Last Updated on June 25, 2022
Lebanese Potato and Beef Stew With a side of Rice
It sure is peak summer time now in the Northern Hemisphere and perhaps not an ideal time for hot dishes.. at least not in mom’s dictionary. In summer she tends to shift a bit more towards grilling, seafood, vegetarian and dairy-based dishes that don’t make you sweat like crazy when you enjoy them in a 90F degrees weather. Â However, when it comes to traditional Lebanese stews which we call “Tabekh” (literally translated into “cooking”) I personally can’t say no even if I’m having it in a sauna.
Potato and Beef Stew Recipe
Potato and beef stew is one of the most important dishes around the globe. But here we will explore the Lebanese Potato and Beef Stew With a side of Rice. Let’s have a look at the middle eastern style beef stew with potato.
Today we’re featuring a Potato and Beef Stew which can be called “Yakhnet Batata”… I guess… “Yakhneh” is a typical word used for stews, in general, and “Batata” is potato. And the reason I said “I guess” is because the name varies depending on whom you ask. Some folks call it simply “Batata ma Lahme w Riz” which simply translates to Potatoes with Meat and Rice… Yakhnet Batata Recipe is actually the recipe of Potato and Beef Stew.
Easy Beef and Potato Stew With Rice
Like many stews, our Potato and Beef Stew goes well with a side of rice. We got a bit creative here and added some lentils while cooking the rice. And if you want a real typical Lebanese rice side dish, you would need to add vermicelli which should be broken into smaller pieces (about 1-2 inch long) and fried with butter in your rice cooking pot. As soon as they turn brown you would add the water, rice, salt and cook as you would any rice.
Use a Slow Cooker to Cook The Lebanese Potato and Beef Stew With a Side of Rice
There is no problem adapting this recipe to your slow cooker. In a slow cooker, add all ingredients (except potatoes) after browning the beef according to recipe instructions. During the last 2-3 hours of cooking time, add potatoes to prevent them from becoming mushy. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. And your Lebanese favorite beef and potato dish is ready to serve.
FAQs
How do you make beef stew and potatoes?
The whole procedure of making beef stew and potatoes is provided below.
What kind of potatoes are best for beef stew?
Waxy potatoes will be a perfect choice for you to use in the making of Lebanese beef and potatoes stew. It helps in thickening the dish.
Lebanese Potato and Beef Stew With a Side of Rice
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs of Beef Stew Meat cubed
- 3 lbs Potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 head of fresh garlic crushed or minced
- 1 medium onion minced
- 2.5 table spoons of ghee or butter
- 2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste
- 1 cup of coriander leaves finely chopped preferably green
- 1.5 teaspoon of salt
- a dash of Lebanese 7-Spices or allspice
- Warm Water
- A side of rice
Instructions
- In a deep cooking pot, saute/fry the meat in the ghee/butter on medium heat with a bit of salt for about 8-10 minutes or until medium-well cooked.
- Add the garlic, onions, coriander leaves, 7-spices and the remaining salt to the beef and saute well together for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add about 6-7 cups of warm water (watch out for the steam), bring to a boil, cover and let simmer/cook on low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours.
- Meanwhile, bake the cubed potatoes in the oven for about 30 minutes at 370 degrees, then add them to the simmering meat half-way through its cooking time.
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the tomato paste, stir well, then let simmer for the remaining time.
- Serve hot with a side of rice.
Whats the name of this plate in arabic?
Yakhnit batata
Hello can I ask how many servings this recipe is for? I’m tying to make the dish for 8 people and would like to make sure I put the right amount of thinfs
can you brown meat and then prepare dish in slow cooker?
Hi! I’m excited to make this one evening this week! Been saving it for cold weather. One question, is it a full head of garlic or one clove? Seems like a lot if a head, but I also know cooked down it can be yummy. Thanks!
Hi Angela it’s 1 full head of garlic.. this is to taste though, if it’s too much you’re definitely welcome to use less.
Hello, I’m cooking this for like lunch today. I’m following the recipe exactly as it’s written; however, I have one question. Is 2 to 3 teaspoons of tomato paste enough for the entire pot of stew? I thought that it would be more like 2 to 3 tablespoons. I normally add tomato sauce instead, so I’m not entirely familiar with measurements for tomato paste.
Lamees sorry for the late reply. I think the amount of tomato paste is mostly subjective. You can start with 2-3 teaspoons of paste and if you feel it’s not flavorful enough add another one or two.
Thank you. I did add a little more and the result was amazing. This is my family’s new favorite dinner… Thank you.
what if I want to cook with a pressure cooker?
Soso I haven’t tried cooking this with a pressure cooker (we don’t have one at home) however I’m guessing that it would take less time in it.
Hi
I tried this recipe last week, it’s great, the aroma from the ground spices was pungent, the meat was very tender and the roast potato still had a little crispyness to them even after simmering in the sauce for an hour, it was my first effort at Lebanese cuisine (i usually cook indian food) and i will certainly be having it again and will be trying more recipes from your excellent website.
Roy glad you liked the Beef Stew and thank you so much for your feedback we appreciate hearing from you.
I made this for lunch today! I didn’t have time to roast the potatoes- so I sauteed them with the meat for a few minutes before adding the water and I let it simmer for around 40 minutes, it was simple and wonderful!
Thank you for this recipe 🙂
We’re glad you liked the recipe Ebtisam and thank you for taking time to give us feedback on it.
I have eaten this before both my partner and his mother have made it for me, although theirs is quiet different and rather speedy, they would buy kafta mince from the butcher roll them into balls brown them off, partially fry the potato cubes and make the soup and toss it all togetherand make ordinary rice throw in some fried egg noodles with the rice an voila! 🙂
Hi Shana – this actually sounds delicious!! it resembles another recipe mom makes with Kafta balls (meat balls).. all good stuff thank you for sharing!