Lamb and Aubergine Casserole

750 lean diced lamb (or 1kg trimmed lamb or hogget loin chops
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium aubergine, cubed (do not peel)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red and 1 green pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 can tomato puree
150ml red wine

If using chops, trim off all visible fat. Brown the meat in little oil then transfer to an ovenproof casserole. Saute the onion and aubergine for five minutes then add to the meat with the remaining ingredients. Add a little water if necessary to just cover the meat and vegetables. Bake at 180C for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender. Thicken if desired.

I like to cook the meat for around 90 minutes then allow it to cool completely, refrigerating it once it starts to cool down. Next day I remove any fat which has set on the top and then reheat in either a conventional oven, or in the microwave. With casseroles such as this the flavour improves during this time and of course there is the benefit of being able to remove any fat. Jacket baked potatoes can be cooked while the casserole reheats.