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.
(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 peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms and tomatoes. When tomatoes are 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.