Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew, a delightful array of color and exotic spices, with a play on sweet and spicy. More so, the tenderness of the short rib that just melts in your mouth will transport you to the flavors of Morocco!
Song of the day: "C'est la vie" by Khaled.
Wanting to spice things up for dinner? Try this Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew
I am so excited today because we are sharing a recipe that I love. Not only because it tastes so good and looks lovely, more so, because I love trying new cultural dishes. It has always been a passion of mine! With that being said, today's dish combines Moroccan cuisine with a little Loreto flare. I always hear people say I want to change things up and try some different things for meals. Well, today I have a great recipe that will do just that: Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew! Come, let me show you how to make this lovely dish!
Savory and spice with everything nice, Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew
This stew has a variety of ingredients and spices, here is what you will need:
- beef short rib
- garlic, onions, celery, carrots
- shallots, green onion
- potatoes, orange and yellow peppers
- dried mango and prunes
- olives
- evo oil
- ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, yellow curry, paprika
- bay leaves
- salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
- tomato passata
- vegetable broth
- coconut milk
- fresh cilantro for garnish
It may seem like a lot but this dish is about building flavors and also a labor of love!
Getting the greatest flavor out of the ingredients
This is where it gets good and get ready because it is going to get pretty tasty in the kitchen with aromas and all! Let's get started!
- First we want to brown those short ribs. We do this by heating up some olive oil in a large sauté pan, one with a good depth. Once the oil is hot in goes the ribs and green onion that are chopped. Let the ribs sizzle for a bit. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, plus the paprika. Once the ribs have browned on one side, turn them over and do the same for the other. Take them out of the pan and set aside on a dish.
- Secondly time to sauté the veggies. In the same pan as we browned the ribs we toss in all the chopped up veggies, garlic, etc.
- Once the veggies have cooked for a bit, time to add in the dried mango and prunes. In goes the spices, and this is where a good stir is needed. What you will see is a paste starting to form and coating all those lovely veggies.
The final touches
The aroma in the kitchen is insane. I love these spices, just makes me feel all warm and comfy inside! I am getting hungry, however, we need to finish up before we can dive in. This is what you need to do next:
- Time to add the beef short rib back in, let those juices go in, too. It will add just another bit of flavor!
- Pour in tomato passata, and vegetable broth and give it a good stir. We want all those ingredients to get all up in each other, which to me means flavor town!
- Pour all of this into a tajine and into a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven. Let it bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Do not put the lid on, we want the beef and veggies to caramelize on top.
A little coconut milk goes a long way!
I like spicy but not too spicy, so if I want to balance the flavors a bit, I always use coconut milk. I love how the milk plays beautifully with the spices offering a nice nutty sweetness to the mix. So this is the next step:
- Take the tajine out of the oven and pour in the coconut milk. Another good stir is in order, and into the oven it goes again for about 15 minutes!
Time to serve this Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew
For me presentation is everything and you really want to highlight the color of this dish. I take the tajine out of the oven and with a warm cloth just wipe the rim. Cleaning up some of that splatter. On goes some fresh chopped cilantro, and place the lid onto the tajine. That will keep the stew nice and warm. When you bring it to the table everyone will be curious because of the conical shape of the tajine. However, when you uncover it, I think you are going to hear some oooohs and ahhhhhssssss.
Talk about flavor town!
I absolutely love this dish. The flavors and aromas are intoxicating. I just have to have a taste! Give me a minute.... Wow, the veggies are velvety, soft and so lovingly coated with all that sauce. The curry is mild yet with a hint of spice, and combined with the coriander, turmeric, and cumin gives us a wonderful array of exotic luxury. That coconut milk is perfect. It is like it is fanning the heat, so, so deliciously! Let's try the beef! Love it, tender, flavorful. I love that caramelization that happens, and that bone just deepens the richness. This dish is a win win for me!
Serving suggestions
You can serve this with a nice steamed basmati rice, or some warmed up naan. Hey, why not do both, live a little!
It is always nice to change things up a bit on the dinner table. This Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew will definitely get some praise and I think I hear those lips smacking!
Do you want to end with a wonderful pairing dessert? Try our Semolina Cake soaked in Orange Blossom Syrup.
Enjoy!
PrintSweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew
Sweet and Spicy Beef Short Rib Moroccan Stew, a delightful array of color and exotic spices, with a play on sweet and spicy. More so, the tenderness of the short rib that just melts in your mouth, will transport you to the flavors of Morocco!
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 people 1x
Ingredients
The protein:
- 700g beef short rib
The veggies:
- 3 Tbsp evo oil
- 1 whole garlic
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 green onion chopped
- 2 small cipollini onions chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large yellow potato cut into chunks
- 6 fingerling potatoes cut in half
- ½ yellow pepper chopped
- ½ yellow pepper chopped
- 6 dried mango slices cut into bite size chunks
- 6 dried prunes cut in half
Seasoning and spices:
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1 tsp yellow curry
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp each onion and garlic powder
- sat and pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
Sauce:
- 1 cup tomato passata
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 small can 160 ml coconut milk
- 10 Kalamata olives pitted and halved
Instructions
Ribs:
- First cut beef short rib into pieces. I cut in between the bones have one bone per piece.
