Iraqi-Style Beef and Vegetable Stew
FOR THE SPICE MIXTURE:
1 1⁄2 tsp. black peppercorns
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1⁄2 tsp. coriander seeds
2 white or green cardamom pods
2 whole allspice berries
2 whole cloves
1 chile de árbol
3⁄4 tsp. dried rose petals (optional)
1⁄4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄8 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄8 tsp. ground turmeric
FOR THE STEW:
Canola oil for frying
1 lb. Italian eggplant, peeled
and cut into 3⁄4"-thick rounds
1 lb. waxy-style potatoes, peeled and cut
into 1⁄2"-thick rounds
2 large beefsteak tomatoes,
cored and cut into 1"-thick rounds
1 medium onion, sliced into 3⁄4"-thick rounds
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded,
and quartered
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded,
and quartered
1 lb. beef top round, trimmed and cut
into 4" x 1⁄2" strips
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2⁄3 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1. Make the spice mixture: In a skillet, toast peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cardamom, allspice, and cloves over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let cool; grind to a powder in a spice grinder along with chile and rose petals. Transfer spices to a bowl; stir in nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric. Set spice mixture aside.
2. Make the stew: Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2". Heat over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°. Working in batches, fry eggplant and potatoes until golden, turning, about 2 minutes; transfer to plates. Fry 1 sliced tomato for 15 seconds; drain. Fry onion until golden, about 90 seconds; drain. Fry peppers for 1 minute. Fry beef in batches until browned, about 30 seconds; transfer to a bowl to capture juices.
3. Transfer 3 tbsp. frying oil to a 2-qt. saucepan; place over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook until browned, 1–2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, salt, and reserved meat juices; set aside.
4. Heat oven to 350°. Beginning with raw tomato, layer vegetables and beef in a 6-qt. pot. Season each layer with salt to taste and spice mixture. Pour in tomato sauce; slide a spatula around pot to disperse sauce. Bring to a simmer; bake, covered, for 1 hour. Let rest for 30 minutes. Serve with rice.
SERVES 6 – 8
KristieB, I'd suggest using less oil.
I also made one other adjustment, instead of
using 2/3 cups of tomato paste I used 1/3 cup and
I did not find that using less changed the taste
in anyway. I made this again this past week
for my brother and sister-in-law who were
visiting from overseas and just received an email
from them saying that they are going to be making
the soup this weekend!