Ingredients
- 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) olive oil
- 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz) beef chuck steak, trimmed of fat and sinew, then cut into 5 cm (2 inch) chunks
- 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) beef stock
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pumpkin (winter squash), peeled, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 small eggplant (aubergine), finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons baharat spice mix (available from spice shops; or mix together 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and a pinch each of ground cloves, cinnamon and cardamom)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- 385 g (13½ oz/2 cups) risoni
- 220 g (7¾ oz/½ large bunch) English spinach, washed and trimmed, then shredded
- 60 g (2¼ oz/½ cup) chopped walnut pieces, lightly toasted
- lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the beef in batches and fry for 5 minutes, or until browned all over, turning often and removing each batch to a plate.
2. Return all the meat to the saucepan. Add the stock and 375 ml (13 fl oz/1½ cups) water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 2½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
3. Remove the beef from the liquid in the pan. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Reserve 750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) of the cooking liquid. Discard the remaining stock, or freeze for use in another recipe.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the pumpkin and eggplant and cook over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring often. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
5. Add the spices and risoni to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the risoni is coated in the spices. Return the vegetables to the pan with the shredded beef and the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the risoni is tender. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes, or until the spinach has just wilted.
7. For the next day, reserve 700 g (1 lb 9 oz/2 cups) of the beef mixture for the pie filling. (The beef mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but is not suitable for freezing.)
8. Spoon the beef mixture into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve with lemon wedges.
