1 Batch cook, 3 meals

Lamb and Lentil Ragu split three ways.

I suddenly have a bit more energy. Is it the weather? Spectacular sunrises and sunsets, deep blue skies, SUNSHINE! I am back to walking around 5 miles a day (albeit broken up into shorter, more manageable strolls) and doing more in the kitchen. I am still avoiding much heavy lifting though - the other day I went a bit mad in the temporary aisle in Lidl (Italian and Greek) without thinking about how I was going to get it home and had to ask Adam to come and help me carry it. Which he did without complaint - just in from school, already changed into comfy clothes and preparing a gargantuan snack - and was, according to Shariq, half way up the stairs to get changed to come out again before Shariq had finished reading my text out. Good boy!

including this photo because I was really pleased with it!

So yes, I am doing more in the kitchen but still very much about saving time, effort and energy (fuel and physical!) and that is what these meals are about. The basic recipe is very economical and based on a traditional ragu, but eked out with brown or green lentils. This is something I do frequently in various proportions depending on the amount of meat/lentils I have. But usually I will do 500g lamb mince to 300g dry lentils. You can of course reduce or increase the lamb or lentils as you wish and make it vegan with 100% lentils. All the dishes below will work without the meat. So it is eminently flexible and gives you a lot of possibilities.

The Basic Recipe

A few notes here - if you don’t want all the fat from the lamb in your final dish (most lamb mince comes in at 20% fat), fry it first and drain some of it off. The vegetables, which I usually do by hand, can also be done in a food processor for speed - just make sure you pulse with constant checks because if you overdo it, they will end up almost pureed. I don’t do this with the onions because they are much more pungent when processed.

It is very important that the lentils aren’t overcooked - if they collapse and lose their integrity, it is very difficult to cook them again in the pressure cooker without them burning. This is because of the amount of starch they release into the sauce. It can be done (put on top of oil/vegetables/liquid), but it isn’t ideal. 8 minutes, and with the tomatoes which do act as an inhibitor, is plenty - any that are the hard side of al dente will soften up in the next cook. And don’t leave to stand too long after the pressure has dropped either as they will keep cooking.

If you just want to make a lamb and lentil ragu for use with pasta or potatoes etc., and you don’t need the versatility this quite simple recipe gives you, I would suggest adding 150ml red wine and boiling off once you have added the garlic and herbs. And I would add rosemary too - needles from a few tips, finely chopped.

1 tbsp olive oil

500g lamb mince

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 large carrots, finely chopped

3 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 sprig thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

300g puy, brown or green lentils

1 x 400g tin tomatoes or passata or fresh equivalent

2 tbsp tomato puree

600ml water or stock

Heat your pressure cooker and add the olive oil. Add the lamb and leave it to brown on one side before breaking it up. Stir and leave again. When it is browned all over, strain off some of the excess fat if you like, then push to one side and add all the vegetables. Start the cooking process by sauteeing for just a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and herbs. Stir for another minutes.

Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato puree and liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Make sure the base is thoroughly deglazed, then close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Adjust the heat so it is just high enough to maintain the pressure, then cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to drop pressure naturally.

Give a good stir. The ragu should be quite thick without too much liquid. Divide into three portions and use as below. Alternatively use in any quantity/proportion in any recipe you like!

Recipe 1: Lamb, Lentil and Aubergine Bake with Potatoes and Halloumi

2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little more for brushing

1 large aubergine, diced

1 tsp dried mint

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Stems from a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

150ml stock or water

1/3 of the lamb and lentil ragu

1 block halloumi, 2/3 thinly sliced, the rest coarsely grated

600g salad/waxy potatoes, sliced

Heat your pressure cooker well - this is important as aubergine tends to stick otherwise! - and add the oil. Add the aubergine and brown on all sides. Sprinkle in the herbs and spices and pour over the liquid. Stir to make sure the pan is deglazed then stir in the ragu.

