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Kammounia (Tunisian cumin beef stew)
Kammounia: beef stewed in a dark, garlicky sauce heavy with cumin, from Tunis and Sfax
Cumin, kammoun in Arabic, gives kammounia its name, and the dish uses it boldly: chunks of beef, or in many Tunis homes lamb's liver, simmer in a thick, dark sauce of garlic, tomato paste and a generous amount of ground cumin until the meat is tender and the sauce clings to it. It is everyday family food in Tunis and Sfax, scooped up with crusty bread or served alongside a salad and olives. The flavour is earthy, warm and garlicky with a gentle heat from harissa. The usual mistake is adding the cumin at the start and frying it hard, which makes it bitter; it goes in once the sauce is simmering. Chef's tip: add half the cumin at the start and the rest in the last 10 minutes; all of it at once risks a flat, slightly bitter sauce, while the late addition keeps the aroma bright.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb beef chuckcut into 3 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground caraway
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp harissa
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 ½ cups waterhot
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ¾ lb beef chuck dry. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown the meat in two batches for 5 minutes each until browned on several sides.
10 minStep 2: Return all the meat to the pot, lower the heat to medium and add 8 cloves garlic. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant but not coloured.
1 minStep 3: Add half of 1 tbsp ground cumin with 1 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp ground caraway and stir for 30 seconds, then add 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tsp harissa and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens.
2 minStep 4: Pour in 2 ½ cups water, add 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 1 hour, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender when pierced.
60 minStep 5: Stir in the rest of 1 tbsp ground cumin and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and dark and coats the meat.
10 minStep 6: Remove the bay leaves, taste for salt and scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley if you like. Serve with crusty bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kammounia (Tunisian cumin beef stew) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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