Minced beef, baked chilli pumpkin, hazelnut & paneer
Creamy cashew curry sauce
Great textured minced beef meatballs a totally indulgent, creamy butter ‘Makhani’ sauce, simple seasonal pumpkin bake and zesty nut sprinkle. The sauce might traditionally be associated with ‘Butter Chicken’, here I’m mixing it up coating fragrant meatballs with the renown rich north Indian sauce. Yum!
Meatball
Method
- Set your oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C
- Mix the milk into the crumb. Set aside for 10 minutes then combine with all the other ingredients.
- Roll the mixture into slightly smaller than golf ball sized rounds, place onto a grease proof paper lined baking tray then bake for 25 to 30 minutes until only just cooked through. Set aside.
Butter ‘Makhani’ Sauce Ingredients
Method
- Soak the nuts in the hot water for 15 minutes. Then pop these and all the liquid into a food processor, add the ginger, blitz to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Melt 25g of the butter in a large saucepan, when foaming add the onion and gently fry until soft but not coloured.
- Add the Green Saffron spice blend, cayenne pepper, stir for half a minute, then add the tomato purée, nut paste, remaining butter and gently cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and blitz to a smooth sauce with a hand blender or Thermomix or food processor,
- Return the smooth sauce to the pan, pour in the cream, stir well, cook gently for about 5 minutes, check seasoning, adding a little salt if needed. Pop the meatballs into the sauce and gently cook for a final few mins, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Assembly:
- Slice up a small pumpkin into wedges, something like a Kombucha, Delica or Turk’s Head are my favourites, but a butternut squash is also fine. Rub with a mix of cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt, cumin, cinnamon and oil. Roast for about 35 mins until just wilting, scorched and soft.
- Toast and skin a good handful of hazelnuts, roughly chop, mix with lemon zest. Set aside.
- On a large, warmed platter place the meatballs to one side, coat with a little sauce. Pile up the pumpkin wedges to the other side, sprinkle with the zesty nuts, crumble over a square of paneer cheese, about 35g to 40g and serve (family style) with a jug of sauce to the side. Enjoy!
