Onion stew

Name: Onion stew
Ingredients: 1 kg onion; 2 tablespoons rice; 250 g beef (cubed or minced); pepper; paprika; broth; bay leaves; oil

Meat - Onion stew by Dumitrana L. - Recipia

Onion stew with beef is a simple dish where the onion is cooked until it becomes soft and translucent, while the rice binds the sauce. The meat is first allowed to stew well, as it needs to be tender before adding the onion. The recipe can also be made without meat, keeping the same base of onion, rice, broth, and spices. Quick Info Total time: not specified in the original recipe; depends on how quickly the meat softens. Preparation time: not specified. Cooking time: variable, depending on the meat used and the time needed to boil the rice. Servings: not specified. Difficulty: easy. Recipe type: onion stew with beef and rice. Ingredients 1 kg onion 2 tablespoons rice 250 g beef, diced or minced Oil, for sautéing Broth, to taste and desired quantity for the sauce Paprika Salt Pepper Bay leaves Warm water, if needed Preparation method 1. Clean the onion, wash it, and slice it into larger pieces. There is no need to chop it very finely, as it will soften during cooking and it's nice to have it visible in the stew. 2. Put the oil in a pot and let it heat up. Add the beef and sauté until it changes color on all sides. 3. Cover the pot with a lid and let the meat cook in the steam that forms. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 4. Check from time to time if it has softened. If the liquid decreases before the beef is tender, add a little water and continue simmering covered. The amount of water should be added gradually, just as needed. 5. When the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced, add the onion to the pot. Sauté it together with the meat, stirring occasionally. The onion should become soft and translucent before moving on to the next step. 6. Add the broth and paprika. Mix well so that the spices and broth distribute among the pieces of meat and onion. 7. Pour in a glass of warm water and let the stew come to a boil. 8. When it starts to bubble, add the rice. Season with salt and add the bay leaves. 9. Cover the pot and let everything simmer on low heat until the rice softens and the sauce reduces. At this stage, it's important to stir carefully from time to time, especially towards the end when the rice may start to stick. 10. Serve the stew hot, with pepper sprinkled on top. In the original recipe, the rice is cooked in the stew and is also mentioned as a side dish, so the dish is served together with the rice and the sauce formed in the pot. For the meatless version, omit the beef, and sauté the onion in oil until it becomes translucent. Then add the broth, paprika, warm water, rice, salt, and bay leaves, and simmer on low heat until the rice is soft and the sauce reduces. Why I make the recipe often It's a practical recipe when I want a warm dish with few and easily found ingredients. The onion forms the base of the sauce, and the rice makes the stew more substantial without needing a separate side dish. Additionally, the recipe is flexible: it can be prepared with diced beef, ground meat, or without meat. I also like it because it cooks in one pot. There aren't many steps, but the meat needs patience before adding the onion and rice. If added too early, the onion would cook too much before the beef becomes tender. Tips The meat should be allowed to soften before adding the onion. Checking with a fork is the simplest method: if it goes in easily, you can continue with the recipe. If the liquid decreases too quickly, add a little water, not a large amount all at once. This way, you can better control the consistency of the stew. After adding the rice, the heat should be low. The rice absorbs the liquid and can cause the stew to stick more easily to the bottom of the pot. The broth and paprika are added after the onion has softened. Mixing them at this point helps distribute the flavor throughout the sauce. Salt can be adjusted after adding the water and rice, then checked again towards the end. Substitutions Diced beef can be replaced with ground beef, as mentioned in the recipe. The method remains the same: the meat is sautéed until it changes color, then cooked covered until tender. For the vegan or meatless version, the meat is completely omitted. There is no need to replace it with another ingredient, as the onion and rice remain the base of the dish. Variations The stew can be made more or less thick, depending on preference and the amount of water used. For a thicker dish, it is left until the rice is cooked and the sauce reduces. If more sauce is needed, warm water can be added during cooking. You can use more or less paprika, depending on how pronounced you want the pepper flavor to be. And pepper can be added at the end, directly on the plate. If using ground meat, the stew will have a more uniform texture. With pieces of meat, the dish remains closer to a classic stew. Serving ideas Serve the stew hot, with pepper on top. The rice is already in the dish and absorbs some of the sauce, so the stew can be placed directly in the plate without a separate side dish. In the meatless version, it can be served the same way, as long as the rice is well cooked and the sauce has reduced sufficiently. Frequently asked questions Does the beef need to be cooked before the onion? Yes. The meat is sautéed first until it changes color, then covered and allowed to cook in steam until it softens. The onion is added after the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced. Can I use ground beef? Yes. The recipe allows for the use of either ground beef or diced beef. In both cases, the meat is added first and sautéed before adding the onion. What do I do if the rice starts to stick? Lower the heat and stir gently. If the stew has become too dry before the rice is cooked, add a little warm water and continue cooking covered. Can the stew be made without meat? Yes. The meat is omitted, and the onion is sautéed in oil until it becomes translucent. Then the broth, paprika, warm water, rice, salt, and bay leaves are added. When is the pepper added? Pepper can be added at the end, on top, as indicated in the recipe. If you prefer, it can also be added during cooking, but the amount is not specified in the original recipe. Nutritional values The values are estimated and cannot be calculated accurately, as the amount of oil, the amount of broth, and the number of servings are not specified. For a serving of stew with beef and rice, the estimate can be around 250–400 kcal, with approximately 15–25 g of protein, 8–20 g of fat, and 25–45 g of carbohydrates. The range is quite wide because the oil and broth can significantly change the final value. The meatless version will have fewer proteins and, depending on the amount of oil used, may have fewer calories. Storage and reheating Let the stew cool and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container. The rice continues to absorb the sauce after cooling, so the dish may become thicker the next day. To reheat, place the stew in a pot and heat it on low, stirring gently. If it is too thick, add a little water and heat until it returns to the desired consistency. Serve hot.

Onion stew

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