Although you probably won't want to make this recipe on Thanksgiving Day, it is perfect for the fall or winter weather. And when I saw the pumpkin seeds, I knew I had to give it a try!
From the book Home Cooking Around the World by David Ricketts, this is just one of the recipes I have already tested out. The gorgeous, glossy photos in this volume will have your mouth watering in seconds flat. My only complaint is the formatting of the book is peculiar: each recipe is introduced with its title on one page, but you then have to TURN the page to find the list of ingredients and instructions. Rather annoying, in my opinion.
Anyway, this hearty beef stew is quite unusual as it is thickened with ground, toasted pumpkin seeds. The author claims this is traditional in East African dishes. I have made African stews in the past which featured peanut butter as the thickener. Also delicious! I didn't have all the correct spices on hand, so I substituted a garam masala blend, adding some extra cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. I thought the flavors were slightly sweet, gently warming, and fairly subtle. The version below has a couple of small changes from the original recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3 TB olive oil (coconut or peanut oil would also work)
1 pound sirloin steak tail, cut into small cubes
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 teas. ground cumin
1/2 teas. ground coriander
1/2 teas. allspice
1/4 teas. ground cloves
1/4 teas. ground cinnamon
1/2 teas. sea salt
1/4 teas. black pepper
1 can beef broth (I just used water.)
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 TB light molasses
1 cup chopped kale leaves (no stems)
More toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
In a large dry skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Should only take 3-4 minutes. Cool seeds then place in a blender and grind to a fine powder, but not into butter.
In same skillet, heat 2 TB of oil. Brown meat on all sides, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Should take about 4 minutes per batch. Remove meat from the pan.
Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion and red pepper and stir frequently, cooking until onion becomes soft and translucent. Then add spices and pumpkin seeds to pan. Stir for about a minute. Add remaining ingredients (except for kale and garnish) and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour or until meat is tender.
Add kale and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Spoon stew into bowls and garnish with whole pumpkin seeds. Serve over roasted sweet potatoes, mashed butternut squash, or fried plantains. Makes about 4 servings.
From the book Home Cooking Around the World by David Ricketts, this is just one of the recipes I have already tested out. The gorgeous, glossy photos in this volume will have your mouth watering in seconds flat. My only complaint is the formatting of the book is peculiar: each recipe is introduced with its title on one page, but you then have to TURN the page to find the list of ingredients and instructions. Rather annoying, in my opinion.
Anyway, this hearty beef stew is quite unusual as it is thickened with ground, toasted pumpkin seeds. The author claims this is traditional in East African dishes. I have made African stews in the past which featured peanut butter as the thickener. Also delicious! I didn't have all the correct spices on hand, so I substituted a garam masala blend, adding some extra cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. I thought the flavors were slightly sweet, gently warming, and fairly subtle. The version below has a couple of small changes from the original recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3 TB olive oil (coconut or peanut oil would also work)
1 pound sirloin steak tail, cut into small cubes
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 teas. ground cumin
1/2 teas. ground coriander
1/2 teas. allspice
1/4 teas. ground cloves
1/4 teas. ground cinnamon
1/2 teas. sea salt
1/4 teas. black pepper
1 can beef broth (I just used water.)
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 TB light molasses
1 cup chopped kale leaves (no stems)
More toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
In a large dry skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Should only take 3-4 minutes. Cool seeds then place in a blender and grind to a fine powder, but not into butter.
In same skillet, heat 2 TB of oil. Brown meat on all sides, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Should take about 4 minutes per batch. Remove meat from the pan.
Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion and red pepper and stir frequently, cooking until onion becomes soft and translucent. Then add spices and pumpkin seeds to pan. Stir for about a minute. Add remaining ingredients (except for kale and garnish) and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour or until meat is tender.
Add kale and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Spoon stew into bowls and garnish with whole pumpkin seeds. Serve over roasted sweet potatoes, mashed butternut squash, or fried plantains. Makes about 4 servings.
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