Classic Kenyan Beef Stew Recipe

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.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine African, Kenyan

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 440kcal

Author Kate Hahnel

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lbs beef (approx. 500g )
1 can tomato puree or blended tomatoes (see notes) (approx. 14 oz or 400 grams - use more or less tomatoes, depending on how you prefer your stew)
1 tomato medium-sized
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1½ onions medium-sized
2 red bell peppers
3 cloves garlic
0.5 " ginger (slightly more than 1 cm in length)
3-4 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon salt (use more or less salt, depending on taste)
½ teaspoon curry powder (use quarter of a teaspoon or leave it out if you do not like curry powder)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
¾ cup water (see notes)
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 crush the garlic and ginger.
Under high heat, heat a medium-sized pot or pan then add the oil. Add the beef chunks and allow them to brown (about 2-5 minutes) on each side. Turn and allow the other side to brown for about 2 minutes, then stir in the crushed garlic, ginger, and tomato paste. Fry for a further 2-5 minutes until brown and fragrant then add the blended tomato mixture and stir.
Simmer for 30-45 minutes (see notes below), stirring from time to time. You can add water, a little at a time, if you prefer more sauce or if your pan feels too dry. Also check for salt and pepper at this point and add some more, if preferred.
Garnish with some coriander or parsley. Serve while hot and enjoy with your favourite side dish.

Notes

Tomato puree is similar to blended tomatoes, do not confuse it with tomato paste.
The total time excludes the time it takes to marinate the meat and will differ, depending on how soft or tough your meat is. Softer beef will take anything from 20 minutes, while tougher cuts may take up to an hour.
You can also stir in other vegetables such as carrots, peas, potatoes, or green bell peppers into the stew.
Add more water, a little at a time, if you prefer your stew to have more sauce or if you notice your stew is getting too dry.
Feel free to leave out the curry powder, if you do not like curry, or use less tomato puree for a thinner sauce.
To make this stew on the Instant Pot: Add the beef, blended ingredients, and spices to 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. How your meat cooks will depend on how soft or tough of a cut you are using.

Nutrition