Arrange the slices of halloumi over the ragu, followed by the potatoes and finished with the grated cheese. Close the lid, bring up to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Leave to drop pressure naturally. If you like, you can brown the cheese under a hot grill or with an air fryer lid. I didn’t because I couldn’t find the foil to coat the handles with. Serve with greens or a salad.

Recipe 2: Keema Peas

This is just enough to serve 4 as long as there are plenty of carbs on the side. I sent the kids with it to school with buttered naan breads. But if you wanted to make it more substantial, a keema peas biryani is a good idea. For 4, add 200g well rinsed basmati rice and an extra 300ml water. You will probably want to serve with chopped coriander, chillies and lemon wedges.

And if you want to fill it out further, with or without the white carbs, you can add more vegetables - a diced sweet potato or some squash works well. So does more greens - frozen broad beans or spinach for example.

I’ve written so many recipes for keema peas but this one is useful if you have made the batch recipe.

I was in a hurry so put all the aromatics in at once

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp each nigella, mustard and cumin seeds

1 red pepper, diced

10g piece ginger, finely chopped

3 tbsp finely chopped coriander stems (mine from the freezer)

1 tbsp curry powder - use your favourite

1/2 tsp chilli powder or flakes (optional, just in case you want more heat)

1/3 of the lamb and lentil ragu

500g frozen peas

Heat the coconut oil in your pressure cooker and add the seeds. When they pop, add the pepper, ginger and curry stems and then stir in the curry powder and chilli powder if using. Pour in 150ml water and deglaze the base. Add the ragu (break it up if it is chilled and therefore thick) and the peas. Season.

Close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Cook for just 2 minutes at HP, 3 minutes if adding the rice, and remove from the heat. Leave to drop pressure naturally.

Recipe 3: Lamb and Lentil Ragu with Courgettes and Chickpeas

This one was very much a case of what I had to hand. I was going to make a pasta bake - lamb and lentil ragu, made as I describe above, with the red wine and rosemary, works really well with a short form pasta one pot dish - just add a little oil to the cooker, followed by the pasta, then the water and the ragu on top. 5 mins HP, fast release, stir everything together and leave to stand so the sauce thickens. Or bake with lots of cheese on top. Anyway, there was an objection to pasta so I made this instead.

I have started buying courgettes again as the Italian ones are really good right now. I almost used a tin of artichokes too, but thought better of it, as again, 2 people out of 4 of us object to them “in things”.

2 tbsp olive oil

3 courgettes

250g cooked chickpeas

1 tbsp harissa paste (or any paste you like)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

200ml water or stock (vegetable or chicken)

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

For the gremolata (optional):

A small bunch parsley, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tbsp preserved citrus (lemon or any other you might have), finely chopped (optional)

For the quinoa (which I made because I am out of bulgar wheat and couscous):

1 tbsp olive oil

200g quinoa, well rinsed

200g cavolo nero, shredded (optional)

1/4 tsp ground allspice

Heat your pressure cooker and add the oil. Add the courgettes and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the chickpeas, harissa paste and cinnamon, followed by the ragu, broken up as necessary, and the water or stock and lemon zest and juice.

Close the lid, bring up to high pressure and cook for 1 minute. Leave to stand for another minute, then release the rest of the pressure.

If making the gremolata, finely chop everything together.

For the quinoa, drain the quinoa well. Heat the olive oil in your pressure cooker and add the quinoa. Stir until it has steamed off the residue liquid and has started to toast, then pour in 400ml stock (I used chicken stock) or water. Sprinkle in the allspice and season with salt and pepper. Brush down any quinoa which is sticking to the side of the cooker, then add the cavolo nero.

Close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and leave to drop naturally.

Serve the quinoa in shallow bowls, with the lamb and courgettes ladled over, and garnished with the gremolata if you like.

Thank you for reading! This is one of my regular free posts, so if you know of anyone who might enjoy it or find it useful, please do share. And if you would like to click on the heart or restack, I would really appreciate it. I shall be back with a post for paid subscribers over the weekend.