In Goa, this traditional stew is served at weddings and special occasions. The combination of pork and beef is what makes this stew flavourful and super delicious. A comforting stew enjoyed with bread or pulao.
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Goan White Stew
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1/2 kg pork
1/2 kg beef
2 onions (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
8 peppercorns
6 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks (1.5" each)
4 green cardamoms
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 bouillon cube
2 large potatoes (cut into cubes)
2 large carrots (cut into cubes)
1 cup green peas
1 cup elbow macaroni or shell pasta
1 cup cream
1 cup water
a pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt
Grind to paste
2 long green chillies
4 large cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger
Method:
Cut pork and beef into cubes. Discard skin and fat of pork. Wash meat, season with salt and marinate with the ground paste for an hour.
On medium heat, in a wide-bottomed pressure cooker, add oil and butter along with onions. Saute till onions are translucent. Add the tomato, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks and cardamoms. When tomato is pulpy, add the meat and sear it for sometime. Then add the water listed in the ingredients. Cover cooker with lid and put the weight. Pressure cook for 6 to 8 whistles. Cool cooker and then lift weight to release the steam.
Add potatoes, carrots, bouillon, vinegar to the cooked meat. Place cooker back on the fire and cover with a flat lid keeping it slightly open. There will be enough liquid from the meat to cook the vegetables. When potatoes are three-fourth done, add cream and green peas. Taste for salt and add a pinch of sugar. When the creamy sauce starts to boil, add macaroni and mix into the stew. Now put the flame off, cover the cooker completely with the flat lid and leave it shut for 15 minutes. After the indicated time, lift the lid, the potatoes and macaroni will be perfectly cooked with the hot liquid and steam from the cooker. Enjoy hot white stew with toasted bread or pulao.
Note:
- Olive oil and butter is used to flavour the stew.
- Using a wide-bottomed pressure cooker distributes heat evenly. The meat, vegetables and macaroni have enough room to spread and retain their shape.
- No separate cooking of vegetables and macaroni is required. Follow the recipe to a tee and cook the stew in one pot or pressure cooker.
- Substitute four boneless chicken breasts for pork and beef. Do not pressure cook chicken but cook in a pot. The stew is also delicious with only chicken.
- The beef stew below was prepared with Goa Sausages and beef. Around 1 cup of sausage meat (without the casing) was added along with the vegetables. Vinegar can be omitted if sausage meat is sour. The stew was absolutely heavenly!!!
- If the cut of beef used is tender, then no need to pressure cook the meat.
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Ultimate No Cream Goan Stew
This stew is prepared with no cream and by boiling the vegetables including the macaroni, each one separately. Delicious with the addition of stock and a secret ingredient shared by my sister-in-law Ena (my brother's wife) from Goa, that makes a huge difference. Her late mother Virginia made the "Best Stew", that left one and all craving for more. She cooked the vegetables and macaroni separately. Whenever I cook this version, I think of her. Even John remembers aunty Virginia whenever we enjoy stew at home.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg pork
1/2 kg beef
2 onions (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
6 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks (1.5" each)
4 green cardamoms
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 bouillon cube
1 teaspoon Club House ground allspice powder (secret ingredient)
2 large potatoes (cut into cubes)
2 large carrots (cut into cubes)
1 cup green peas
1 cup elbow macaroni or shell pasta
1 cup water
2 cups chicken or beef stock
a pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt
Grind to paste
2 long green chillies
4 large cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger
Method:
Cut pork and beef into cubes. Discard skin and fat of pork. Wash meat, season with salt and marinate with the ground paste for an hour.
Place carrots in a saucepan, cover with room temperature water and add salt. Cook on medium heat and set the timer for 12 minutes. After the indicated time, drain the water out using a colander. Run cold water over the carrots to stop them from cooking further. Set aside to drain well.
Follow the same procedure for potatoes but set the timer for 15 minutes. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process, drain well.
For macaroni, bring a saucepan of water to boil. Once the water starts boiling, add the macaroni with some salt. Cook for 10 minutes, drain and run cold water as indicated above. Keep aside to drain. Macaroni should be slightly firm. They will soften further in the gravy.
On medium heat, in a wide-bottomed pan, add oil and butter along with onions. Sauté till onions are translucent. Add the tomato, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks and cardamoms. When tomato is pulpy, add the meat and sear for sometime. Then add one cup of water. Cover and cook until meat is tender.
Once meat is done, add 2 cups of chicken or beef stock. Bring to a boil, add green peas, bouillon cube, ground allspice powder, vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Cook for a couple of minutes if frozen peas are used. For fresh peas, a bit longer. Then, incorporate the cooked carrots, potatoes and macaroni. Stir gently and heat for another two minutes. Taste for salt, add if required. Cover the pan and shut off the lid. Let stew rest for few minutes. Remember, that the longer it rests, more gravy will be absorbed and dry out.
Serve no cream stew with toasted bread or pulao.
Note:
- Club House Ground Allspice Powder link: https://www.clubhouse.ca/en-ca/products/herbs-and-spices/spices/allspice-ground
- In case you don't have access to allspice powder, combine cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Grind all to a powder and use.
- Since stew is not white, you can add a dash of turmeric powder, if desired.
- No Cream Stew below with vegetables and macaroni boiled separately.