Mild Beef and Lentil Curry with Golden Rice

This is an easy to make curry recipe with golden rice.

I made this on the hob and this can be done using just one ring if that is all you have. Two rings will make it quicker but the purpose of this recipe is also to help out those who are struggling with just one gas ring, maybe just a camping stove.

You do not need to live on ready meals after all! This makes 4 medium servings or 3 larger ones.

Ingredients

250g of minced beef. I browned it and drained it

1 small onion peeled and diced.

half a red pepper

4 heaped teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander ,garlic and chili. all spices can be adjusted to suit you-or leave them out and add an extra teaspoon of curry powder

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 beef stock cube

Either one tin of lentils or 200g dry weight soaked and precooked.

Method

Brown off your mince to the point the fat runs off. strain your mince into a pan using a spoon or a sieve.

Save the fat to cook your onions and peppers.

Drain the onions and peppers after lightly cooking them to soften them. Reserve the fat to use in the future. It keeps well in the fridge.

Drain and rinse cooked lentils and add to the beef in a medium saucepan.

Add the curry powder and spices and stir well to coat the meat and lentils

Add the cooked onions and peppers

Add the tinned tomatoes

Add a stock cube dissolved in 200 ml of water (I use the tomato can to measure this, half a can)

Mix everything together and cook on the hob for about 10 mins.

Meanwhile, measure out 200g of rice and put this in a pan. Rinse the rice to remove starch.

Add enough cold water that the water is one knuckle depth above the ice. approx 2.5 cm.

Add a sprinkle of salt and a sprinkle of turmeric. This is what gives it the golden colour.

When your curry mixture has cooked for about 10 mins remove the pan from the heat and put your rice on to cook.

Put your curry pan away from the flame and cover with a towel to keep the heat in. It will carry on cooking while you cook your rice.

Boil your rice and simmer for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and let it carry on cooking in its residual heat. After 10 mins of “waiting for your rice to cook, reboil it to a rolling boil then turn the heat off.

Let your rice absorb the water. When it looks as if it has, taste test a piece of rice to ensure it is cooked. If it is, fluff it up with a fork-it is ready to serve.

Handy tips

The water quantity should be perfect but even rice grains vary so if it is undercooked let it cook for a couple of mins then try it again. If it is cooked but still watery, drain it. I rarely need to drain it. It is perfect most of the time.

At this point, your curry will now be fully cooked. I have not used any thickeners in this recipe so if you use a gf stock cube and gf curry powder it could be a gf meal!

If you want a thicker mix, add a dessert spoon of flour into the mince and lentil mix when you are stirring those two together.

I was only eating a single portion so tubbed up the rest for the freezer. If you need a larger portion of rice, put in more, but the rule for the water at one knuckle depth is still the same.

About this recipe

This particular recipe has been created to make a mild frugal curry, using a minimum of gas/electricity, and is aimed at those who have limited cooking facilities. If you don’t have such restrictions your method may be different but those are the reasons I’ve cooked this way, with the intention of using just one hob and minimum utensils.