and black cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves to the pan. Fry for about 30 seconds, until you get a warm, spicy aroma.

Tip in the meat and its marinade and add the garam masala, green chillies, and ginger strips. Bring to simmering point and gradually add the yogurt, a tablespoon at a time. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the lamb is tender and the masala thickened; the sauce should be well-reduced and almost clinging to the meat.

Cover the rice with cold water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Ten minutes before the meat is ready, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drain the rice and add to the pan then cook for 5 minutes - it should be half-cooked and still have bite to it. Drain the rice in a colander.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Put half of the hot meat in the bottom of a clean casserole pan. Cover with half of the freshly boiled rice and sprinkle with half of the ground cardamom and mace spice mixture and half of the mint.

Top with the remaining meat and rice. Scatter over the rest of the spice mix, mint leaves, and the reserved fried sliced browned onions. Dot the surface with butter and drizzle over the saffron and its soaking liquid. Cover the biryani with wet greaseproof (waxed) paper and a well-fitting lid.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the rice is perfumed and perfectly cooked. Gently fluff up the grains with a fork and serve straight from the pan.