There are two things I took away from the Super Bowl, both Beyoncé and Lady Gaga will always be amazing performers, other than that I didn’t pay attention to much. Football is more of M’s ritual and in some way a religious sports retreat that involves a lot of appetizer types of food. I cooked him his treats as promised and he ate them as expected. I think he saved some of the wings and guacamole for his lunches during the week.
Just as much as M loves his sports meals, I have my fondness for simple comfort food recipes and recipes with options to cheat and take little time to cook. There are certain dishes that I’ve probably eaten at least once a week growing up. Mince is one of them and though there are different ways to make mince, this Goan version is obviously my favorite. Though I’ve skip the carrots and the potatoes in this version (you can obviously add them in, see my kitchen notes below), this is one of my favorite meals to go to during the week. It cooks quickly and requires minimal prep work especially if you can use precut frozen veggies (no shame here). This is one of my favorite weeknight meals! Serve it with some cooked plain rice or or dinner rolls and you’re good to go. If you’re familiar with kheema, then mince will sound similar, it’s simply a Goan version of kheema, similar flavors yet very different.
I cooked the mince in this gorgeous pan from . All-Clad’s new cookware collection by Chef Thomas Keller. As with all of All-Clad’s classic cookware, this stainless steel five-ply pan is a sleek and sexy beast. There’s a universal lid that’s equally modern and elegant to match the pan. There’s a layer of copper sandwiched between the stainless steel to ensure quick and even heat for cooking. And now the folks at All-Clad are giving away one of these gorgeous 5 quart sautéuse pans that you for you to cook with! To enter all you need to do is leave a comment below and tell me what you’re favorite comfort food is. This giveaway is open to all legal residents of the United States and will run from February 9th to February 16th till 12 pm. The winner will be announced and notified via email and will have 24 hours to respond.
Here are some of my kitchen tips that you might find useful when preparing this dish;
- Though I use frozen peas, you can use fresh peas.
- I don’t use finely diced carrots in this recipe (as is traditionally used) but you can always add frozen or fresh carrots. 1 cup of finely diced carrots can be added after the onions are cooked for an additional 2 minutes and then cooked as described in the recipe.
- I’ve also skipped adding fried finely diced potatoes. Again, 1 cup of shallow fried potatoes can be folded in towards the end and stirred for 2 minutes before removing the pan from the stove.
- I use tamarind paste versus the concentrate so use less if you decide to use the concentrate.
- I prefer the texture of canned tomatoes to fresh in this recipe and it works well here. On some days, if I’m out of fresh tomatoes, a can of tomatoes works perfectly in this dish.
CONTEST: This contest has Ended. The winner is Justin, congratulations and happy cooking!!!
weeknight mince
yields: 4 servings
ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon grated ginger root, peeled, fresh
1 tablespoon grated garlic, fresh
1 lb ground beef/lamb
2 green thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 cup frozen shelled peas (or fresh)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I like to use canned tomatoes in this recipe)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
1. Heat the oil in the sautéuse on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onions and cook until they turn light pink and transclucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds with constant stirring. Break the ground meat into small chunks and add it to the pan. Cook with constant stirring to break the meat into crumble like pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat is browned, this will take about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro and mint. Stir and cover the pan with the lid. Add the salt and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes until the meat is cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from stove and garnish with the cilantro and mint leaves.
Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by All-Clad. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
45 Responses
Thank you for this, Nik. I’m with you about football…I respect other’s love for the game but it doesn’t hold much interest for me. As for my favorite comfort food, I’d have to say gently poached eggs served on homemade & fresh whole wheat bread. Thanks for asking! dena@gatheringflavors.com .
Mac and Cheese is my go-to comfort food. In fact, we had it for supper last night, cozied up to the woodstove in the kitchen while outside snow quietly filled the woods.
spaghetti and meatballs are my ultimate comfort food… definitely going to try this recipe this week!
My favorite comfort food is French onion soup or chicken noodle.
Gorgeous photos as always. My favorite comfort food is meatloaf!
Saag paneer is my favorite comfort food. It’s warm and spicy and has cheese!!
Nothing satisfies quite like creamy, garlicky, buttery mashed potatoes and gravy.
Saag paneer is my favorite comfort food. It’s warm and spicy and has cheese!!
Dal chawal and mixed veg pickle is my go-to and all time favorite comfort food… infact am craving for it tonight 🙂
my favorite comfort meal is braised lamb with basmati rice and hot buttery naan wishing I had some right now!
The Filipino dessert bilo-bilo – it’s so simple, sweet and warming.
Can’t wait to make this! My favorite comfort food is vegan split pea soup with sweet potato.
This is beautiful. Makes me want comfort food right now. My favorite is any kind of Peruvian stew that my dad makes at home. Lots of flavor, not too much heat, but perfectly warming.
