Ground lamb with peas, please.

Don't eat these bits.

I was supposed to cook this Indian dish on Friday, I'd remembered to take the lamb mince out of the freezer and everything. However, there was one set-back in the form of a trip to the local straight after work. I arrived first, got my pint of Stowford Press in, along with the mandatory pork scratchings, and was soon joined by Boyfriend and my lovely friend Hannah, both whom share my enthusiasm for cider and pork scratchings. Too many pints later and rushing home to cook was seeming less and less appealing, and we peeled ourselves out of the pub and into our favourite Indian restaurant almost next door. I'm glad we did this, I once cooked herb and polenta crusted haddock at midnight, after being in the pub all night, and half way through I nearly gave up. Inebriated cooking is so hard.

Well I had to cook the mince so I did it today and it smells so good I am thinking we might have the roast chook tomorrow. But I know Boyfriend wouldn't like that. Roasts are rather important to him and it's best to provide one on Sundays. Especially as he was a good boy today and changed our door lock that seized up while we were skiing, which meant he had to break in to our own house. Clever boy.

Making Ground Lamb With Peas reminds me of making bolognese a bit, similar cooking method and it's a comforting serving of delishiousness that end up making at least once a month. I'm never too precise with the measurements, I lost the recipe and just hope I remember everything. In a medium sized bowl, mix 4tbsp natural yoghurt with three cloves of chopped garlic, a good tsp chopped ginger, a tsp of ground cumin, tumeric and ground coriander, salt, and half a tsp or so of cayenne pepper, more or less depending on how hot you like it. Add 500g lamb mince and mix well with your hands. In a large deep frying pan, fry 6 cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick and a couple of bay leaves for a minute. Add the meat and stir and break up while frying until there is no pink meat left. Throw in a tin of tomatoes and half a pint of water simmer for about half an hour. Add some peas, and keep on the heat until they are cooked. Sprinkle over a tbsp garam masala and chopped coriander and serve. With rice. Obviously. It should feed 3/4 mouths but I've gone back to the kitchen about five times to check it's ok so perhaps just enough for two this time.

Whatever you do don't eat the cardamom pods, they perfume the curry beautifully but are quite frankly rank when bitten into. I try to fish them out, along with the bay leaves and cinnamon, but sometimes I can't be bothered to dig about for them. I don't like finding them in my mouth but it is hilarious when Boyfriend bites one. Worth leaving them in just to see his little face screw up.