A family recipe of a vege (meat optional) stew

Ingredients

• 500g premium mince (or vegan equiv)
• 5 large brown onions
• Veges to boil down to mush
  • Original recipe (and instructions below) uses:
    • 6 medium potatoes
    • 1/2 medium butternut pumpkin
  • or replace with equivalent proportions to taste. Can also use
    • sweet potato
    • carrots
    • etc
• 500g baby frozen peas
• Keen’s Traditional Curry powder (orange tin)
• cornflour
• olive oil
• salt

Utensils

• 1 large frying pan with lid (electric frypan ideal)
• stirring spoon
• cutting board
• knives and measuring spoons. etc

Method

(3+ hours cooking time)

Start:

• Dice 5 large brown onions into small pieces.

0:20:

• Put 8 dessertspoons olive oil (or 4 tablespoons) into a pan on medium heat and add 5 diced onions.
• Cook 10 Min on medium heat, 10 Min on low heat turning all the time- until onions are ‘clear’and a light brown. Push onions to outer edges of pan – leaving the centre clear.

0:40:

• Add 500g premium mince to centre of pan and break up mince turning all the time. Juice will come out of mince and provide moisture.
• Cook for 10 minutes on low heat turning MINCE in centre of pan all the time – no pink bits.

0:50:

• Mix onions and mince together. Cook for 5 Min on low heat turning all the time.

0:55:

• Sprinkle 4 heaped dessertspoons Keen’s Traditional Curry (orange tin) on top of mince and onions.
• Cook for 5 Min on low heat turning all the time.

1:00:

• Add 1 litre water or enough to just cover mince and onions – turn curry to mix well.
• Cook on Medium Heat until mince starts to simmer then turn down to low heat and put lid on.
• Prepare 6 medium potatoes (cut in to quarters vertically / then 3 cuts horizontally – chunky pieces.

1:10:

• Add and mix 6 chunky potatoes. Turn up heat to medium and keep turning curry so it wont settle on the bottom. Push the potatoes down so they are under water. (Only add 1/2 cup water if absolutely necessary if it is catching on the bottom because it is to dry.
• When curry starts to simmer – turn down to low heat and put lid on.
• Cook for 30 Min turning every 5 Min so it wont catch on the bottom.
• Whilst potatoes are cooking prepare half butternut pumpkin – peel and cut into chunky bits like potatoes.

1.40:

• Add pumpkin chunks and turn so they are all mixed in.
• Turn up heat to medium heat until simmering, turning all the time. Push pumpkin down with back of spoon into the curry to cover. (Only add a little water if necessary). Turn down to low and put lid on when simmering Cook for 55 Min.
• Keep turning the curry every 5 minutes (from the bottom) so it wont stick on the bottom of the pan.
• Push vegetables down into the mix. Be careful it does not stick – Turn mix from the bottom.

2.35:

• Add a bag of frozen 500g BABY peas. Turn into curry – make sure you are going along the bottom of the pan when turning the mix. Turn up to med heat and when it starts to simmer turn down to low heat and put lid on. Cook for 25 Min keeping the mix turned at least every five minutes – check it is on low.

3.00:

• Mix 3 dessertspoons cornflour (or plain flour) in 4 dessertspoons (about a 1/4 of a cup) of water. Just enough to make a running paste with no lumps. Add 1 level teaspoon salt. Simmer on low heat.

3.10:

• Turn off

 

Additional Notes

The above was cooked on a gas stove. Gas is faster to heat up and can be slowed down immediately.

Electric stoves hold heat longer – slower to heat up and slower to cool down – so the cooking time may vary. Also the curry might catch more and might need to be stirred more often. The schedule may need to be varied – the first time it is cooked keep and eye on it.

 

Serving suggestions

Growing up we ate this served on a shallow plate, often with toast to heap it onto, and a squeeze of fresh lemon for a little added zest. These days I usually eat it as a dip for corn chips, with sour cream, or with rice. The recipe above would provide for 4-10 meals, depending on extras.

Freezes fine and reheats in microwave easily.

Credit:

I got this from my mother Connee-Colleen (1941- ) who probably got it from HER mother Jess (1912-1986). The Method and Additional Notes sections above are Connee’s own words and emphasis.