Mutton Stew

This is one of mums classics in the comfort food category. a one dish meal to be mopped up with bread/toast and a salad on the side.

1 kilo meat/lamb
Medium size piece of ginger
1 bulb garlic (or to taste)
5-6 whole black pepper + a liberal sprinkling of ground pepper as well
A dash of Soya sauce ( a teaspoon or so)
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 lime
A sprinkling of thyme
2-3 bay leaves
salt to taste
a chicken soup cube ( or stock if its there)
Bacon 2/3 slivers, cut in to large pieces

Marinate the meat in the ginger/ garlic /soya sauce /worcestershire sauce/ pepper/thyme/bay leaves and lime
set aside for half an hour

boil 2 carrots, 2 /3 potatoes and 2 onions separately

In a little oil fry the bacon lightly and then brown the meat that has been marinated.
Add the water which the vegetables have cooked in and a dash of red wine (two table spoons), chicken cube or stock plus salt
and pressure cook.

Once done add a dash of cream and serve.

Mum's Parsi Cutlets

Have been eating these cutlets made by mum since as long as i can remember...They are light, yummy and best mopped up with bread and a light salad.A glass of wine to wash it down would complete a wholly satisfying meal.
Initially I was a bit worried about the fact that I are frying the cutlets raw without pressuring the mince first, but I soon discovered in between many frantic calls to mum that they cooked just fine. And subsequently had a discussion with Uzi about how at her home in Aligarh they too make kache keeme ke kabab, have to get hold of that recipe next.

For the Cutlets
1/2 kilo minced mutton/ keema

2 large onions mash/grate
1 or 2 whole bulb garlic (grind)
2 inch ginger (grind)
1 or 2 green chili
a liberal sprinkling of freshly ground pepper
Coriander leaves/ haradhanya (Lots of it! as mum says the more haradhanya the better)
A little haldi powder
1 spoon besan
2 eggs
2 slices of bread (wet them and squeeze them dry, crumble in to keema)

Take a large bowl/plate and nicely mix the cleaned raw keema with all the above ingredients,
make large round cutlets out of the mixture. If you find the consistency is too liquid add more egg and bread till you get a consistency that holds.
Fry the cutlets till both sides are nice and brown in a shallow pan with a little olive oil. The pan should be hot, and cover the cutlets for a while so that they cook.
Place them in a bowl.

For the Sauce
Grind 6-7 tomatoes with a little sugar in the mixie
Separately grind to a paste;
1 or 2 red chillies
a little garlic and ginger
Cinnamon

In a pan lightly fry the paste and then add the tomato gravy and lightly simmer. Pour the gravy over the cutlets and serve!