by Linda on August 10, 2012
Saag is the dish I order whenever I go to an Indian restaurant, and this time of year, with silver beet and mustard both in bulk in the garden, one of my home cooking regulars. I posted a vegetarian Saag recipe a few weeks ago, in the Tuesday Night Vego Challenge series. This meat version is, sadly, no more photogenic. Traditionally mutton or goat are the meats used, but kangaroo is my red meat of choice these days, and it works really well in Saag.
The Recipe:
Serves two generously.
Heat a little olive oil in a big pot or pressure cooker.
Dice 500 grams of kangaroo steak and add it to the hot pot.
Into a cup, put:
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel or dill seeds
- the seeds from 5 cardamom pods
(It’s better if you use whole seeds for this)
As soon as the kangaroo meat starts to brown, add the seeds. You may need to add a little more oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, till the seeds start to pop. (Don’t let them burn).
Then add:
- 2 finely diced chilis (more or less, depending on how strong your chilis are and how spicy you like your food. Saag is more aromatic than hot though).
- 2 cloves of garlic
- a heaped teaspoon of grated or finely diced fresh ginger
- a heaped teaspoon of grated or finely diced fresh turmeric (or substitute a scant teaspoon of turmeric powder)
Cook stirring for a minute or two more, till the spices all coat the meat, then add:
- a cup of stock.
- the shredded leaves from a BIG bunch of silverbeet. Just the leaf stripped from the stem, chopped reasonably fine. It will be much more than you think should go in, but it reduces, and it’s the heart of the dish.
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cm of cinnamon stick
Pressure cook for 15 minutes, or simmer for 40 minutes. If you simmer, you’ll need to add a bit more water.
It should end up with the meat and silver beet in a little bit of sauce. Take it off the heat and stir in 3 heaped dessertspoons of greek yoghurt. Stir vigorously to break up the silver beet and make the sauce creamy.
Serve over rice, and/or with naan bread.
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by Linda on April 27, 2012
Sadly this isn’t one of my better examples of photography! I’ve been waiting all year to post this recipe. Chili con Kanga is good on its own, but this time of year there is a little window of time when avocados, limes and coriander are all in season together, and the salsa with it makes it sensational.
I always make a great big pot of this when I make it, and we have it for dinners and lunches several times. It will serve six or eight people for dinner easily, or you can freeze it or keep it in the fridge for several meals. Or, you can halve the recipe.
Less red meat and more vegetables is a good idea, for health, environment, and hip pocket reasons. And less factory farmed meat and more wild harvested, free range, organic meat is a good idea for the same reasons. This combines both.
The Recipe:
Cook 400 grams dry beans till they are soft. I soak them first and use a pressure cooker so they cook quickly. The post about Bean Basics has my basic bean cooking method. I don’t think it matters what kind. They all add a different character to the dish, but they all seem to be good in their own way.
Brown 1 kg kangaroo mince in a little olive oil in a heavy pan.
In a big pot, saute together:
- 4 onions (chopped)
- 6 garlic (chopped)
- 6 chilis (more or less, depending on how hot the chilis are and how hot you like it)
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons smoky paprika
- 1 capsicum (chopped)
- 6 carrots (chopped)
Add the browned kangaroo mince and the beans, along with:
- 1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or a good teaspoon of dried)
- 5 fresh bay leaves
- 1 kilogram chopped tomatoes (or a big jar of passata)
- 2 big tablespoons tomato paste (leave out if you use passata)
- 1 dessertspoon treacle (or brown sugar)
- 2 cups of water
- a good grinding of black pepper, and salt to taste
Simmer for half an hour or so until it reaches the right consistency.
Avocado, Lime and Coriander Salsa
Mash together:
- An avocado
- Juice of a lime
- a big handful of coriander leaves, chopped fine
- salt to taste
Serve the chili in bowls topped with a good dollop of avocado salsa, and, if you like, some warm tortillas to mop up with.
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by Linda on March 29, 2012
The kangaroo mince in our local supermarket comes from South Australia. It’s really unfortunate. Coz otherwise it fits every criteria for the Witches Kitchen definitions of good, good and good.
It’s good for you – lean, low cholesterol, high iron, organic, free range. It tastes good – pretty much like lean beef mince – in things like this I can’t tell the difference. And it’s virtuously good – soft feet, no greenhouse gas farts, wild harvested and ethically killed, from species that are not in any danger. It’s just not local. At least the kangaroo mince in the supermarket isn’t. But in the scheme of compromises, it’s a small one.
The Recipe:
The key to a good burger patty is cottage cheese in the mix. It makes it hold together nicely without going dry.
To make 4 large patties, mix
- 300 grams of kangaroo mince,
- one finely chopped onion,
- lots of garlic,
- a finely chopped chili (or not)
- a good swig of Worcestershire sauce,
- 1 egg,
- a couple of big spoonfuls of cottage cheese
- a couple of spoonfuls of wholemeal plain flour
- salt and pepper
Use your hands to squish it all well together. The mix should be sticky but not sloppy.
With wet hands, shape into burger sized rissoles. Fry in a little olive oil for a few minutes each side.
Fried onions are essential, so while the burgers are cooking, fry some sliced onion in olive oil. I like thick slices of fried tomato too.
You also need some home-made 2 minute mayonnaise.
Allowing everyone to assemble their own is a nice way to serve, so while the burgers are cooking, make up a platter of greens – cucumber, lettuce and rocket. Assemble some condiments – chutney, sauce, mustard. Burger buns, the fried onions, the kangaroo patties and dinner is served.
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