Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

penguin logo

Nadiya Hussain’s Beef Stew and Dumplings

Nadiya Hussain's glossy beef stew with chunky dumplings is like a hug in a bowl. It's one to make on colder days to warm up the whole family. As seen on Nadiya's Cook Once, Eat Twice on BBC2.

From the book

Nadiya Hussain

Introduction

Beef stew is one of my sons’ absolute favourites. There is something about a beef stew that fills a hole in your tummy that nothing else does. It’s heart-filling and warming. I love making these with dumplings, so it’s a meal in one, with no other fuss.

Read more Read less

Ingredients

For the stew:
3 tbsp oil
Large sprig of fresh lemon thyme
2 onions, cut in small chunks
2 tsp celery salt or fine salt
1 tbsp garlic paste
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm coins
500g beef chunks
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp paprika
500ml water
4 tbsp beef gravy granules
For the dumplings:
200g self-raising flour
115g salted butter, cut in small chunks
Pinch of salt
3 tbsp water (you may need more)
1 egg, beaten
chopped fresh chives, to garnish

Essential kit

You will need: a large non-stick pan (that has a lid that fits).

Method

Start by making the stew.

Pour the oil into a large non-stick pan (that has a lid that fits). As soon as the oil is hot, add the lemon thyme, onion and salt and cook till golden brown. If the onions get stuck to the base, don’t worry, this will add flavour – just add a splash of water to unstick.

Get the garlic paste in, along with the carrot and beef chunks, and cook till the meat has browned. Add the black pepper and paprika, mix through and cook for a few minutes.

Pour in the water, mix and leave to cook over a low heat with the lid on for 45 minutes.

Make the dumplings by putting the flour in a bowl with the butter and salt. Rub the butter in till there are no lumps of butter left. Pour in the water and bring the dough together. Divide the mixture into eight equal balls and brush the top of each one with the egg.

Remove the lid of the stew, stir in the gravy granules and lower the heat. Add the dumplings straight on top, put the lid back on and steam on the lowest heat for 25 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from the heat, take out the thyme stalk and divide the mixture among four ovenproof freezer dishes/containers, popping two dumplings on top of each of the dishes. Sprinkle over the chives. Leave to cool and freeze.

You can cook this from frozen at 180°C for 45 minutes, with the lid off and the dish covered with some foil.

TIP: Adding water to the onions while cooking enhances their sweetness, so when you are sweating them down, don’t be afraid to add some not only to stop them from sticking, but also to make them sweeter.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars

7 Ratings

Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.

Thank you for your rating. Our team will get back to any queries as soon as possible.

Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.

7 Comments

    default user avatar Linda

    I have cooked this twice now and as it was for 2 made it last two meals. Really great with green veg. Warms up nicely on the hob with some careful staring so as not to break the dumplings. Dumplings lovely and fluffy, b careful with the water as I found it needed less. Also second time put in 1 1/2 tbs’s of pepper and paprika which suited our taste better. Fab stew, don’t b tempted to add more into it, it’s not needed. Neither are potatoes as long as you have 2 veggies.

    See more

    default user avatar John Chef

    Strange that this recipe breaks convention for a casserole and is cooked more like a curry. Browning the onions first makes life more difficult to get a good crust on the beef. I tried it as per the recipe and then again browning the beef first. Second way was better

    See more

    default user avatar Sam Catus

    Shouldn’t proper dumpling be made with suet?

    See more

    default user avatar Janet B

    I don’t usually eat meat but this was delicious

    See more

    default user avatar Bev

    Super easy delicious and rich flavour. Bit of prep before but batch cooking this way we can have at least 2 meals during the week while working and the rest in the freezer.

    See more

    default user avatar Michelle

    Deliciously addictive!
    Can’t get that taste out of my head…absolutely love it!!

    See more

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week

From the book: Cook Once, Eat Twice

Close menu