Consider this recipe a love letter to the humble black peppercorn—one of those often-used but underappreciated spices. Chunks of beef are marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, and freshly ground pepper, then seared all over, building flavor for the stew from the ground up. Then they’re simmered until tender while the liquid cooks down to a thick, rich sauce. This recipe is inspired by my Indian roots and uses garam masala powder, which harnesses the power of spices like cumin, bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon to make a deeply spice-forward and complex stew. Add both snow peas and sugar snaps toward the end for a bright green finish.
Notes
Do ahead: Beef can be marinated 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Stew (without peas) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper - 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
- 1 2-inch piece ginger - peeled, finely chopped, divided
- 6 cloves garlic - finely chopped, divided
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt - Diamond Crystal (1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon), divided or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast - cut into 1" pieces
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil - (or more) divided
- 2 medium onions - quartered, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 ounces snow peas - trimmed
- 4 ounces sugar snap peas - trimmed
- cilantro leaves - for serving
- steamed rice - for serving
Instructions
Marinate the beef:
- Whisk the yogurt, ground pepper, half of the ginger, 2 of the garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine.
- Add the beef, and toss to coat.
- Let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes.
Brown the beef:
- Heat ⅓ cup vegetable oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high.
- Working in 2 batches and adding more oil between batches if needed, brown the beef on 2 sides, about 5 minutes per side.
- Transfer to a plate.
Cook the onions:
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining ⅓ cup of vegetable oil to the pot.
- Cook the onions, jalapeño, and remaining ginger and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, 6–8 minutes.
- Add the ground coriander, garam masala, cumin seeds, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden brown, 12–15 minutes.
Braise the beef:
- Return the beef to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.
- Pour in 3 cups opf water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding up to ½ cup more water if needed, until the beef is tender and the liquid is reduced by half, 1½–2 hours.
Add the peas:
- Uncover the pot and stir in the snow peas and sugar snap peas.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Divide the stew among bowls; top with cilantro leaves. Serve with steamed rice alongside.