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.
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What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
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Wooden Spoon
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Ladle
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Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk ⅓ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, half of one 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. Add 2 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1" pieces, and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes.
Step 2
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, cook beef until browned on 2 sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining ⅓ cup vegetable oil to pot. Cook 2 medium onions, quartered, thinly sliced, 1 jalapeño, finely chopped, and remaining half of one 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped, and 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, 6–8 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. ground coriander, 1 Tbsp. garam masala, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, and 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown, 12–15 minutes.
Step 4
Return beef to pot along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Pour in 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding up to ½ cup more water if needed, until beef is tender and liquid is reduced by half, 1½–2 hours.
Step 5
Uncover pot and stir in 4 oz. snow peas, trimmed, and 4 oz. sugar snap peas, trimmed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peas are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Step 6
Divide stew among bowls; top with cilantro leaves. Serve with steamed rice alongside.
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.
