Beef Short Rib Stew with Spinach Jeqe

“Nobody makes a stew quite like my mom. This was probably the most requested recipe of all time on my Instagram feed, so, here it is! Enjoy, everybody.” – Khanya Mzongwana

INGREDIENTS

2kg beef short rib
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
50ml vegetable oil
200g tomato paste
2 T low sodium meat seasoning
750ml – 1l beef or chicken stock
1 cup red kidney beans
1 batch spinach bread dough (see below)

For the Spinach Jeqe:

1kg cake wheat flour plus extra for dusting
10g instant dry yeast
2 cups spinach, shredded
50ml vegetable oil
2 T salt
4 T brown sugar
Approx. 800ml tepid water

METHOD

Heat a heavy based casserole and add oil. Fry the short-rib and season with the meat seasoning to add colour and seal in flavour. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic and fry until the onion is translucent. Throw in the beef stock. Stir in the tomato paste. Allow to simmer on a medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring at short intervals before adding the spinach dough.

Roll the dough into balls and arrange on the surface of the stew. Cover the stew with a lid and turn the stove down to a medium-low heat. Cook the dumplings for thirty minutes without lifting the lid to allow for undisturbed cooking. Once 30 minutes has elapsed, lift the lid and remove one or two of the dumplings to stir the stew and check seasoning. Serve hot.

To make the spinach jeqe:

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl, adding the shredded spinach and oil afterwards and working into the dry mixture thoroughly. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and gradually add the tepid water, working it into the mixture until a dough begins to form. Add the water slowly so as not to get too wet a dough. Knead in the bowl for about 5 – 10 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and is workable. Roll into a ball and place back in the bowl. Cover with cling film and place somewhere warm. Allow the dough to prove until doubled in size. Once dough is ready, knock down and reshape into small balls. Gently place on top of the surface of the stew, ensuring enough space for the dumplings to rise as they cook.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Khanya Mzongwana