Eighties Curried Mince | Recipe

Joe and I are children of the eighties, and our mothers would have known versions of this recipe off by heart during the tough years of young families and high mortgages. It truly is a cost-effective meal. But, let’s be honest — there’s nothing better than a good old mince dish. It’s delicious and filling. And the kids love it!

Ingredients

• dollop of butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped or grated
• 500g beef or venison mince
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp curry powder
• ¼ cup uncooked rice
• 2½ cups chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• handful of sultanas (optional)

Serves 4-6

Method

Add the butter to a pot on a high heat and sauté the onion until soft and fragrant. Add the mince and brown. Tip off any excess liquid.

Turn the heat down to medium. Stir through the garlic, salt, pepper and curry powder. Add the rice, stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, cabbage and sultanas (if using). Combine all of the ingredients and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Tips and tricks

• Use just 1 teaspoon of curry powder for young families not used to the warm spice.
• In place of the cabbage, use whatever is green and leafy in your veggie garden or veggie drawer.
• The use of sultanas is controversial. The answer is simple: use them if you like them; leave them out if you don’t.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or make them into a pie using short pastry.
• You could use the leftovers to make scrolls. Roll out a batch of flaky pastry until 2–3 mm thick. Spread the leftover mince evenly over the pastry. Roll up tight. Cut evenly into 2 cm thick slices and lay the scrolls on their sides on a prepared tray. Bake in the oven at 200°C fan-bake for 25–30 minutes.