Cheesy Keema Mini Bunny Rolls
Party-size bunny chow: soft rolls hollowed out, filled with Durban-spiced beef mince and peas, crowned with melted mozzarella and served with a cool mint yogurt dip.
Method
Heat the oven to 200 °C. Slice a lid off the top of each roll and scoop out the soft centre with a teaspoon, leaving walls about 1 cm thick. Brush the inside and the lids with the melted butter, set them on a tray and toast for , until lightly crisp; this stops the filling from making them soggy.
Add in this stepSoft dinner rolls (about 8 cm) 4Butter, melted 10 g
ovenMeanwhile, heat the oil in a 20 cm frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for , stirring, until soft and light golden.
Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbspOnion, finely chopped 1
medium heatLower to medium-low heat, add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, chilli powder and tomato paste and stir for , until fragrant and brick red; add a spoonful of water if the paste starts to catch.
Add in this stepGarlic cloves, crushed 2Fresh ginger, grated 5 gHot curry powder 2½ tspKashmiri chilli powder ½ tspTomato paste 1 tbsp
medium-low heatTurn up to medium-high heat, add the mince and the salt and cook for , breaking it up with a spatula, until no pink remains and the meat starts to brown.
Add in this stepBeef mince 200 gSalt ½ tsp
medium-high heatAdd the peas and water, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for , stirring, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the mince looks moist but not wet; a dry filling keeps the rolls crisp. Stir in the garam masala and half the coriander.
Add in this stepFrozen peas 60 gWater 70 mlGaram masala ½ tspFresh coriander, chopped 2.5 g
medium-low heatPack the filling into the toasted rolls, sprinkle the mozzarella on top and stand them snugly in a 20×15 cm baking dish. Bake in the oven for , until the cheese is melted and bubbling with golden spots. Lean the lids against the rolls.
Add in this stepGrated mozzarella 60 g
ovenWhile they bake, stir together the yogurt, mint and the remaining coriander and serve this dip alongside the hot rolls. Let them cool for 2 minutes before biting in: the filling is very hot.
Add in this stepGreek yogurt 100 gFresh mint leaves, chopped 3 gFresh coriander, chopped 2.5 g
Cook's tip
The filling can be made a day ahead and chilled; reheat it until steaming before filling the rolls. Brioche rolls work too and add a sweet contrast, but they brown faster, so check them early. For a lamb keema, swap the beef for lamb mince.
Cooking it at camp
Make the filling in one pan on a gas burner and skip the oven: toast the hollowed rolls on a grill rack, fill them, top with the cheese, then set them in the pan and cover with a lid for 3 to 4 minutes over a low flame until the cheese melts. Keep the raw mince in a well-iced cooler below 5 °C and cook it first.