We hope you enjoy our cookery  column with chef Paul Watters who each week will take the fear out of cooking with his easy to follow recipes...

Serves 4
 
600g beef steak, sirloin or rump, cut into
bite-sized strips
1 large aubergine, diced
2 red peppers, sliced
1 onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g chopped tomatoes
150ml beef stock
1–2 tbsp Piri Piri seasoning or sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes, optional
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
 
Buckwheat
250g buckwheat
500ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Small handful chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Cook the buckwheat
Rinse the buckwheat under cold water. Add to a saucepan with the stock and a pinch of salt.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes until tender but still slightly nutty.
Drain if necessary and stir through the olive oil, garlic and parsley. Keep warm.
Brown the beef
Season the beef generously with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
Heat a large frying pan or sauté pan until very hot. Add a little oil and sear the beef in batches for 1–2 minutes per side. You want good colour without overcooking it.
Remove and set aside.
 
Cook the vegetables
Using the same pan, add the aubergine and cook for 4–5 minutes, allowing it to take on some colour.
Add the onion and red pepper and cook for another four minutes.
Add the garlic, cumin, oregano and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
 Build the Piri Piri sauce
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for one minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and Piri Piri sauce.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and become rich and glossy.
Finish the beef
Return the beef and any resting juices to the pan.
Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes. Finish with the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.
The sauce should be rich, spicy, slightly smoky and glossy, coating the beef and vegetables rather than being too watery.
 
Spoon a generous mound of buckwheat into the centre of a deep bowl, or large plate.
Pile the Piri Piri beef, aubergine and peppers over one side, then spoon the sauce around the buckwheat.
Finish with plenty of freshly chopped coriander, a few slices of red chilli if you fancy a little more heat.