30m vegetable oil 80ml rogan josh curry paste 10ml ground ginger 15ml sugar 1,5kg beef chuck, cut into 3cm cubes 1 x 385g tin chopped tomato 250ml beef stock 600g pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes 15ml cornflour 1 x 385ml tin coconut milk
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil to it. Add the curry paste, ground ginger and the sugar and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add the cubed beef and stir to coat in the curry paste. Pour in the chopped tomato and stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer the beef for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the pumpkin cubes and simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Mix the cornflour with 3 spoonfuls of the coconut milk and drizzle this slurry back into the remaining coconut milk while whisking. Pour the coconut milk mixture into the curry and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve the beef and pumpkin curry on fragrant, steamed rice.
45ml vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes 250ml panko breadcrumbs 2,5ml salt 250ml + 250ml finely grated parmesan cheese 190ml flour 2 eggs 6 chicken breasts 250ml vegetable oil 250ml grated mozzarella cheese
Turn your oven on to grill and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and pour in the 45ml oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the diced tomato, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir every now and then. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly. Add the breadcrumbs, salt and 250ml parmesan to a shallow bowl. Add the flower to another bowl. Add the eggs and 15ml water to a third bowl and whisk together. Place one chicken breast between two layers of plastic wrap and gently thin it out by pounding it with a meat mallet or rolling pin. The chicken should be no thicker than 1cm. Season with salt and dip it into the flour. Shake off the excess and dip it into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Keep the breaded chicken on a baking sheet until all of the chicken is done. How place a pan on medium-high heat, add the 250ml oil and wait for it to heat up. Fry the chicken in batches for about 1 minute before flipping it over for another minute or until it is golden brown. Arrange the fried chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spoon the cooled tomato sauce over. Mix the mozzarella and remaining 250ml parmesan and sprinkle over the chicken. Grill the chicken for about 2 minutes – it is important to watch the chicken as it can easily burn but you want the cheese melted and browned. Serve the parmesan chicken with any of the remaining tomato sauce.
For the pasta: Cook the pasta, drain and return to the saucepan in which it was cooked. Crumble the feta over the pasta and mix together. Add the egg whites and mix through. Set aside.
For the meat sauce: Place a heavy bottom saucepan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes and then add the garlic, tomato paste and minced beef. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the beef while browning it. Add the red wine, tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon quill and take the mixture from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.
For the Béchamel Sauce: Place a saucepan on medium heat and add the butter to melt. Add the flour and stir the paste around for 2 minutes while cooking. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce has no lumps and has thickened. Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg, salt and half the cheese. Whisk until smooth. Cool the sauce for 5 minutes and then whisk in the egg yolks.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray an oven dish of 23cm X 26cm with cooking spray. Spoon the pasta into the dish and spread it into an even layer. Spoon the meat sauce on top and then top it with the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top in an even layer. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. The Pastitsio can be served at room temperature.
My Whisk and I 