Chilli jam minced beef

Sweet and spicy beef with the freshness of quick-pickled vegetables is a match made (fast!) in heaven.

Chilli jam marinade

Ingredients

• 250g sambal oelek
• 95g soft brown sugar
• 125ml rice vinegar
• 80ml tamari or soy sauce
• 80ml fish sauce
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 6cm piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 80ml coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Method

1. Combine the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5–7 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly.
3. Allow to cool completely before transferring to portioned airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Chilli jam minced beef with rice and dressed vegetable pickles

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef
• 125ml Chilli jam marinade (recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 60g spring onions, finely sliced cooked jasmine rice, to serve sesame seeds, to serve

Dressed vegetable pickles

• 1 large Lebanese cucumber, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 90g bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions 
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon white sugar

Method

Combine the minced beef with chilli jam, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and half the crushed garlic in a large bowl and mix well.

Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the eggs for 3-5 minutes, depending on how you like them done.

For the dressed vegetable pickles, toss the cucumber, carrot and bean sprouts with avocado oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, spring onion, ginger and sugar in a bowl, then set aside to allow the flavours to develop.

Heat the remaining coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and the spring onion and sauté for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the marinated minced beef to the pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir-fry for 10 minutes over high heat, stirring frequently until the minced beef breaks down and is browned.

Serve the minced beef and dressed vegetable pickles on top of cooked rice and top with a fried egg and sesame seeds.

This recipe is an extract from Nabula El Mourid's first book, The Weekly Grocery Shop. Read more about it here.