
Tzimmes (Ashkenazi carrot, beef and prune stew)
A classic of Eastern European Jewish cuisine, this dish is a bit of a culinary shapeshifter.
I have decided to opt for the simplest yet most delicious version – a meat stew with carrots and prunes. This is definitely a Sunday-lunch type of dish, as the overall cooking and preparation time comes to three hours. But the joy of tucking into the rich, sweet, smoky stew is worth all the effort.
For a vegetarian version, omit the beef and swap the beef stock for vegetable; add two extra carrots and two extra potatoes to make up the volume.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
500g stewing beef, cut into chunks
2 onions, cut into chunks
8 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
6 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 bay leaves
100g pitted prunes, roughly chopped
700ml beef stock
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp garlic powder
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 3.
Step
Heat a little oil in a casserole or ovenproof, lidded pan and fry 500g stewing beef (cut into chunks) with a pinch of salt and pepper over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step
Throw in 2 onions (cut into chunks) and 8 carrots (peeled and cut into chunks) and coat them in the oil. Season, and fry for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting them brown in places.
Step
Take off the heat. Return the beef to the casserole and mix well with the vegetables. Add 6 potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks), 4 bay leaves and 100g pitted prunes (roughly chopped). Try to scatter them equally around the casserole.
Kapusta, by Alissa Timoshkina (Quadrille, £28), is out now

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05-03-2025
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Tzimmes (Ashkenazi carrot, beef and prune stew)
A classic of Eastern European Jewish cuisine, this dish is a bit of a culinary shapeshifter. I have decided to opt for the simplest yet most delicious version – a meat stew with carrots and prunes. This is definitely a Sunday-lunch type of dish, as the overall cooking and preparation time comes to three hours. But the joy of tucking into the rich, sweet, smoky stew is worth all the effort. For a vegetarian version, omit the beef and swap the beef stock for vegetable; add two extra carrots and two extra potatoes to make up the volume. Ingredients Vegetable oil, for frying 500g stewing beef, cut into chunks 2 onions, cut into chunks 8 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 4 bay leaves 100g pitted prunes, roughly chopped 700ml beef stock 1 tbsp honey 2 tsp garlic powder 1 small bunch of parsley, chopped Method Step Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 3. Step Heat a little oil in a casserole or ovenproof, lidded pan and fry 500g stewing beef (cut into chunks) with a pinch of salt and pepper over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Step Throw in 2 onions (cut into chunks) and 8 carrots (peeled and cut into chunks) and coat them in the oil. Season, and fry for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting them brown in places. Step Take off the heat. Return the beef to the casserole and mix well with the vegetables. Add 6 potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks), 4 bay leaves and 100g pitted prunes (roughly chopped). Try to scatter them equally around the casserole. Kapusta, by Alissa Timoshkina (Quadrille, £28), is out now


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