This is a traditional beef casserole but uses Asian flavours to make an almost “slow cooked stir fry”. It’s delicious served with rice or noodles and can even be used as a pie filling with a shortcrust pastry “top” if you fancy something different.

The last time I made this I used cauliflower rice to serve, it’s low carb and just as good as ordinary rice.

I also sometimes add spinach or bok choi to the pot about 10 – 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time. This adds some green to the dish and works well with the other flavours.

Ingredients:

• Olive or coconut oil
• 600g stewing beef cut into cubes
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4cm piece of root ginger
• 1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2-3 carrots cut into slices (feel free to add more if not using broc/cauli)
• 6-8 florets of broccoli and/or cauliflower (optional)
• 125g sliced shitake mushrooms

• 1 beef stock cube

• Half a tsp ground cinnamon

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 and a half tbsp soft brown sugar
• Quarter tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Method:

1. Heat some oil in a casserole dish and brow the meat so that it takes on some colour. Do this in batches if necessary. Set aside in another bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan)
3. In the same casserole dish add more oil if necessary and fry the onions, ginger and garlic for about 5 minutes then add the flour and Chinese 5 spice and stir for about a minute.
4. Add the beef back into the casserole and the remaining veg. Stir everything together and pour some boiling water to almost cover the ingredients.
5. Crumble in the stock cube, add the cinnamon, soy sauce, sugar and chilli flakes if using.
6. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for between 2 – 2.5 hours or until the beef is tender and the sauce is thicker. Some of the veg will have broken down which also helps to thicken the sauce.
7. Enjoy with basmati or jasmine rice or with some Asian noodles.

1. If you’re going to make this into a pie, add the filling to a pie dish, top with shortcrust pastry and follow the pastry instructions for oven cooking.