- In a deep sauté pan , drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring to a med to high heat and place in short ribs and chopped green onion.
- Season with salt, pepper, onion/garlic powder, paprika. Let the short rib sear, and when it is browned on one side, about 5 minutes of cooking time, turn them over, and do the same season and brown. Total searing time about 10 minutes. Place ribs in a bowl or plate and set aside.
Vegetables:
- In the same pan drizzle in remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Toss in all the veggies: onions, shallots, carrots, celery, peppers, potatoes, and garlic. Sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes. Throw in dried fruits and bay leaf. Give it a good stir. Let that sauté for 10 minutes.
Spices:
- Time to add all the exotic spices: turmeric, cumin, yellow curry, coriander. Stir everything getting to the bottom of the pan so that the spices form a paste and coat all the veggies! Let that sauté for 2 minutes on low to medium heat.
Beef short rib:
- At this time we want to add back in the seared short ribs. Toss them with all the veggies.
Sauce:
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pour in tomato passata and olives, plus some of the vegetable broth. Stir and get it all nice and well blended. Add rest of the broth and stir again.
- Pour everything into a large tajine or oven safe baking dish/crock pot. Place tajine without lid in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Take tajine out of the oven and pour in coconut milk, give it a good stir, and bake into the oven for 15 minutes.
Finishing touches:
- Take out of the oven and wipe the rim of the tajine with a warm cloth. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Place lid on tajine and bring to the table.
- Ready to serve.
Side suggestions:
- You can serve this with some basmati rice, or warmed up naan. If you want to go all out, do both!
Enjoy!
Notes
If you don't have fingerling potatoes just use yellow or red skin potatoes cut into chunks. I used those because I wanted to use up what was in the fridge.
For the dried fruit dried apricots work well to!
Also for the olives, you can use a green olive, or one that has lots of briny flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Main, Meat
- Method: stove top/ oven
- Cuisine: Fusion/Moroccan
Keywords: Moroccan cuisine, exotic food, beef short rib, dried mango, dried prunes, olives, stews, slow cooked, tajine,
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Angie says
Looks and sounds so good! And I love the spices you use for this dish. Coconut milk to balance the flavors is a great idea.
Hi Angie, yes this dish has loads of spices and the aroma of this in the oven is heavenly. It makes me crave this just thinking of it. So happy you like it!
Cheers!
Mikayla says
We love a good stew, short ribs, winter vegies and the added addition of fruit made a terrific meal.
★★★★★
Hi Mikayla, your so right, stew is perfect for winter, plenty of flavor and texture, and those short ribs were so juicy and tender. Just melted in my mouth. I am salivating again thinking of this!
Tristin says
Mango, prunes, coconut milk, kalamata olives - these ingredients are calling my name!! This is comfort food at its finest!
★★★★★
Hi Tristan
We love the way you think! You made us smile and hungry! Love Moroccan cuisine, colorful and oh so tasty!
Thanks!
Amy Nash says
Wow, the flavors are so big and bold but also perfectly balanced. Love dishes like this and will definitely be making it again.
★★★★★
Wow, thanks Amy, so happy you tried this. Sometimes I feel these dishes can be so complicated however it is all the spices and ingredients that builds those flavor so well so it is a win win! I am happy knowing you enjoyed it!
Farrukh Aziz says
Moroccan stew, sounds delicious! The photos are awesome! Great recipe, definitely worth a try!
★★★★★
Thanks Farrukh, what a lovely compliment and so excited to know you may try this. It is a lovely dish filled with my love of food and culture!
Cheers!
Erin says
I was unsure about the mango in here but it was so delicious! This was fantastic and a great change from the usual rotation. Thanks a bunch!
★★★★★
Your very welcome Erin. Thank you for being daring and trying the mango. The flavors balance so well. love this stew so much! So happy you enjoyed it!
Alex says
Using two types of potatoes was new to me but the result was great! Everyone loved this. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Alex, yes I was trying to use up what we had in the fridge, as I hate wasting food. I was quite happy with the results and I can still smell the aroma of this dish! I am hungry again, dangerous job we have!
Cheers!
Brianna says
This stew reminds me of all the tasty tagines I had in Marrakech! So hearty and tasty.
★★★★★
Wow Brianna, lucky you to have had the experience to travel to Marrakesh. I would love to have that experience. So happy this reminded you of your time these!
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers!
Amy Casey says
This stew smelled amazing while it was cooking! I served it with some crusty bread to soak up the delicious and robust sauce.
★★★★★
Hi Amy, I have my bread ready. My mouth is watering so bad as I envisioned the bread going in and soaking up all that goodness, Yum Yummy!
Thanks!
Natalie says
This stew is so inviting, warming, and perfect for cold winter days. I love the spices you used here in this recipe. I think I never had stew like this one, to be honest. But now I'm definitely going to give this recipe a try. Looks so delicious!
★★★★★
Hi Natalie, I love these middle Eastern stews, so aromatic, and flavorful, one that sits on your pallet and memory forever. I am so excited for you to try it!
Happy cooking!