FOR THE CHILLI
A small piece of root ginger, grated
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Red chilli, chopped (remove seeds if you don’t want it too hot)
1 Star anise
1 Large onion, finely chopped
1tsp Fennel seeds
500g Minced beef
1 Tin of chopped tomatoes
400ml Beef stock
2tsp Paprika
1tsp Ground cumin
1 Tin of kidney beans
A large handful of chopped mushrooms
200g pumpkin, cut into small cubes
Cayenne pepper
Chopped parsley
Feta cheese, to serve
FOR THE SAFFRON RICE
240g Basmati rice
A pinch of saffron strands
1 Soften the ginger, garlic and chilli in a pan with the star anise, then stir in the onion and fennel seeds. After a few minutes add the mince; once it has browned get the mushrooms on the scene.
2 Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, then stir in the pumpkin and kidney beans. Season, then finally add the paprika and cumin before simmering for a good 20-25 minutes. If your chilli’s a bit on the mild side sprinkle some Cayenne in for extra fire.
3 To make the saffron rice, first rinse the rice a few times in luke warm water to get rid of some of the starch. Cover the rice in a pan with cold water (so that the level is approximately 1cm above the rice), sprinkle in the saffron and place on a medium heat. Avoid the temptation to stir. When the water has reached a fast bubble, turn down to low for 5 minutes. You’re on the right track if little holes start appearing on the surface of the rice. Kill the heat and put a lid on the pan; fluff the rice occasionally with a fork.
4 Just before serving, stir some chopped parsley into the chilli. Serve with feta cheese crumbled on top.
