The Best Beef Stew

Instructions

1. 01

   In a pot, add the olive oil and beef on medium heat. Season with the components under beef prep. You want to achive a nice sear on the meat. Once that is done, after a few minutes then set aside the meat onto a plate.

2. 02

   In the same pot, add another spoonful of oil. To that, add the onions and garlic. Season with the spices under vegetable prep. Cook until fragrant and slightly translucent for a few minutes. To this, add the meat once again. Then, add the tomato paste and bouillon cube. Stir everything together.

3. 03

   Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot at this point along with the bay leaves and cardamom pods. Season the potatoes and carrots with salt and pepper. Cover all the components of the stew with stock of choice.

4. 04

   Bring this to a simmer. Allow to cook together for about 1.5 hours. At that point, in a small bowl add a ladle or two of the stew broth and the corn starch to create a slurry. Mix it well together then add it back into the pot and stir. This will help thicken the stew the last half hour of cooking. If you like it thicker, then repeat this step with a bit more corn starch. It is really up to your preferance.

5. 05

   After 2 hours of simmering, all the components should be fork tender. You can taste and season more if necessary.

6. 06

   To make the vermicelli rice, in a pot, add 1 tbsp of ghee along with 1/3 cup of vermicelli. Let this toast a bit with the ghee. Then, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of white rice. Season with a bit of salt. Mix together and let this come to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked through. Fluff every few minutes while cooking. Enjoy this with the beef stew for a hearty meal!