Homemade beef stew recipe is simple to make as a ‘warming’ autumn dinner

Nothing is better at cheering you up than a big bowl of hearty stew on a cold evening, and it is incredibly easy to make yourself as it takes less than 10 minutes of preparation.

Picture of homemade beef stew

There is nothing better than a big bowl of beef stew once autumn begins (Image: Getty)

Autumn is slowly approaching which means many people will be cooking their favourite comfort recipes to warm themselves up, and there is nothing better than a big bowl of stew.

Nadiya Hussain, a cooking legend best known for winning the Great British Bake Off, has shared her simple recipe to make beef stew with dumplings.

In her cookbook 'Cook Once, Eat Twice' Nadiya wrote: “Beef stew is one of my sons’ absolute favourites. There is something about a beef stew that fills a hole in your tummy that nothing else does.

“It’s heart-filling and warming. I love making these with dumplings, so it’s a meal in one, with no other fuss.”

It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare this hearty stew as everything is cooked in one pan, then all you have to do is let it slowly cook away until the beef is tender and mouthwatering.

Picture of homemade beef stew

Nadiya Hussain described this dish as 'heart-filling and warming' (Image: Getty)

How to make Nadiya Hussain beef stew and dumplings

Ingredients

For the stew:

  • 500g of beef chunks
  • 500ml of water
  • Two onions, cut into small chunks
  • Three carrots peeled and cut into one-centimeter coins
  • One tablespoon of garlic paste
  • Two tablespoons of paprika
  • Two tablespoons of black pepper
  • Two tablespoons of fine salt
  • Four tablespoons of beef gravy granules
  • Three tablespoons of oil
  • Large sprig of lemon thyme

For the dumplings:

  • 200g of self-raising flour
  • 115g of salted butter, cut in small chunks
  • Three tablespoons of water (you may need more)
  • One egg, beaten
  • chopped fresh chives, to garnish
  • Pinch of salt



Picture of homemade beef stew

This is the perfect autumn dish to make on a cold evening to warm you up (Image: Getty)

Method 

To make the stew:

Pour the oil into a large pan with a lid, and once the oil is hot add the chopped onions, lemon thyme and salt then cook till golden brown.

Nadiya said: “If the onions get stuck to the base, don’t worry, this will add flavour – just add a splash of water to unstick.”

Add the garlic paste, chopped carrots and beef chunks into the pan and cook until the meat has browned.

Season with black pepper and paprika, then pour the water into the pan.

Give the stew mixture a good mix and place it on a low heat to cook for 45 minutes with the lid on.


Picture of homemade beef stew

It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare this dish before you let it bubble away for around one hour and 30 minutes (Image: Getty)

To make the dumplings:

Meanwhile, make the dumplings by adding the flour, butter, and salt into a bowl.

Rub the water with your fingertips until there are no lumps in the mixture left, then pour water into the mixture to make it into a dough.

Divide the dough into eight parts, roll them out into balls and brush the top with the egg.

Assemble the stew:

Once the time is up, remove the lid, stir in the gravy granules and lower the heat.

Add the dumplings to the top of the stew, place the lid back on and cook on the lowest setting for 25 minutes.

Once ready, remove the stew from the heat, take out the thyme stalks and your tasty stew is ready to serve.



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