Ingredients

• 2 x Medium red peppers - for paste and extra to have for your fridge stock

• 1x Whole medium white cabbage - coarsely chopped

• 300g Lamb mince - best quality essential

• Olive oil

• 4 x Medium large tomatoes, peeled or 400g tin tomatoes

• 1 x Medium Onion - diced

• 2 x Garlic cloves - finely diced

• 1 x Tablespoon tomato paste

• 2 x Teaspoons whole caraway seeds

• 1 x Teaspoon dried thyme leaves

• 1 x Teaspoon sumac

• 1/4 x Teaspoon chilli flakes

• Black pepper - small amount only needed

• This recipe works nicely as salt reduced or nil salt if required

Preparation

Preparing the red pepper paste. Place the red peppers in a hot oven and roast until the skin starts to crinkle and collapse. Remove, place in a plastic kitchen bag while cooling. This will make it easier to remove the skin without burning. Then in a blender add the roasted red peppers, 1 x Tablespoons tomato paste, a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.Blend until smooth paste.

Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and over a high heat add the minced lamb and carefully brown, stirring constantly, then remove an set aside.

Then add the onion and garlic and fully caramelise until soft then add the tomato paste and hold in the base of the pan for 3 minutes to remove bitterness. Then add the spices, black pepper and tomatoes and stir well to allow the tomatoes to break down then add two tablespoons of the red pepper paste.

Next chop the cabbage into large chunks and wash fully, leaving some of the water clinging to the cabbage and set aside.

Now return the lamb mince to the pan, stir to mix then place the cabbage on top of the lamb and tomato and add a little water.

Cover the pan and on a low heat allow the cabbage to cook down fully before stirring the cabbage into the mix ready for service.

Important: The red pepper paste is important to this recipe. Store unused paste ready for new recipes in the refrigerator for up to seven days. It will be highly valued !

Comments: An amazingly simple recipe with strong Turkish flavours.