Leave this easy, earthy mix to stew
Braised meals are the perfect answer to a rainy afternoon, a busy afternoon, a lazy afternoon when you’d prefer not to wash any dishes, or an afternoon of meal prepping for the days ahead.
This braised beef with chickpeas, zucchini and tahini starts out by browning aromatics and beef on the stove, before adding everything else and chucking in the oven for nearly two hours — at which point the meat is meltingly tender, the chickpeas are creamy, and the flavours are rich and developed.
Tahini adds a beautiful nuttiness and earthy undertone.
I use hulled as I prefer its smooth texture and sweeter, milder flavour, but you can use unhulled if you prefer.
Use almond butter if you’re not a tahini fan — although I do highly recommend tahini here, as I love how it pairs with beef, rich tomato and spices.
Zucchini is added right at the end of cooking to avoid a mushy texture — you want it to be melt-in-yourmouth soft, but still holding shape.
Serve this saucy dish over mashed potato, rice or pasta, or in bowls alongside bread for mopping up the sauce.
Pack into a container for a rainyday work lunch; we’ve had a few of those recently.
Braised beef with chickpeas, zucchini and tahini
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 11⁄2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 150g button or Swiss brown mushrooms, quartered
• 500g gravy beef or chuck steak, cubed
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 250ml beef stock
• 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 350g zucchini, cut into 4cm cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 11⁄2 Tbsp hulled tahini
Method
1. Place half of the oil in an ovenproof saucepan, for which you have a lid. Set over medium heat and add the spices. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
2. Add onion and garlic, and cook for another 3-4 minutes, before adding the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have released their juices and the aromatics are golden brown. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
3. Preheat oven to 140°C fan.
4. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil to the pan and set over high heat.
5. While the oil is heating, toss the beef cubes and flour together in a large bowl, until evenly coated. Add to the hot oil and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning as necessary, until the cubes are well browned and caramelised all over.
6. Add the beef stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, honey and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Put the lid on and place in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
7. Remove and stir through the zucchini. Place the lid back on and return to the oven for an additional 25-30 minutes, until zucchini is softened to your liking. Serve hot.
Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography — in studio or on-location — for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com