Lovely images! Great recipe and who doesn’t love All Clad! My favorite comfort food is my chicken tortilla soup garnished with avocado, cheese and a spoonful of sour cream served with either crispy corn chips or warmed flour tortillas.
Hi Nik,
The pictures are gorgeous as always! My favorite comfort food is slow cooked chicken dum biryani. Spicy, comforting and flavorful, paired with onion raita.
If I get my hands on one of the pans, this would be my 1st recipe I would cook. I am sure, layering the biryani would be an easy task in the pan.
Thank you for this opportunity!
Because of my Irish roots it would have to be a traditional Cottage Pie, made with minced beef and onion, in a rich beef gravy, topped with ridiculously buttery mashed potatoes… Just what you need to warm you up down here in Miami!
(I’ve just recently discovered your website through Instagram – loving it!)
Keema is one of my favourite comfort foods too…chicken with noodle dumplings is up there too.
Simple dal rice or yogurt/curd rice with fried fish. Heaven!
My favorite comfort food has got to be meat in the gravy… A long-braised stew of Italian sausage, pork chops, and braciole, with fresh ricotta and bucatini. Heart and soul-warming.
Mapo tofu is my ultimate comfort food!
My favorite comfort food is a dish my mom made growing up. I always thought it was called "Impossible Cheeseburger Pie" when it is actually called Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie. I love the smell of the ground beef and onion cooking together in the pan.
I love your photography style! My comfort food is definitely rice with a meat based stir fry and lots of spice. Fiery but comforting.
My favorite comfort food is tomato soup with ritz crackers. It’s warm, smells great and it reminds me of my childhood. My mom would always fix this for me when I was home, not feeling well. It’s my go to! Thanks for your wonderful recipes. Hope you have a great day.
Tami Arnold
Another great post Nik! My favorite comfort food is a nice grilled cheese with a tomato soup.
My comfort foods are tied to memories… so on a rainy rainy day – aloor dom and kodaishootir kochudi (potaoes the bengali way with kachodis made with fresh peas and spices); on just I’ve had a bad day and need something to make me feel good? A simple meal of baked beans (english) on toast with a cup of tea.. or a bowl of english porridge with tea; there’s rajhma chawal on a cold day, and on others simply chilli chicken and hakka noodles. Each delicious each with a memory that makes me feel like life is good and all is well in the world. 🙂
Love it Nik. It is my go-to meal most weeks. It also freezes well, so I usually cook up a batch.
Growing up in a Parsi/Goan home in Australia, mums ”kheema” was a blend. Usually adding worcestershire sauce for some sweetness. We usually add fried egg (sunny side) on top. Nothing better than the yolk oozing into the mince.
the best comfort food: mom’s fresh baked bread with butter.
This looks wonderful, I can’t wait to make it! Hmmm…favorite comfort food…I’m going with enchiladas, it doesn’t even matter what kind…I like them all
My favorite comfort food is turkey or chicken congee. So warm and delicious! It always brings me back home whenever I eat it.
Macaroni and cheese 🙂
This looks just delicious. What would you normally serve it with? A paratha or chapati? Or some basmati rice? This would make a great cottage pie filling as well. It looks great.
Hi Nik, I don’t seem to see onions listed in the ingredients despite pictures and instructions.
No question about it – my favorite comfort food is my mom’s lasagna. It’s not super fancy or complicated – but it’s my mom’s!
Looks great. I’m going to try with venison.
My favorite comfort food would have to be cassoulet.
Being Cajun, my favorite comfort food is a robust seafood gumbo, with homemade stock.
My favorite comfort food is pizza.
This recipe sounds delicious. I just discovered your site and am eager to explore.
My favorite comfort food has to be chicken pot pie with a flaky, buttery pie crust, served over mashed Yukon golds.
Gnocchi is our ultimate! Orrrr anything with sage and brown butter 😍
Nik, as always, this is stunning! In an utterly less classy move, my favorite comfort food is and will always be Mac n’ cheese. ❤️
A big batch of simple scrambled eggs. Plus all the veg I can find in my fridge, a tasty cheese, and lots of toasty bread.
A big batch of simple scrambled eggs. Plus all the veg I can find in my fridge, a tasty cheese, and lots of toasty bread.
Nothing beats my mom’s avgolemeno soup. Love all clad and so does my stovetop…it won’t work without 100% stainless steel or wrought iron pans.
Chicken soup, just like my mom makes. Guaranteed to make me feel better! Looking forward to trying this recipe though, can never have too many comfort foods
my mum’s chicken pot pie! We live far apart and my husband is not a huge chicken pot pie lover (weirdo!) so I don’t make it too often but it is such soul food for me. That’s it…just convinced myself it’s going on the menu and the man will just have to eat it anyways haha.
So much yum going on here! My favorite comfort food is sweet red bean soup with sticky rice flour dumplings!