This post didn’t age well… When I was planning for this project, Artsakh was still in existence. De jure part of Azerbaijan, de facto a Republic, recognised only by Armenia. When I finally did the recipe, it became even de facto part of Azerbaijan after (another) brief war in the area, and as of the 1st of January 2024, exists as a government in exile, in Yerevan Armenia. Enough about the history background! Let’s get to cooking! I must say that I was very surprised how similar this is to one dish from Cyprus (my country of origin), called “tavas”. In the cypriot version, you may replace rice with potatoes. Keep in mind that this dish requires a bit more time than the usual, so perhaps you can save this recipe for a weekend!
Ingredients
- 700 g beef chuck or stew beef, cut in large chunks
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, chunked (optional)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 400 g canned tomatoes (crushed) or 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 500–700 ml beef stock or water + 1 stock cube
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- Salt + black pepper
- 200–250 g longngrain rice, rinsed well (basmati works)
- A small bunch parsley or dill to finish
- Optional: 1 tbsp butter for richness
Steps
- Start the stew base: Put onion in the bottom of a heavy pot. Layer beef on top. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
- Add veg & tomatoes: Add carrots/pepper (if using), garlic, tomatoes and bay leaves.
- Add liquid: Pour in stock/water until it comes about 2/3 up the contents.
- Simmer first: Bring to a light boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 45–60 minutes until beef is nearly tender.
- Add rice: Stir in rinsed rice. Ensure rice is generously covered with broth (add a splash of hot water/stock if needed).
- Bake: Cover tightly (lid or foil) and bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes until rice is tender.
- Rest & finish: Rest 10 minutes, then fluff. Sprinkle lots of chopped herbs (and butter if using). Taste and adjust seasoning
Lambros' kitchen travellog 