Lagan Ni Seekh - Spicy Layered Meat Casserole Topped With Eggs

Until last week, we were enjoying the end of January, the supposedly pleasant and cool month of February was to follow. It started on a good note - the sun was shining bright, the air was crispier, fear of my balcony plants dying was over as I grinned at the curly forest green leaves of blue kale. While still cuddling my hot cocoa mug, wrapping Tasnim in a warm sweater, my heart was dancing to call an end to winters. Time to be outdoors again.

But this week has been the coldest of all winter. I wore socks at home which I have a severe aversion to doing otherwise. While stranded at home, we sat lazily in our warmed apartment, cancelling out the events we planned to attend this week. While last I posted a comfort food that required you to be around for a while, today's recipe is one that you hardly need to worry about. It cooks in the oven with minimum fuss, warm and meaty - all it requires is a whole grain flat bread or buttery soft buns to scoop up.

Lagan ni Seekh - Spicy Layered Meat Casserole topped with Eggs
Serves: 4

This is traditional Bohra dish is often made with fresh green garlic in winters but this modified version is equally popular. Lagan refers to the aluminium dish which is traditionally used for making this while seekh refers to the meat. The amount of ghee is reduced here since it's baked in the oven whereas traditionally the dish is cooked on stove and the hot ghee on top cooks the eggs from top. A vegetarian version with mushrooms would be great too!

Ingredients

1/2 kg minced meat, mutton/lamb or beef
2-3 potatoes, sliced thinly on a mandolin
1 green/red bell pepper
1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2-3 green chilies, ground to paste
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped 1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 cup spring onions, with greens, chopped
5 eggs
5 tbsp melted ghee plus 1 tbsp for brushing
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven at 180 C.

Mix the mince, ginger garlic paste, green chili, cumin powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, salt, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Slice the bell peppers into rings.

Grease a deep aluminium baking dish (or pyrex or non stick or enamel works as well) with ghee. ) Arrange a thin layer of potato slices, allowing them to overlap slightly at the base of the dish. Put this in the oven while you beat two eggs with salt and pepper.

Remove the dish from oven and pour the egg mixture on the potatoes. The heat will seal the eggs.

Heat the ghee in a small pan until its very hot. Meanwhile, layer the meat mince over the eggs and add the capsicums on top.

Beat the remaining eggs with salt and pepper and pour this mixture over the peppers.

Drizzle the hot smoking ghee on the eggs and transfer the dish back to oven for 40 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

If using the cheese, at about 30 minutes, remove the lagan from oven and add the cheese and return to the oven. Garnish with spring onions. Serve with buttered buns, naan, roti or any flatbread.

(this recipe and photo originally appeared in BBC Good Food, India's Jan Edition)