Curried Ground Beef with Tahini This is good to have in your repertoire - a quick, rich, and interesting curry made from packaged ground beef. The preserved lemons are entirely optional, or you can substitute lemon juice. 2 T olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 fat clove garlic 1 1/4 lbs. ground beef 2 T curry powder, or TT Salt, fresh ground pepper TT 1 1/2 c. diced tomatoes, fresh or canned 1/2 c. tahini paste (aka sesame paste or sesame butter) 1 c. canned, drained chickpeas 2 tsp. honey 1/2 preserved lemon, diced fine, optional 1/2 c. thick plain yogurt Chutney (particularly mango), chopped cilantro In a large fry pan or medium casserole over medium high heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes, until tender but not colored. Add the garlic and stir once or twice until fragrant, then add the ground beef in clumps and cook five or ten minutes longer, until it is no longer pink. Add the curry powder, salt and pepper and cook another minute or two, until well blended, then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the yogurt. Let simmer anywhere for ten to thirty minutes while you make the rice and otherwise prepare yourself to dine. A few minutes before you are ready to eat, blend in the yogurt and reheat. Check for salt and spice. Serve with additional yogurt on the side, along with chutney and cilantro. Notes: This recipe arose from the memory of a lost and ancient New York Times recipe that was quite similar but used cashew butter, which I never have around. It's good, fast, and economical. The preserved lemons add a special flavor, but are entirely optional. Try substituting the juice and diced peel of 1/2 lemon, if you think you'd like that extra flavor. If you have an Indian grocer or well-stocked supermarket nearby, try this with store-bought chapati and lime pickle.
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