Potato And Tomato Stew - Yakhnit Batata wa Banadura

posted on: Jul 16, 2024

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer

The potato, native to the indigenous peoples of the Andes, although not an original ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine was brought back from the Americas by the Conquistadors to Spain and the British Isles and France.  It was then diffused widely after 1600 to Europe and East Asia.  Today, potatoes are an important part of the cuisines of Middle Eastern countries.

As for the tomato, it is said that its cultivation was introduced by the British consul in Aleppo, John Barker, a diplomat and horticulturalist in the very early 19^th century.

With this history in mind, I like to consider culinary journey as an immigration to the East of two ingredients that took hold as part of the staple diet of the Middle East.

Serves about 8

4 tablespoons olive oil

1-pound beef, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 medium onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

5 medium tomatoes chopped

6 cups water

5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

Heat oil in a saucepan then add meat, onions, garlic and hot pepper.  Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add remaining ingredients, except potatoes, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 40 minutes.  Add potatoes, then cook for a further 40 minutes or until the meat and potatoes are well cooked, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. 

Serve hot with rice.

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