Indian Summer

The Taj Mahal, Agra, symbol of eternal love.

I think I would have made a good depression wife or a war bride. I can usually feed my family of four on a pound of ground meat and have enough for left-overs the next day. I like to add lots of vegetables to anything I make. Coming up with something quick to make that's also different from "taco" night, is just a matter of knowing what spices, vegetables and herbs "go" with that particular cuisine. So when we feel like having something with an Indian twist, I'll turn a pound of meat into curry and serve it over  basmati rice with some Major Grey's chutney.

Served over basmati rice

The predominate spices are of course, curry powder and ginger. Cumin is also typical in Indian food, but in this case it is part of the curry powder. This recipe is actually meant to be the filling for  samosas,  Indian meat turnovers, which I make with the leftovers.

Curried Ground Beef
2 cups diced potato (about 2 medium)
1cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
4 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper (or to taste)
2 cup frozen petite peas
1 cup chicken broth

1. Saute' onions and potatoes 4 minutes or until almost tender. Add meat and cook about 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off fat and return to heat. 
2. Stir in spices, cook one minute. Stir in peas and broth; cook 3 minutes until almost dry and potatoes are tender. 
3. It's done at this point, but if you want to make samosas, use 2 refrigerated pie crusts, cut each into 4 equal wedges, place 1/3 cup of filling onto 1/2 wedge, moisten edges with water and fold in 1/2 to make a triangle. Repeat with remaining filling and crusts. Brush lightly with a beaten egg. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Serve with chutney. Makes 8

Samosas with Major Grey's Chutney