First up in our recipe series with chef and food writer Claire Thomson, is this wonderful Lamb 'Keema Paratha'; a flatbread enriched with ghee and filled with spicy, herbed lamb mince.
Lamb 'Keema Paratha' with Green Bean Raita, by Claire Thomson
Ingredients
Method
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Mix the flour with the sugar, 1 tsp salt and 220ml of water to a soft dough. Cover and put to one side for 5 minutes. Then knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Cover well and put to one side.
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Fry the onion in a pan over a moderate heat in 1 tbsp of ghee for around 5 minutes until soft.
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Add the spices, ½ tsp salt, the garlic, the ginger and green chilli (if using), and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomato and meat and cook for 10 minutes until the meat has good colour and everything smells very fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the coriander, check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary, then spread the lamb mix out on a plate to cool down.
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Soften the rest of the ghee whilst you separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a circle about 15cm diameter on a floured surface, then brush each with a little of the ghee. Roll each up with the oil on the inside into a cigar shape, then coil up into a snail. Press down with the palm of your hand and roll them again to a circle about 15cm diameter.
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Spread 4 of the circles with ¼ of the meat mix. Top each with a circle of dough and re-roll to about 20 cm, taking care not to tear the dough.
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Make the raita by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl to serve.
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To cook the paratha, dry fry, one at a time, in a hot pan over a moderate – high heat for a couple of minutes until beginning to char in small patches, then flip over and cook the same on the other side. Place in a bowl covered with a clean cloth, brushing each paratha with extra ghee and repeat with the rest of the paratha. Serve immediately along with the green bean raita and your choice of jarred Indian pickles or chutneys to accompany.
