Speedy & Spicy Northern Thai Mince Recipe

Ingredients

½ pointed cabbage
150g white basmati rice
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves
½ chilli
250g beef mince
½ beef stock cube
1 tsp Worcester sauce
1 tbsp Demerara sugar
1 lime
2 spring onions
A handful of mint, leaves only
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 20 mins

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Method

1. Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Halve the cabbage and chop 1 half into 4 thin wedges. Arrange in a roasting tin and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle over 1 tbsp oil and slide into the oven. Roast for 20 mins, till slightly caramelised on the outside.

2. While the cabbage wedges roast, tip the rice into a sieve and give it a good rinse under cold water. Tip into a small pan and add 300ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Pop on a lid and bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and very gently simmer for 8 mins, till all the water has been absorbed. Take the rice off the heat and leave it to steam in the pan, covered, for 10 mins.

3. While the rice simmers, set a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Tip in the coriander seeds and toast for 2 mins. Crush in a pestle and mortar. Peel and grate in the garlic. Sprinkle in 1 tsp ground cumin. Halve the chilli and scrape out the seeds and pith. Finely slice 1 half and slide into the mortar. Add a little salt and pepper and bash into a paste.

4. Put the empty frying pan back on a mediumhigh heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Crumble in the mince and fry for 3-4 mins, turning frequently using a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, till browned. Stir in the garlic, chilli and spice paste and cook for a further 2 mins.

5. Pour 250ml boiling water into a jug. Crumble in half the beef stock cube. Stir well till dissolved. Pour the stock into the pan. Return to the boil, and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, till the liquid in the pan has reduced by about half.

6. While the mince cooks, trim the roots and ends off the spring onions and slice thinly on an angle. Slide into a bowl. Roughly shred the mint leaves and stir into the onions, along with the juice from half the lime and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

7. Remove the cooked mince from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp Worcester sauce and 1 tbsp sugar. Squeeze in the juice from the remaining lime half.

8. Heap the rice onto plates. Top with the cabbage wedges, mince and minty spring onion salad.