FOOD & DRINK
Spiced Beef Ragu INGREDIENTS • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped • 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
FINDING SERENDIPITY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
By Khrishma Preston, The Alternative Indian This month’s piece was written on Somerset day – 11 May, significant for me as it was the day we finally got the keys to our first home and the move from London to South Somerset officially began. Leaving the big smoke behind was the best decision I have ever made; I knew I would never go back. Four years later I began Tiffins and Tapas, The Alternative Indian, with my ethos of local, ethical and sustainable. Long before my food journey began, I dreamt of working in a woodland setting, combining nature and food. A podcast interview aired recently with the economist Matt Georges gives further insight to my journey to this point in my life and if you have not had the chance to listen to it yet, please do; it is called Serendipity Soup and is available on all streaming sites. I met Matt last year around a campfire at the newly opened eco campsite, Wytch Wood, just outside Crewkerne, where I was fortunate enough to be able to supply the campers with a hot meal delivery in my tiffins on a Friday night. Back to the present day, I was pleased to be asked by Elise at Wytch Wood to 34
help get a site ready for the planned opening of a cafe at the campsite. A lot has been going on and Elise is pulling together local businesses to provide additional experiences and activities at the site. These will include workshops provided by Dark Bear, foraging, archery and much more. I am pleased to announce that The Alternative Indian will be hosting curry nights at the site and I will also be running a few outdoor cooking classes and spice workshops. It is hoped that tickets will be available for some of these events in the local community so keep your eyes peeled for further information. This month’s recipe is a twist on cottage pie with local minced beef and using an aubergine topping instead of potato. On a side note, I often get asked why as a Hindu I cook and eat beef – my short answer is I know where it comes from and it is ethically sourced, as with all the other meat I cater to. You can adapt any ragu – you can just mix in the cumincoriander powder and garam masala before assembly. Hence, this recipe is a great hack!
• Approx 250g beef mince • 3 tbsp tomato puree • 2 beef stock cubes • 3 tsp cumin-coriander powder
• Salt and pepper to taste For assembly • ½ aubergine, sliced, about 6mm thick • Smashed plum tomatoes, from the can above • ½ cup mature grated cheddar • 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 x 400g can plum tomatoes, juice only
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD In a pot, on medium-high heat, lightly fry off the onions for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic. As soon as the garlic starts to soften, add the beef and cook until browned. Remove any excess fat. Lower the heat a little, add the puree, stock cubes and spices, and cook until aromatic. Add the juice from the plum tomatoes (I dump them all into the pot and then pull out the whole tomatoes), then add the Worcestershire sauce and cook until dry. Add the water and sugar, then simmer until the beef is tender and the ragu has thickened. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan. Now it’s time for assembly. In an ovenproof dish, add the spiced beef ragu and top with sliced aubergine. Cover the aubergine with smashed plum tomatoes and top with cheese, garlic granules, cumin and chilli – for a kick! Add freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Bake on the top shelf for 40 minutes until the aubergine is cooked and the cheese is crispy.
The Mitre Inn
Sandford Orcas
Nr Sherborne, DT9 4RU
01963 220271 FREEHOUSE
Allen and Cheryl welcome you with a cosy bar and great food. Wed to Fri - Senior Citizens 2 course lunch £12.95 Sunday Roast - £12.95 Adult, £11.75 OAP and £9.50 children 2 En-suite letting rooms and Shepherds Hut Tuesday 7.00 - 10.00 Wednesday - Saturday 11.30 - 2.30, 7.00 - 11.00 Sunday 12.00 - 3.00
www.mitreinn.co.uk
