Delicious Moroccan Beef Stew

This is so delicious.  It can be made vegan if you omit the meat, use kosher broth cubes, reduce the oil and use additional vegetables.  I love eggplant, summer squash, mushrooms, lentils, and curry leaf in this, myself. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb (or 1/2 kilo) stew meat
2 Tbsp plain flour
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbsp ginger (fresh) peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 cinnamon quill (stick)
1 litre vegetable or beef stock
2 x 400g cans peeled tomatoes
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

To serve:
1 lemon, zested
fresh corriander (cilantro)

Method:

Dust beef with flour (I shake it in a bag)
Heat half the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot and brown the beef well.
Add onions, garlic and ginger and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Add the rest of the olive oil and spices and fry gently for 5 minutes
Turn up the heat and add the stock and tinned tomatoes
Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper as desired (I wait until closer to the end to season)

Cover and simmer gently for 1-1/2 - 2 hours, till beef is totally tender.
** If you wish, this step can be done in a slow cooker (crock pot) and cooked overnight or on a blech.**

Add the chickpeas, simmer for a bit and check seasonings.

Serve in large bowls with rice (I am making saffron rice!) and plenty of challah.

This would make for a fantastic 'cholent' or hamin, as I call it.

I prefer a bit more cumin and chili in mine. I also like the taste of hawaij - a mixture of cardamom, tumeric and other spices.

The version above will please even palates of children.

In addition, other vegetables such as fresh spinach, zucchini, small diced potatoes, carrot, eggplant, and okra (YUM!) can be added if it is for Shabbat dinner. These tender vegetables will over-cook if for hamin.

K (F) but can be K (P)