Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew (Romanian-Style with Mamaliga)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (or hot, to taste)
- 400 grams beef, cut into cubes
- 4 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 600 milliliters water
- 30 milliliters broth (or tomato passata)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional, for heat)
- 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
- 5 potatoes, cubed
- Green celery, chopped (to taste)
- Green peas (handful, to taste)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
For the Beef Coating:
For Cooking:
Vegetables:
Instructions
- Prep the Beef:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Toss the beef cubes in the mixture until well coated.
- Sear the Beef:
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the beef and sear for 1–2 minutes on each side, just until lightly browned.
- Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the Onion and Build the Base:
- In the same pan, add 2 more tbsp oil.
- Sauté the chopped onion for about 1 minute.
- Add minced garlic, water, broth, bay leaves, and chili flakes.
- Return the beef to the pan, cover with a lid, and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add the Vegetables:
- After 1 hour, remove the bay leaves.
- Add the celery, carrots, and potatoes, stir well.
- Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish and Serve:
- In the final 5 minutes, stir in green peas and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
- Serve hot, ideally with mamaliga (Romanian polenta) on the side.