This Pea Stew is a Lebanese classic comfort dish. The combination of vegetables and tender beef and rice makes this a healthy, hearty meal for kids and adults combined!
Keyword: Bazella w riz, Lebanese Pea Stew with Rice, Pea Stew
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 579kcal
Author: Iman
Ingredients
1lbBeef Stew Cubes
1lbFrozen Peas
3Carrots1.5 Cups Chopped
1bunchCilantro
8clovesGarlic
¼cupTomato Paste
2tb.Vegetable Oil
1½tsp.Salt
½tsp.Black Pepper
½tsp.Ground Coriander
Instructions
Begin by boiling the beef. Add the beef to your pressure cooker along with enough water to cover the meat plus a few inches. Do not cover at this time. Boil for 10 minutes on high heat. Throw away the first batch of water and rinse out the meat from excess fat. Add 6-8 cups of water to the beef along with whatever you typically use to boil meat. I like to add a half small onion, 1 large bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, a few cloves, 2 teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Cover with lid and set the pressure cooker on the highest level over medium-high heat. Once the pressure cooker begins to whistle after 7-10 minutes, lower the heat to medium and set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off heat and let pressure cooker release the steam. Set aside with the fresh broth. **
Wash the fresh bunch of cilantro and cut off the stems. Finely chop and set aside.
Peel the garlic and cut in half or thirds. Place in a mortar and top with half teaspoon of salt. Crush garlic well.
Wash and peel the carrots. Dice into small ½ inch cubes. Set aside.
In a large deep pot, heat up 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add chopped cilantro and crushed garlic and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
Add diced carrots and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add 6 cups of the fresh beef broth along with ¼ cup of tomato paste. Mix until tomato paste has dissolved. Add the bag of frozen peas, and cooked beef cubes. Lower heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Lastly, add the dried coriander, salt and pepper. Taste for preference.
Rice
Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the vermicelli noodles and cook until golden brown for 5 minutes. (Keep your eye on the noodles as they go from perfect o burnt in less than a minute!)
Add the washed rice and mix together. Add the water and salt and mix until combined. Cook over medium heat until boiling.
1. Once the water begins boiling, reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Cook for 12-15 minutes until fluffy.
Notes
If you do not own a pressure cooker, you can boil the beef in any pot. The directions are the same except instead of setting a timer for 20 minutes, it will need about 60-70 minutes. I use the Fagor Duo 10-Quart Pressure Cooker because it's very easy to use and clean.