Thursday, February 12, 2009

Beef & Split Pea Stew

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
  • Beef for stew - 2 lb (1 kg),
  • Dried Split peas - 1.5 cup
  • Onion - 1 lrg, chopped
  • Cinnamon stick - 2 inch long pc
  • Cloves - 5-6 pc
  • Cardamons - 5-6 pc
  • Dried Bay leaf - 1 lrg, or 2 med
  • Whole pepper corns - 1 tsp
  • Green Chili - 2-3, halved lengthwise (seeds removed if you don't like the heat)

  • For marinade:
  • Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
  • Ginger paste - 1 tsp
  • Salt - 1.5 tsp (or to taste)
  • Chili powder - 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder - 2 tsp
  • Cumin powder - 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Methods:
  • 1. Soak the slit peas with water, overnight. Make sure to put it in a big enough bowl, as the peas will puff up once they are soaked.
  • 2. In a bowl, mix in the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the beef for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. It is not necessarily going to make the beef tender but more flavoured.
  • 3. In a deep base pot or a dutch oven, heat 4 tbsp of oil. Add the cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf and the whole pepper corns. Saute till they pop.
  • 4. Add the onion and saute till they are browned on the edges. Add the marinated beef to the onions. Stir to combine everything evenly.
  • 5. Lower the heat to medium, cover and simmer for about 15 min. By this time the juices released from the meat would evaporate.
  • 6. Add 1 cup of hot water, enough to submerge the meat. Simmer for 1 hour on low-med heat, stirring occasionally to avoid any burns or sticking to the base of the pot. Every time you stir the stew, make sure to add 1/2 cups of hot water, if it has evaporated, so that the meat will always be submerged into juice.
  • 7. After 1 hour, check whether the meat is tender enough. Add the drained split peas to the beef. Stir to combine. Adjust the water level. Check for salt.
  • 8. Simmer on med heat for 30-50 more min, until the split peas are cooked and the beef is tender enough to break when you pull with a fork.
  • 9. Add the green chilies. Cover and let it rest for 10 min. Serve the beef stew with plain or flavoured rice, or even pita bread.

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