Dinner

Black Pepper Beef Stew with Spring Peas

A yogurt marinade starts the beef, followed by browned onions and a generous measure of black pepper. Add the snow peas and snap peas near the end so they stay distinct from the long-braised meat.

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Cook Mode

Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian-inspired

Bring it to the table

Let tenderness set the pace

Chuck is ready when a fork slips in easily. If the pot gets dry before that point, add a small splash of water and keep simmering.

At the table

Spoon over rice and finish with cilantro.

Before you start

Gather your ingredients.

Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.

See the ingredient checklist

1/3 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
4 tsp black pepper
1 piece fresh ginger — 2 inches long; finely chopped and divided
6 cloves garlic — finely chopped and divided
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt — for marinade; or half as much Morton
1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt — for stew; or use 1 3/4 tsp Morton for the base batch
2 lb beef chuck — cut into 1-inch cubes
2/3 cup vegetable oil — divided
2 medium onions — quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeño — finely chopped
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cups water — plus up to 1/2 cup more if needed for the base batch
4 oz snow peas
4 oz sugar snap peas
cilantro — to finish
cooked rice — to serve

A few useful notes.

For the base batch, the total Diamond Crystal salt is 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon; taste before adding more.

Keep the marinating beef refrigerated.

The cooking plan

How to make Black Pepper Beef Stew with Spring Peas.

Combine yogurt, pepper, half the ginger, two of the six garlic cloves and the marinade salt. Coat the beef and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Heat half the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, allowing about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil, onions, remaining ginger and garlic, and jalapeño. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring. Add coriander, garam masala, cumin seeds and stew salt. Continue cooking and stirring for 12–15 minutes, until the onions are golden.
Return the beef and its juices. Add the measured water, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook gently for 1 1/2–2 hours, until the beef is tender and the liquid has reduced by about half. Add a little extra water if needed to prevent sticking.
Add both kinds of peas and simmer for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Serve with rice and cilantro.

Let’s cook

The full recipe.

Check off ingredients as you get them ready.

Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.

The Broken Scale