Growing up my late Gran also known as Aunty Shariefa to most but to me, Ma, was a great chef in her own.

She could take a simple potatoe and turn it into a wonderful dish.

When she passed on she left me her cookbooks, which I have now come to appreciate and use them to my hearts content.

I was paging through her book the other night, when I came across my grans mince curry with peas recipe, my mum tells me my gran made two kinds of curry. The mince curry and the English mince curry which she used to cook with vinegar.

When I read through the curry recipe, it took me back to my childhood. I could smell the curry and could picture my granny standing in her kitchen in her blue house coat cooking the mince curry and then dishing it up with her flaky roti and she always served it with grated beetroot…mmm… the good old days. I wonder if my mum still has my grans house coat,  my gran would it till the blue ran out of the coat.

Ingredients:

• 500g x mince.
• 30ml x cooking oil.
• 2 x onions, finely chopped.
• 1 x tomatoe, grated.
• 2 x tsp ginger and garlic paste.
• 3 x pieces cinnamon sticks.
• 5 x cardamoms.
• 3 x whole cloves.
• 2 x tsp masala.
• 1 x tsp turmeric powder.
• 1 x tsp jeera powder.
• 1 x tsp coriander powder.
• 2 x potatoes, peeled and cubed.
• 250ml x frozen peas.
• Salt to taste.

Method:

• Wash the mince and set aside to drain.
• Heat the oil in a pot.
• Once the oil is hot add the onions and sauté till transparent.
• Add the grated tomatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add a cup of water , give it a good stir and cook for an
• other 5 minutes.
• Add the spices and salt, give it a good stir and cook for 15 minutes, allowing the spices to infuse.
• Crumble the mince into the gravy and add another 2 cups of water, stir, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, cover and cook until the pototates are soft.
• Add the frozen peas, stir to mix everything and cook for another 10 minutes.