The aromatic meat sauce blends well with the coconut béchamel and the Gruyère’s nutty, sweet flavours perfectly pair with the added spice.
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FOR THE XAWAASH SPICE BLEND
- 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
FOR THE RAGU
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small green pepper, finely diced
- 1 small red pepper, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 750 g pack 12% fat beef mince
- 2 Tbsp. tomato purée
- 2 x400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 beef stock pot
- 1 tsp. sugar
FOR THE WHITE SAUCE
- 60 g salted butter
- 4 Tbsp. plain flour
- 2 x400ml reduced-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 12 fresh lasagne sheets (you might need 1-2 more)
- 150 g Gruyère, grated
- Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
- Step 1Combine the spices for the xawaash blend and set aside. Heat the oil in a deep, wide saucepan. Add the peppers, carrot, onion, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Sauté for 6-8min, until the veg has softened.
- Step 2Push the vegetables to the side and add the spice blend. Toast for 30sec, then stir in the vegetables. Add the mince with a pinch of salt and cook for 6-8min, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink. Add the tomato purée, cooking for a further min, then the chopped tomatoes. Pour 200ml of water into one tin, swirl and add to the saucepan. Stir in the stock pot and sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30min, stirring once or twice. Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly and simmer for 5min until the sauce reduces slightly – you don’t want it to be too wet. Taste, season and leave to cool.
- Step 3Meanwhile, start on the white sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1min, until it smells slightly toasty. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Keep adding until fully combined and smooth. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook for 2-3min, stirring continuously, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s too thick, add a splash more water. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic powder and a good few gratings of nutmeg with some seasoning. Leave to cool.
- Step 4Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C) mark 6. Spoon 1/3 of the ragu into an ovenproof dish, around 23 x 34cm. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, then spoon over around 250g of the white sauce, spreading with the back of a spoon. Repeat until you have three layers of pasta. Cover with the remaining white sauce, making sure no pasta is poking through. Scatter over the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45min, until the top is bubbling and golden brown. Leave to sit for 15min before serving, scattering with the fresh coriander.
GH TIP
Make a big batch of the spice blend to save for future dishes. It will store from six months to a year.
Nadine is the Kitchen Editor, creating delicious, exciting recipes for GH. Her background is eclectic – time spent as a teen mag website editor interviewing the likes of Lady Gaga before becoming a standby contestant for GBBO - and it shows in her style cooking. Full of flavour, interesting stories and fun!
