One of the most popular Caribbean dishes is Karni Stoba, or ‘Caribbean Beef Stew’. This spicy, versatile dish can be eaten with either rice or funchi (Dutch Antilles Cornmeal).
Ingredients
- 1 kilo [approximately 2 lbs.] beef in chunks (such as stew beef)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 sprigs celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 small can tomato paste [approximately 2.5 ounces]
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 potatoes, diced
- 2 winter roots, chopped (such as parsnips, turnips, carrots)
- 200 grams [approximately 7 ounces] peas
- 1 green plantain, peeled and chopped
- ½ scotch bonnet pepper, diced, to taste (optional)
Preparation
- Place beef in a large bowl and season with salt, pepper and garlic. Add water, mix thoroughly. Place bowl in refrigerator and allow the beef to marinate for approximately 3 hours.
- Heat sugar in a heavy skillet until it begins to carmelize. Add oil, sugar and butter.
- Remove beef from marinade and saute in skillet, gradually adding back in the remaining marinade.
- Add cumin seeds, tomato paste, paprika, pepper, onion, celery and soy sauce. Stir and fill skillet with water until beef is just covered.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for approximately 90 minutes.
- Add potato, plantain, root vegetable and peas, adding additional water if needed. Simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes and serve.
“Kome dushi!”
– Jurino
This recipe was originally posted in Dutch on Antilliaans Eten and has been reposted and translated with permission.
