Persian-Style Spiced Beef Chuck & Lentil Stew

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now, let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ gas 6 and boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add you diced beef to the dish with a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 min or until lightly browned all over

Chop your tomato[es] into wedges

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Rinse your red lentils in a sieve under cold running water

Once the beef has browned, add your ground smoked paprika and chopped garlic with your curry powder and ground allspice and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the tomato wedges with 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and a generous pinch of salt and stir it all together

Add your beef stock mix and rinsed lentils with 700ml [900ml] [1.2L] boiled water and a pinch of sugar and give everything a good mix up

Put the dish in the oven, covered, for 55 min or until the sauce has thickened, the lentils are tender and the beef is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your one pot Persian-style spiced beef chuck & lentil stew

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the stew is nearly ready, add your pitta[s] to a baking tray and put the tray in the oven for 3-4 min or until warmed through