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Bkaila (Tunisian spinach and beef stew)
Bkaila: the Tunisian Jewish stew of spinach fried almost black, slow-cooked with beef and white beans
Tunisian Jewish families in Tunis, and those who carried the dish to Paris and Israel, cook bkaila for Rosh Hashanah and for Friday-night dinners: a heap of spinach is fried in olive oil for over an hour, until it shrinks to a dark, almost black, crumbly paste, then simmered for hours with chunks of beef, white beans, garlic and dried mint. The result looks dramatic and tastes deep and earthy, a little like a long-braised green sauce, with tender meat and creamy beans. It is eaten with couscous or bread, and is even better reheated the next day. Start the beans soaking the night before. Chef's tip: fry the spinach over a medium-low heat and stir often; turning up the heat to save time is the classic mistake, scorching the leaves so the whole pot turns bitter.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the spinach
- 3 ⅓ lb fresh spinachwashed, dried very well and finely chopped
- ¾ cup olive oil
For the stew
- 2 lb beef shin or chuckcut into 4 cm chunks
- 7 oz dried white beanssoaked overnight in cold water and drained
- 1 head garliccloves peeled and crushed
- 2 tbsp dried mint
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 6 ¼ cups waterhot
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 3 ⅓ lb fresh spinach and ¾ cup olive oil in a large heavy casserole over a medium heat and stir until the leaves wilt and collapse, about 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium-low and keep cooking, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, for 60 to 75 minutes. The spinach goes from bright green to dark olive and finally almost black, dry and crumbly, with the oil separating. Do not hurry this step.
70 minStep 3: Add 2 lb beef shin or chuck and 1 head garlic and stir for 5 minutes until the meat is coated and has lost its raw colour.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 2 tbsp dried mint, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground caraway and 1 tsp black pepper, then add 7 oz dried white beans and 6 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam and lower the heat.
Step 5: Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if it gets dry, until the beef is very tender and falls apart when pressed and the beans are creamy.
120 minStep 6: Add 2 tsp salt only now (salt added early can keep the beans firm), and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes more until the sauce is thick and dark and the oil shines on top.
15 minStep 7: Serve hot with couscous or bread. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge; reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bkaila (Tunisian spinach and beef stew) take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 220 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh spinach?
- Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed: about a third of the weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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