This recipe dates back to my childhood. Our neighbour used to cook this for her large family and it always tasted so delicious. It took me years to persuade her to give me the recipe. She used to include, back in the day, the very newly available packets of dehydrated peas. However, these days I prefer to use fresh or frozen.
Serves 4–6
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
600g lean beef mince
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
1 cup long-grain rice
50g packet chicken noodle soup mix
2 carrots, peeled and grated
850ml boiling water
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)
Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the mince, onion and rice and cook, stirring frequently until the mince is well broken up and coloured. Mix in the soup mix, carrot and boiling water. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and cover once more.
Cook for 10 more minutes or until the rice has taken up all the liquid (you may need to add a little extra liquid). Stir in the soy sauce if you think the dish needs a little extra seasoning.