Pakistani Style Beef Stew with Spinach

Beef cuts
Alpha / Flickr / Creative Commons
  • 9 hrs 25 mins
  • Prep: 25 mins,
  • Cook: 9 hrs
  • Yield: 6 Servings
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By Diana Rattray

Updated 09/19/17

The spices and seasonings in this beef stew give it fabulous, exotic flavor.  The recipe includes a garam masala mixture, which keeps for a few months. 

 

This is spicy, but not 'hot', (note that the only 'hot' spice, cayenne, is optional....) and a different change of pace from everyday beef stew. You could also use lamb in place of the beef. This is usually served with flatbread but is good over rice or noodles.

What You'll Need

  • 8 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 20 whole black peppercorns
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 6 whole cardamom pods
  • 2 medium onions, chopped fine
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 1 ginger root, 1-inch cube, chopped fine
  • 2 pounds beef, cubed, (1-inch)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 tablespoons yogurt, beaten
  • 2 pounds chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
  • 1 teaspoon Cardamom, (Seeds Only)
  • 1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
  • 1/3 cup cumin seed
  • 1/4 cup coriander seed
  • 3 each cinnamon stick, 3-inches long
  • 6 cloves

How to Make It

  1. Put the ginger, onions, and garlic into a blender container, and blend to a paste, adding a Tablespoon of water if necessary. Set aside.
  2. Put the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom pods in one bowl.
  3. Put the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt in another bowl.
  4. Put the yogurt into another bowl.
  5. Wash and chop and drain the fresh spinach, have it ready to add into the dish. (Or defrost the frozen spinach.)
  1. Put the remaining teaspoon of salt into another bowl.
  2. Now, heat the vegetable oil in a large dutch oven.
  3. When hot, put in the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
  4. Stir for a second. Now put in the onions, garlic, and ginger.
  5. Stir and fry until the paste starts to develop brown specks.
  6. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Stir together, then add the meat.
  7. Stir and fry for a minute.
  8. Next, add the yogurt 1 teaspoon at a time, until the yogurt has been mixed thoroughly with the other ingredients. Keep on frying until the meat has a slightly browned look.
  9. Add the spinach, bit by bit, stirring in more as the spinach in the pan wilts. Keep stirring and cooking until the spinach wilts completely. It should give up its juices, to cook the meat.
  10. Now, put the entire mixture in the slow cooker/Crock Pot, and allow to simmer for 6-8 hours on high or 8 - 10 hours on low, until meat is tender.
  11. When done, sprinkle the garam masala (instructions below) over the meat, and stir in, then simmer for about 5 minutes longer. If there is too much liquid, simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes until sauce is thicker.

 

For the Garam Masala

  1. Combine all ingredients and grind very fine, using a blender or a coffee grinder.
  2. Store in a tightly closed container with other spices.

Note : Garam Masala can be kept for a couple of months.

Thanks to N.S. Nasim for sharing.

 

Craving more? Check out these recipes:

Beef and Guinness Stew

Mom's Homemade Beef Stew

Beef and Red Wine Stew

Perfect Beef Stew

Crockpot Beef and Pinto Bean Stew

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 671
Total Fat 38 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Unsaturated Fat 22 g
Cholesterol 137 mg
Sodium 1,018 mg
Carbohydrates 36 g
Dietary Fiber 12 g
Protein 54 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)