Curried Beef with Winter Vegetables

The United Kingdom has a large Indian / Pakistani population, while the curry is a popular dish where I live. I do not like hot curries, but the meek are a nice change. This is a recipe for beef curry with sweet root vegetables. It is very filling and goes well with brown basmati rice. Chinese five-spice is a blend of anise, cinnamon, fennel, pepper and cloves.

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound beef for stew, such as beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 (3 inch) pieces fresh ginger root, peeled and diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 onions, peeled and diced
* 2 celery ribs, chopped
* 2 tablespoons curry powder, or to taste
* 2 teaspoons coriander powder
* 1 teaspoon Asian five-spice powder
* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
* parsnips, peeled and sliced
* 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1 zucchini, sliced
* 2 apples – peeled, cored and chopped
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 cup cashews
* 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
2. Place the beef into a pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the ginger, garlic, onions, and celery, and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in the curry powder, coriander powder, five-spice powder, and turmeric, and toss to evenly coat the onion mixture. Cook about 5 minutes more, and stir in the carrots, parsnips, potatoes, zucchini, and apples. Stir in the beef with its cooking liquid, raisins, and cashews, and toss to evenly blend the spices.
4. Pour the beef and vegetable mixture into the prepared roasting pan. Drizzle 1/2 cup water over the mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
5. Bake in preheated oven until heated through, about 1 hour.