Middle Eastern Lentil Beef Stew

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This hearty one-pot meal is a great on a cold winter night to warm you up. The mild heat from the jalapeno is a great complement to the sweetness of the fruit and the Middle East spice blend combining turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon.

Have you ever ordered your groceries online and what you thought would be 2-3 pounds of beef ended up being 1 pound? So I got to thinking how could I stretch out the stew to feed the family with just 1 pound of beef cubes. I came up with this Lentil Beef Stew combining Middle Eastern spices in a tasty broth. It was both kid and husband approved!

The dried fruit in this recipe is a great way to add some sweetness that balances the spices. The potatoes also add some creaminess. The jalapeno adds just a bit of heat that goes well with the sweet and savory spice combination.

Middle Eastern Lentil Beef Stew
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Middle Eastern Lentil Beef Stew

Recipe by The Cooking LawyerCourse: DinnerCuisine: Middle EasternDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs. beef, cubed

  • 1 cup lentils

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 2 stalks celery, diced

  • 2 carrots, diced

  • 2 potatoes, cubed

  • 1 bell pepper, diced

  • 1 jalapeno, diced

  • 28 oz. diced tomatoes

  • 5 cups beef or vegetable broth

  • 1/4 cup brandy

  • 1 TBS corn starch

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger

  • 1.5 tsp turmeric

  • 1.5 tsp paprika

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp coriander

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1/4 cup craisins

  • Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

  • Dice onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, and jalapeno.
  • In large pot or Dutch oven, sauté vegetables over low heat until onion is translucent and softened.
  • Turn heat to high, then add meat cubes to sear for 1-2 minutes.
  • Rinse lentils to remove any residue.
  • Add lentils to pot, and sauté for a minute.
  • Add the brandy to deglaze the pot scraping any brown bits with a wooden spoon.
  • Add diced tomatoes and 4 cups of broth.
  • Add corn starch to the remaining cup of broth, and stir to create a slurry.
  • Add the slurry to the pot. Mix well and bring to a boil.
  • Dice the potatoes.
  • Add the diced potatoes, minced garlic, and ginger.
  • Add the bay leaves, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper.
  • Add the craisins. Stir well.
  • Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer with lid on. Stir occasionally.
  • Let simmer for about 40 minutes until lentils are well cooked.
  • Ladle into bowls letting each bowl cool for about 5 minutes to let the corn starch thicken the stew.

Notes

  • You can use craisins, dried apricots, or raisins. The dried fruit gives the stew a nice balanced sweetness to mellow out the heat and complement the cinnamon.
  • You can also add 1/4 tsp allspice for more warmth of spice.
  • Leave me your thoughts below about this recipe.

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