Gangulu kangaroo stew with Bobby bread damper

A nourishing stew celebrating native Australian ingredients including wattleseed and lemon myrtle, served with soft gluten-free damper for dipping. This recipe comes from Dr Samarra Toby.

Gangulu kangaroo stew with bobby bread damper.

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Stew

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, divided
• 1 white onion, diced
• 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking beetroot)
• 2 medium beetroots, thinly sliced
• 500 g kangaroo steak
• 2 tbsp dried lemon myrtle, or to taste
• Salt
• 1 litre quality beef bone broth
• 2 zucchinis, sliced
• 2 purple carrots, sliced
• 2 purple sweet potatoes, sliced (no need to peel)
• 1-2 tsp finely chopped fresh lemon myrtle leaves
• 1-2 tsp dried wattleseed
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
• 2 tbsp slippery elm powder
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, for garnish

Gangulu Bobby bread 

• 500 g gluten-free self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tbsp ground wattle seed
• 1 tbsp ground lemon myrtle
• 625 ml water (about 125 ml per cup of flour)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, for pan cooking
• 1 egg yolk, for brushing, optional

Instructions

1. For the stew: Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a large pot over high heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir and sauté until fragrant, then reduce heat to low and continue stirring gently.
2. Heat olive oil in a separate frying pan over medium heat. Lightly cook beetroot slices in pan for a few minutes until just softened. Set aside.
3. Slice kangaroo steaks into bite-sized pieces and season with a little ground lemon myrtle and salt.
4. Increase heat under the onion mixture to high, add remaining tablespoon of coconut oil, then add kangaroo. Cook for 3–5 minutes until lightly browned.
5. Pour in beef bone broth and add fresh lemon myrtle leaves. Stir well, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and allow to simmer.
6. Add zucchini, purple carrots and sweet potatoes along with pre-cooked beetroot to the stew pot. Sprinkle in the lemon myrtle, wattle seed, turmeric and pink Himalayan salt. Stir to ensure vegetables are submerged.
7. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 30–40 minutes, until vegetables are tender and flavours well developed
8. While the stew is cooking make the damper: In a large bowl, combine flour baking powder, salt, wattle-seed and lemon myrtle. Gradually add water while stirring until a soft dough forms.
9. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently and shape into a dome. Optional: Divide a portion of dough into small balls to cook as dumplings for the stew. (If using, sit them on the top of the stew when there is about 15-20 minutes of cooking time left, and replace lid to finish the cooking.)
10. Heat oil in a deep pan (ideally a cast iron pan) over low–medium heat. Brush the large portion of dough with egg yolk if using. Place dough into pan, cover with a lid, and cook for 30–40 minutes until cooked through.
11. When stew has been cooking for 30-35 minutes, remove lid, add slippery elm powder, and stir through thoroughly. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes until the stew thickens
12. Ladle stew into bowls, garnish with macadamia nuts, and serve hot with sliced or torn bobby bread damper for dipping.

Notes

• Lemon myrtle, slippery elm and wattleseed can be found at most wholefood shops
• If you don’t need the bread to be gluten-free, you can substitute gluten free self-raising flour with standard self-raising flour.
• This dish takes its name from Gangulu country in central Queensland, where Dr Samarra Toby grew up. The damper is called Bobby bread after Dr Toby’s grandfather, as it reminds her of being on country with him.

See this recipe in Taste of The Tropics season 2 episode 3, Tropical Innovators, on SBS Food and SBS on Demand from 30 April. See season 1 at SBS On Demand now.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.