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    Home » African dishes

    Classic Kenyan Beef Stew Recipe

    Dated: October 27, 2020 . Modified: Jan 6, 2022 by Kate Hahnel

    Jump to Recipe

    I am glad to finally be able to share with you my classic Kenyan beef stew recipe. Beef is slowly stewed in tomatoes, curry powder, and other spices to give you some hearty and fork-tender stew to serve alongside some Swahili pilau or your favorite side dishes!

    You can make this beef stew on the stovetop or using your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.

    Kenyan Beef Stew
    Credit: paleolowcarbkate - Kenyan Beef Stew
    Jump to:
    • Equipment and Ingredients
    • Here is how to make Kenyan Beef Stew
    • Instant Pot Instructions
    • More East African Recipes you will love!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Just like with most African recipes, actually all recipes, there is no cast in stone way of making East African or Kenyan beef stew. Variations are normally based on the type of vegetables used. The base of the stew is tomatoes and the key is in using fresh vegetables, which will depend on the seasonality.

    The ''how to'' make East African or Kenyan beef stew has evolved over time. Nowadays, most people use stock cubes or Royco (a type of flavor enhancer made out of cornstarch, herbs, and spices). Since we are making the healthy version, we will only be using natural ingredients for this recipe. Speaking of which, make sure to check out this coconut chicken (Kuku Paka, ugali, and beef samosa recipes!

    Equipment and Ingredients

    • Cutting board - to chop the beef. You can also ask your butcher to cut it for you.
    • Sharp knife
    • A medium-sized pot or pan - just make sure the pan is wide or deep enough for the stock.
    • 6 or 8 Quart Instant Pot - for the instant pot method.
    • Stewing beef - use other cuts of meat if you prefer, just make sure that it does not have too many bones.
    • Spices - curry powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric.
    • Pantry staples - salt and olive oil.
    • Vegetables - red bell peppers, tomato, tomato puree, onion and cilantro (optional). We use red onions in Kenya because they are more readily available and affordable. You can also use some yellow onions. Other optional vegetables for this Kenyan beef stew recipe include carrots, peas, potatoes or green bell peppers.

    Here is how to make Kenyan Beef Stew

    STEP 1

    Use your chopping board to cut your beef into stewing chunks. Season it with a teaspoon of salt, curry powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, and black pepper, and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for best results.

    Blending tomatoes, onion, red bell pepper, tomato puree and salt in a jug.
    Blend

    STEP 2

    Using your blender or hand mixer, process onion, the remaining salt, tomato, red bell pepper, and tomato puree. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the garlic and ginger. Alternatively, process the garlic and ginger with the tomatoes in the blender if you prefer.

    Adding blended tomato mixture (tomato, tomato puree, onion, bell peppers and salt) to the pot with stewing beef.
    Add the tomato mixture

    STEP 3

    Under high heat, heat a medium-sized pot or pan then add the oil. Add the beef chunks and allow them to brown (about 2-3 minutes) on each side. Turn and allow the other side to brown for about 2 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger. Fry for a further 2 minutes until fragrant then add the blended tomato mixture and stir.

    If making this on the stovetop, simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring from time to time. You can add more water if you prefer your stew to have more sauce.

    STEP 4

    Serve this Kenyan beef stew with some ranch cauliflower mash or your favorite side dish.

    Instant Pot Instructions

    If using the Instant Pot, cook the beef according to steps 1-3 above in the Instant Pot. Close the lid, making sure it is set to SEAL then set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 25 minutes. Once the cooking time is over, allow the Kenyan beef stew to naturally pressure release for at least 10 minutes before using the manual pressure release function.

    Kenyan Beef Stew
    Kenyan Beef Stew

    More East African Recipes you will love!

    • Samaki wa Kupaka- Grilled fish in Coconut Sauce
    • The Best Chips Mayai Recipe
    • The Ultimate Nyama Choma Recipe
    • Best Pilau Masala Spice Recipe

    Great news, you have made it this far which means you probably made or are making this Kenyan beef stew recipe! It would go a long way if you could leave a ⭐rating on the recipe card or comment in the comments section below.

    Feel free to follow me on my social channels! Tag me @weeatatlast (formerly paleolowcarbkate) on Instagram, pin it on Pinterest, or like on Facebook for the latest updates! Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel or our Newsletter for regular recipe notifications!

    The recipe was modified with process shots in January 2022. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, at no extra cost to you.

    📖 Recipe

    Kenyan Beef Stew

    Classic Kenyan Beef Stew Recipe

    Kate Hahnel
    Classic Kenyan Beef Stew recipe stewed in curry powder and other flavorful spices. This African dish pairs well with so many side dishes; serve it with cauliflower rice for a wonderful low carb meal.
    5 from 21 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine African, Kenyan
    Servings 4
    Calories 440 kcal

    Equipment

    6 Quart (5.7 litres) OR 8 Quart (7.6 litres) Instant Pot
    Sharp knife
    Cooking pot or pan
    Chopping board

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lbs beef (approx. 500g )
    • ½ can tomato puree (approx. 5.4 oz or 153 grams)
    • 1 tomato medium-sized
    • 1½ onions medium-sized
    • 2 red bell peppers
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 0.5 " ginger (slightly more than 1 cm in length)
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon curry powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro (coriander) optional

    Instructions
     

    • Use your chopping board to cut your beef into stewing chunks. Season it with a teaspoon of salt, curry powder, turmeric, smoked paprika and black pepper and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for best results.
    • Using your blender, process onion, the remaining salt, tomato, red bell pepper and tomato puree.
    • Use a pestle and mortar to grind the garlic and ginger. (Alternatively, process the garlic and ginger with the tomatoes in the blender if you prefer).
    • Under high heat, heat a medium-sized pot or pan then add the oil. Add the beef chunks and allow them to brown (about 2-3 minutes) on each side. Turn and allow the other side to brown for about 2 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger. Fry for a further 2 minutes until fragrant then add the blended tomato mixture and stir.
    • If making this on the stovetop, simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring from time to time. You can add more water if you prefer more sauce.
      Instant Pot Instructions: Close the lid, making sure it is set to SEAL then set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 25 minutes. Once the cooking time is over, allow the Kenyan Beef stew to naturally pressure release for at least 10 minutes before using the manual pressure release function.
    • Garnish with some coriander or parsley. Serve while hot and enjoy with your favourite side dish.

    Notes

    • You can also stir in other vegetables such as carrots, peas, potatoes or green bell peppers into the stew.
    • Add more water if you prefer your stew to have more sauce.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 440kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 21gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 961mgPotassium: 690mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2474IUVitamin C: 87mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a rating by clicking on the stars above on this recipe card.or simply PIN on Pinterest for later!!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachel

      December 09, 2021 at 1:34 am

      Is there a measurement for the can of tomato purée? How many ounce can?

      Reply
      • Kate Hahnel

        December 09, 2021 at 11:14 pm

        Hi, it's there now, thank you!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Kate! I am here to show you how easy it is to recreate African recipes at home and that you should not be intimidated at all!

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