Panch phoron soda bread with lamb keema curry
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Ingredients
For the panch phoron soda bread:
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp panch phoron, plus a little extra to sprinkle on top
1 tbsp ground turmeric
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bread soda a small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
1 tsp salt
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
350ml buttermilk
1 medium egg, beaten
For the lamb keema curry:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
500g minced lamb
2 tbsp panch phoron
2 tbsp curry powder (mild or hot – your choice)
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
200g frozen peas
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
a small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
Method
To make the bread, heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden. Add the garlic, panch phoron and turmeric and cook for another 2–3 minutes to allow the spices to release their flavour. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Prepare a baking sheet by lightly dusting it with a little plain flour.
Place the flour and bread soda in a large bowl and mix well using a table knife. Make a well in the centre of the flour, then add the cooled spiced onion, chopped fresh coriander, salt, pepper and the buttermilk. Mix gently before starting to incorporate them into the flour using a table knife. Bring the dough together, then tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead and shape the dough into a 20cm round.
Put the bread on the baking sheet and cut a deep cross on the top, then brush with the beaten egg – try not to get any egg into the cut lines – and sprinkle with a little more panch phoron. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, then turn the bread upside down and cook for a further 10 minutes. To check if the bread is baked, tap the bottom – it should sound hollow when fully cooked. Wrap in a clean tea towel while it’s cooling to stop the crust getting too hard.
To make the curry, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes before adding the garlic, chillies and ginger. Cook for another 2 minutes, until everything has softened.
Turn up the heat to high before adding the lamb and breaking it up gently with a spoon. Cook for about 10 minutes but try not to overmix or move the lamb too much at this stage, allowing it to get a nice fried colour before moving it around again.
Add the spices and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes and half a tin of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the frozen peas and yogurt and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander just before serving with toasted slices of the panch phoron soda bread.
Bake by Graham Herterich (€25) is published by Nine Bean Rows. ninebeanrowsbooks.com
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