Another one of my favorite childhood recipes, this simple and super delicious combination of juicy, tangy tomatoes and tender spiced meat is as comforting in the winter as being wrapped in a warm blank with treasured memories. Yes I did learn the original recipe from Ami but have made a few changes, just to accommodate for the ingredients I had available at the time. Ami’s recipe calls for baby goat leg meat (did you know baby goat meat is called ‘capretto?’-I seriously just learned that today from Google). As Ami insists, and I do agree, bone-in meat cuts for sure give a more intense, rich flavor to her Tamatar Gosht recipe, as it slowly cooks in the gravy but nonetheless, my use of boneless beef stew meat will not disappoint.
Of course using fresh ripe tomatoes is preferred, but since I had an excess of canned tomatoes in the pantry that demanded some attention, I decided to substitute as such. As is true for most of Ami’s authentic recipes, in order for this recipe to cohesively come together, to merge and mingle into a marinade of flavors, it must be simmered for a few hours. Only when the aroma of spices, tomatoes, onions, garlic beckons with intensity and the cooked beef stew meat falls apart with a gentle thumb press, is this pot of goodness ready to serve. That very first bite with some plain Basmati rice (or with Parathas), will have you convinced that the wait was so worth it!
Tamatar Gosht (Spiced Tomato and Beef Stew)
Ingredients
For Meat Marination
- 3 lbs beef stew meat
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 3 tbsp plain yogurt *whisked
For Gravy
- 5 tbsp Canola oil *or vegetable
- 1 large yellow onion *chopped
- 5 cloves garlic *chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¾ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 28 oz canned whole tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves *crushed
- ¼ cup fried onions
Instructions
For Meat Marination
- Rinse and pat dry beef cubes and place in large mixing bowl. Add whisked yogurt, ginger + garlic paste, spices (garam masala + coriander powder) and Kosher salt to meat. Mix and massage well to coat meat and incorporate all ingredients. Set aside to marinate for at least 30-45 minutes.
For Gravy
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes, mixing as needed. Once onions are soft and translucent, add chopped garlic, mix to combine and continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium low, add spices (black pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, coriander powder and cumin powder) and salt. Add a splash of water (to prevent spices from burning), mix well, continue to cook for 1 minute, then add canned whole tomatoes, break tomatoes apart with wooden spoon and cook gravy for 10-12 minutes on medium heat, mixing as needed. Add marinated meat and ½ cup of water, stir, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes until meat is fork-tender.
- Add crushed fenugreek leaves and fried onions, mix to combine. Cook on medium high heat for a final 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until gravy is reduced and oil separates. Tantalizing Tamatar Gosht is now ready to serve. A warm heaping ladle atop some plain Basmati rice-so very delicious. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.