Stuffed Keema Naan

Hello lovely visitor! BBC1 here: Well, BBC2, or should I say Bargain Buyer Cook2, has been at it again. He just can’t resist a bargain, as a few of our groaning cupboards would testify! Whilst frugal and useful in these recession hit times, it can be a mixed blessing. Especially when you end up with a month or twos supply of something you only use once in a blue moon! However, this was a bargain and worth it…

BBC2 here folks. I went shopping the other day and the supermarket had an offer on minced steak. Loving a bargain I bought some not knowing what I would cook with it. I have made Keema Nan’s before and while they tasted good I thought I would change the filling and execution slightly. I also decided to make a minced beef curry to go with the Naan breads as I had bought far too much minced steak, me and bargains?

Ingredients:

For the dough
7g /2 tsp dried yeast sachet
150 ml warm milk (not hot)
2 tsp white granulated sugar
400g /14oz plain flour
125g /4oz strong white flour
1 tsp salt
110 ml warm water (not hot)
120 ml plain yoghurt
½ tbs oil

For the filling
300g /10oz minced beef
½ onion finely chopped/diced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped/diced or grated
2 tbs tomato puree
¼” piece ginger grated
¼ tsp hot chilli powder or to taste
½ tsp ground coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala
2 tbs oil and 2 to 3 tbs water

Method:

For the dough
In a jug mix the sugar with the warm milk and add the yeast, leave in a warm place to activate. In about ten minutes it should be frothy.
In a large bowel sift both flours and the salt together, then make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture followed by the yoghurt (I rinse the yoghurt pot with the warm water to ensure I get it all) and warm water, mix it together, you will need to mix with your hand to incorporate it all together. Then on a lightly floured surface knead the dough for about ten minutes or until it becomes smooth and elastic. Make into a soft ball and place it back in the oiled bowel, cover with cling film and put in a warm place to prove 1 to 1½ hours or until it has doubled in size.

The filling
To make the filling heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and then add the minced meat, when I am frying mince meat I pick it up in my hands a bit at a time and over the frying pan unravel it like a ball of tangled wool you are separating and let it drop into the pan to fry that way the strands cook separately and you don’t end up with clumps of meat stuck together. Alternatively use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up any clumps!

When the meat has browned add the garlic, ginger and onions and cook until the onions are soft and translucent then add the chilli, coriander and garam masala, the mixture will be dry so keep it moving in the pan for a minute or two then add the tomato puree and the two tbs water and mix. You are looking for the tomato puree to be incorporated with the rest of the ingredients and cook out so that you end up with a smooth but dry paste mixture, add a little more water if too dry and crumbly a mixture, take off the heat divide into eight potions in the pan and leave to cool.

Assembly
Preheat your oven 240c fan and place a heavy baking sheet/pan in the oven, your oven and baking sheet needs to be very hot as naan bread is usually cooked in a tandoor oven and if your baking sheet/pan is not very hot the bread will stick to it.
The dough should have doubled in size and you will need to knock it back then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for a few minutes and roll it into a large sausage shaped divide it in half and again until you end up with eight equal balls of dough. Now take one ball of the dough and roll it out into a rectangle shape about 7/8 inches long now take an eighth of the minced beef and spoon it over one half of your naan up to the edge so that one half is evenly covered with the filling now lift the other half over the filling to cover it and seal the edges by press down firmly with your fingers, you can now roll out the naan with the filling evenly distributed, repeat with the others.

Take your hot baking sheet/pan out of the oven and place your naan on it depending on how big your sheet/pan is you should be able to two or three at a time, pop it back in the oven, they should only take a few minutes until they start to puff up and colour take the pan out of the oven and turn them over and put them back in the oven for a few minutes, when they are golden but not too brown take them out of the oven and pop them into a clean tea towel and cook your next batch in the same way keep them in the tea towel until ready to eat, when cold you can reheat them with a little splash of water and pop them into a hot oven for a few minutes. They also freeze well.

BBC1: Whilst not the traditional “tear” shape or made with lamb mince, these are very tasty and lovely for mopping up the juices from from your curry. Speaking of which, we were lucky enough to be given a £40 Amazon voucher the other week and decided to buy lots of wonderful spices and ingredients we haven’t used much previously, so watch this space for more spicy and Indian style food in the coming months!