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Christmas Roast

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I am at the grocery store trying to pick out a cut of beef for a roast. I have fixed various kinds of roast, but I spot a cut called an eye of round roast beef that I have never cooked. I decided to try it using Mama’s recipe for a leg of meat she would fix for Christmas when we were in India. Most feast days were elaborate Indian meals, but for Christmas and Easter, Mama went Western in our house. She would hand-pick the leg of goat or lamb meat and then supervise the cook in preparing it.

The meat was slow-cooked on the stovetop until done. I recall one Christmas, our cook had just finished fixing the roast and brought it to the dining table to rest. A few minutes later, our pet, an Alsatian named Sally, was drawn by the smell of the roast. With her front paws up on the table, she was big and nimble enough to grab the leg of meat and bring it to the floor. Cook heard the crash and came running but was too late. Sally had decided what she would like for dinner! Fortunately, there was enough time to fix a couple of chicken roasts, so dinner was not a disaster.

For a chicken roast, try our Tandoori Chicken Roast.

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Christmas Roast

Take the hassle out of holiday cooking and dazzle the palates of your family and guests with this easy, delicious roast!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas, roast
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In Main Dishes

Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)

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I stop by to see Mama and Dad. Mama is busy in the kitchen. My youngest sister and her hubby are driving down from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, with their two little girls for a short visit. Mama is busy in the kitchen fixing dinner. She is fixing Keema Curry as my brother-in-law, in particular, is very fond of it. She does that with all her sons-in-law and kids when we visit, so we always look forward to Mama’s “specials” and to her spoiling us!

Keema is ground/minced meat that is fixed with traditional Indian spices. It goes well with most Indian meals, rice, and pilaf. It tastes good with any flat bread or fried bread like Pooris or Baturas.

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Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
A delicious non-vegetarian dish of minced/ground meat and aromatic spices tossed in a fragrant tomato sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground lean beef (goat, lamb—see notes if using  80% fat free beef)
  • 1 medium Serrano chili (stem removed and slit in half—remove seeds for less chili heat)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt)
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 stick cinnamon (about an inch or ¼ tsp cinnamon powder)
  • 6 whole cloves (⅛ tsp clove powder)
  • 6 whole pepper corns (½ teaspoon pepper powder)
  • 1 medium onion (about ¾ cup when chopped fine or partially puree in a chopper )
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 3 medium Roma tomatoes (or 2 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (more or less, to your taste)
  • 2 medium potatoes (scrubbed clean, peeled, and quartered into 8 cubes )
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro / coriander leaves (1 cup loosely filled cilantro/ coriander leaves, chopped fine)
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro / coriander leaves (for garnish)

Instructions 

  • In a medium stew pot, skillet or wok, add about a teaspoon of oil and swirl it around.
  • Turn the stove on medium heat, and when the oil is heated a bit, add the ground beef, breaking it into bits with the spatula.
  • Sprinkle the ground beef with about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt.
  • Braise the ground beef, occasionally stirring, until the fat separates, and the beef changes color uniformly and is no longer pink—about 15 minutes. Do not brown.
  • Turn off the stovetop. Drain excess fat. See notes.
  • Meanwhile, wipe the used pot of any traces of the ground beef and put it back on the stove on medium heat.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of oil.
  • Add the slit green chili, then the bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. Let sizzle for 30 seconds. **If you are using any of them in powdered form, hold them for now.
  • Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 8 minutes until ¾ brown.
  • Now add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
  • Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili, and any of the whole spice powders you have decided to use.
  • Sauté for another minute until you feel the ginger sticking to the bottom of the pan and the oil starts to separate.
  • Now add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 6 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
  • Add the chopped cilantro, and cook until the oil starts to surface once more. About 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the ground beef and stir well. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add 2 cups of water and the potatoes.
  • Add the salt and give it a few stirs.
  • Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the gravy has thickened too much, add a little more hot water.  
  • Check for salt in the last 5 minutes of cooking. At the same time, check on the potatoes to see if they are done.
  • To check, pierce potatoes with a skewer. It should slide through easily. If not, give it a few more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Remember, potatoes cook a bit after you turn off the stove.
  • Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved chopped cilantro.

Notes

1. Serve with plain rice or pilaf, flatbreads, fried bread, or as part of a complete Indian meal.  
2. If you are using 80% fat-free beef, as I do sometimes, then before starting  to cook, prepare to strain the excess beef fat released when cooking. Do this by folding two paper towels together and placing them on the sieve. You will drain the ground beef and a pot underneath, of course, to catch the excess drip. This step is unnecessary if you are using lean beef or lean meats. All you need to do is sauté the ground beef for about 15 minutes and set aside until ready to add to the curry.  
3. If you would like to add peas, you can microwave a cup in a bit of water and add them to the ground beef in the last 5 minutes. Mama always said peas seem to retain their bright color if you do that rather than boil them with the gravy for 15 mins. You can do that, too, if you don't like using a microwave.
Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: beef,, curry, lamb, meat
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In Non-Vegetarian

Pepper Meat Fry

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Sunday was our day for pepper water. Plain boiled rice and pepper fry. Mama had a fixed menu for each day of the week which she would vary every now and then. Pepper Fry is what went with pepper water, a South Indian specialty. The Pepper Fry is made out of goat meat chops, potatoes, and onions. I find it easier to make with stew meat. This is a very versatile and simple dish that can accompany Indian or Western meals.

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Pepper Meat Fry

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
A very versatile and simple dish that can accompany Indian or Western meals.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb stew meat (beef, goat, or lamb )
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 medium potatoes (peeled and sliced as thick as the onions)
  • ½ tsp coarsely ground whole pepper (you could add more if you like)
  • 1¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • Water (as needed)

Instructions 

  • Wash and drain the meat. Pound the meat pieces with a meat mallet a few times.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the meat, pepper, and salt. Rub together well so that the meat is nicely coated.
  • Heat oil on medium heat in a wok or broad skillet.
  • Add the meat, pepper, and salt. Sauté the meat until it has a nice glaze. Do not brown it.
  • Add 2 cups of water, cover, and cook till almost done. Approximately 30-35  minutes.
  • Add additional water if it is drying out while cooking. Test the meat with a fork or skewer. The meat should be tender and almost done. Turn off the heat.
  • Uncover the meat and arrange a layer of the sliced potatoes on top.
  • Now add a layer of the sliced onions. You will need at least half a cup of water remaining. If not, add an additional half a cup of water to the meat to cook the potatoes.
  • Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are done.
  • Stir a couple of times carefully during cooking to ensure the meat is not sticking to the bottom of the pan and the potatoes are not overcooked. 
  • Serve the pepper fry with pepper water and rice.    
  • You can use it in a wrap or a main dish with salad and bread.  

Notes

1. When  buying the meat make sure the pieces are  more or less even size .
2. I wash and drain the meat.
3. To save on cooking time you could pressure cook it manually or in an electric pressure cooker and follow the instructions. Do a quick release of the steam. (Carefully!)
Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: beef,, pepper
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