Iranian Sumac Beef Stew


     It's time for this months Improv Cooking Challenge!! I was super excited this month that the ingredients this month are some of my favorites. This month we are combining Sumac and Yogurt! And with my love of middle eastern food those are a combination I cook with regularly. Sumac is a lovely, vibrant, spice that is a bit like lemons or cranberries. It's a little tart but not really sour. Todays' recipe comes by way of Rozina's Persian Kitchen and is Sumac Beef Stew with Sumac. Top with a nice yogurt sauce and you have the Improv ingredients needed. 

     It's really easy to order on Amazon. But if you are up for a little more adventure you can also forage your own. Collect the berries and dry them out. then grind, sift, and grind again. It's really fun to make your own. For the complete directions check my post here

     Sumac has a lot of delicious applications. One of my favorites is the warming Palestinian dish Musakhan. Lots of caramelized onions and sumac with roast chicken on flatbread. It also makes a delicious drink, similar to lemonade. And last but not least a delicious macerated red onion and sumac salad that traditionally goes on shawarma. 


Improv Cooking Challenge: June 2021

Sumac and Yogurt

Sumac Beef Stew Recipe
1/4 c. olive oil
4 large onions, chopped
2 lb. stew beef
1/4 c. sumac
1 large potato, peeled and sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. turmeric paste
dash allspice
2 beef bouillon cubes
3 c. water

Cooked rice to serve

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the meat in batches. Add only enough to cover a little over half of the surface of the pan at a time. Sear on two sides and remove. Continue until all of the meat is cooked. Remove from the pan and keep warm. 

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onions. Turn the heat to medium and cook until starting to turn brown. This will take about 20 minutes and the onions will shrink by at least half. Add the cinnamon, allspice, garlic, and turmeric to the pan. Cook for and additional 5 minutes. 

Add the meat back to the pan and add the beef bouillon and water to the pan. Cover and simmer for an hour to an hour and a half or until the meat is tender. 

Once the meat is tender bring to a boil and add the potatoes and sumac. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. 

Serve with rice. 

Comments

  1. This sounds amazing. I ordered my sumac up through Amazon and I am anxious to try more recipes using it.

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  2. This stew sounds absolutely delicious! Having never used sumac before - I love all these tasty recipe ideas!

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  3. I love that beef stew translates through nearly every cuisine! I need to make this to use up some more of my sumac!

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  4. The entire meal is stunning. Loved the choice and this is a delicious one!

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  5. when do you add the sumac?

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    1. Thank you so much for asking! The sumac is added at the end with the potatoes before the final simmer.

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  6. Sorry, is this really a quarter CUP of sumac? Thanks

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    1. It is! It's the equivalent of 4 tablespoons and it adds a great flavor to the stew.

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  7. I had a fabulous sumac dish made with chicken while visiting Israel from the U.S.A. a few years ago. I loved the caramelized onions and purple sumac topping and I’m not really a goody, but this was amazing and new to my food repertoire. So I’m here today looking for a beef recipe to use with the Sumac I brought home from Egypt a couple months ago. I’m going to try the stew!

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  8. Delicious! Had just enough sumac. Great on a chilly evening! Thank you!

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  9. Gotta try this! Sumac is free on the side of the road everywhere I've lived. Those red bunches of hard berries are delicious! Don't let anyone confuse it for the poison white sumac, which looks completely eifferent and is rare in the South.

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  10. We already sprinkle lots of sumac on kabobs, mixed green salads, eggplant dishes. I have to try this stew. I will probably substitute lamb for the beef.

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