If you’re looking for a comforting and wholesome meal for dinner, look no further than this Persian Split Pea Beef Stew recipe. This flavorful and easy-to-make stew is served over a bed of fluffy basmati rice for the kind of meal that warms your soul.
Much of this Persian Split Pea Beef Stew recipe’s fantastic flavor comes from the split peas that are utilized to create it. While lentils and quinoa are some of the more famous alternative grains found in grocery stores, split peas shouldn’t be forgotten. These little pea seeds are hearty and tasty, especially in this classic Persian beef stew. It’s important to note that when you are shopping for split peas, make sure to purchase slow-cooking ones. Similar to lentils, regular split peas will become mushy and unsightly if they’re cooked too long. Instead, use slow-cooking split peas to keep your stew looking great while also giving it the proper time to develop all that fantastic flavor.
There’s also another ingredient that really makes this Persian Split Pea Beef Stew recipe shine, and that ingredient is turmeric. Until recently, turmeric was underutilized in North American cooking. For those who have enjoyed ethnic cuisine throughout the years, they’ve become accustomed to the flavor of turmeric for quite some time now.
Persian Split Pea Beef Stew with Basmati Rice
Turmeric is used in a variety of Middle Eastern recipes and is often a staple in Middle Eastern diets. While too much turmeric can make food bitter, a little bit of this golden spice actually creates a subtle, mustard-like flavor that not only enhances the taste of your food, but also adds fantastic color along with added health benefits. In this split pea stew, turmeric is sprinkled over the beef after the beef has been sautéed and browned. Split peas are then added, along with a few tablespoons of tomato paste, which also adds robust flavor.
The stew is assembled in one-pot in less than 10 minutes. After that, it’s left on its own for about an hour and a half, at which point it can be served warm over a mound of white rice. The rice component of this dish consists of long-grain basmati rice that’s cooked with water, a little bit of vegetable oil, and salt. Once the rice is ready, you can optionally spray some saffron on it for even more great flavor and aroma. A bowl of this gourmet, yet completely feasible, Persian Split Pea Beef Stew recipe with basmati rice will quickly become a new favorite in your dinner rotation.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lbs chuck roast beef, cubed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup slow-cooking split peas
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 splash of lemon juice
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Spray 'N' Serve® Saffron Spray (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic, sauté until the onion has softened.
- Add the cubed beef and cook until browned.
- Sprinkle the turmeric all over the beef and stir until the turmeric is mixed in.
- Add the tomato paste and stir until all the beef is coated in paste.
- Add in the split peas and stir again. Cook for another minute.
- Pour enough water to cover all the contents of the pot.
- Add in the salt and lemon juice, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, cover and cook over medium-low heat (but more towards a low flame) for about 1 1/2 hours, until the beef is tender and the stew is thicker in consistency. Make sure to check on the stew every now and then and give it a stir.
- Begin cooking the rice about 25 minutes before your stew is done. Add rice to a medium pot. Rinse the rice under water, then drain the rice.
- Add 3 1/2 cups of fresh water to the rice in the pot.
- Add the vegetable oil and salt; stir to combine.
- Bring the rice to a boil. Once the water has reduced to just below the surface of the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water has drained.
- Add saffron spray to the rice before serving if desired.
- Serve split pea stew over rice.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: If you like the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot known as "tadig," simply begin cooking your rice from 1 hour ahead (rather than 25 minutes), and cook over low heat. Once the rice has finished cooking, run a knife along the edges of the rice before flipping it out onto a plate like you would with an upside-down cake.
We hope you love this Persian Split Pea Beef Stew recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Beeta from Mon Petit Four, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, you can find more like it by visiting our Soup Section so you always have a comforting dinner recipe on hand. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss a single recipe, and for daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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