Whenever I cook, I have a lot of criteria I have to meet. Health problems mean that I follow a pretty strict diet. Wheat and gluten free, dairy free, additive free, high protein, high sodium, low grain, low fruit, low sugar, low refined carbs...whew. In addition, I have to eat at least every three hours to stabilise my blood sugar, and fatigue means that I need to have lots of freezer meals ready to whip out whenever I need them. And I'm on a tight budget.
Which all begs the question, what the hell do I eat? Sometimes I wonder that myself! It's challenging, but since I feel better when I eat right for me, I'm motivated to find dishes that work. Plus, I've never been shy of a challenge, and I love to cook. I always have. Some of my favourite memories are of cooking as a child in my mum's kitchen. I have a complete inability to follow a recipe, or to create the same thing twice. I'm always changing things, tweaking, experimenting. This time, I've combined two recipes from Food.com and The Spice House to create my own slow-cooked Persian beef stew. The flavours of Iran are warming and aromatic, and bring out the best in the eggplant and beef. Pumpkin and kumara aren't traditional ingredients of Persian beef stew, but their sweet roasted flavour adds a lot to the dish, and gives it a healthier vege-to-meat ratio too.
Here we go.
Slow-Cooked Persian Beef Stew with Eggplant, Pumpkin, and Kumara
1 kg blade steak
1 large onion 3 large cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant
1/4 of a crown pumpkin
1 large kumara (sweet potato)
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
Salt (preferably unrefined stuff like Pink Himalayan salt)
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
Generous grind of black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch cardamom
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Prepare the ingredients first. Slice the eggplant into four lengthwise slices, lay them on a plate and sprinkle with lots of salt. Leave to allow the bitter juices to seep from the eggplant. Peel the pumpkin and kumara and chop into bite-sized cubes. Place the pumpkin and kumara in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss in plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and barely tender.
Meanwhile, cut off the extra fat from the beef and cut into big chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dice the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. (Cut off the root end and then smash it under the flat blade of a knife using the heel of your hand. The skin will peel off easily. This is also very satisfying if you're stressed about something. Just visualise the problem (or their face) on the cloves of garlic as you smash them. But I digress.) Now rinse the eggplant, dry on paper towels and cut into chunks the same size as the beef.
Heat a big pan or oventop casserole to high heat and sear the steak in some olive oil until the meat is browned and sealed. Remove and add the onions and garlic, cooking until lightly browned and sweet-smelling. Remove the onions and fry the eggplant in the same way, browning in lots of olive oil.
Add the beef, onions and garlic back to the pot, along with the tomatoes, spices, and 1 tsp salt. Cover with a snug-fitting lid, bring to a slow simmer (barely bubbling, just about the lowest heat you can get), and leave to cook for 2 1/2 hours. If you're like me, you can use this time to have a cup of tea, watch TV and feel smug about what a domestic goddess you are.
After 2 1/2 hours, remove the lid and smell the stew...mmm. Taste it - the beef should be meltingly tender. You may need to add more salt at this point and don't be stingy with it. Add the pumpkin, kumara, and eggplant and bring back to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.
Serve in wide bowls on a bed of steamed green veges or long-grain brown rice.
This freezes very well - just make sure you undercook the veges slightly so they don't end up mushy after the freezing/thawing process.
