This Creole Beef Stew- Styou Bef Kreol- is hearty and flavourful. Cooked in a rich and savoury sauce, it is soul-satisfying comfort at its best.
- 750 g chuck beef
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 large green pepper- cubed
- 1 large potato- peeled and cubed
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 15 g ginger, crushed
- 150 g beans- cleaned and cut approx. 3 cm
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of parsley-chopped
- 500 ml water
- 1 tin baby carrots or two large carrots cubed
- salt and pepper
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Remove any visible sinew and extra fat from the beef cut. Do not remove all fat because you need some fat to flavour the stew.
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Cut the beef into small bite size cubes and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over and toss the seasoned beef to coat it on all side
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Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat and sweat onion. Add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Add the beef and stir to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot with a heavy lid and allow the spices to blend into the meat. Let it steam for about three minutes.
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Gradually add water and deglaze the pot. Once the the deglazing is done, add the tomato purée, turn the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a heavy lid and allow the beef to cook for about45 minutes or until it is tender. Check it occasionally to see if the beef is tender using a fork and add some more water if the sauce starts to dry out.
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Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes using low heat. Beef stew needs time for the flavour to develop and the broth to thicken. If you add your last set of ingredients too early, especially the potatoes, they will break up and thicken your stew.
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Your meat should now be meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich, deeply flavored sauce. Taste the stew and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve warm on a bed of freshly boiled rice.
The cooking time of the dish will vary depending on the meat cut and the age of the beef.
The recipe above is a basic traditional Seychellois recipe. You may decide to be creative and add other ingredients like mushrooms, celery and flavour it with bay leaves, soy sauce and brandy.