Instant Pot African Beef Stew

I don’t know about you, but I have certain types of cuisines I gravitate towards when cooking. I’m comfortable with soups and sauces. Michael and I love anything Greek flavored. Thai food is pretty accessible. You get the picture.

I love trying different cuisines when eating out, but when I cook I tend to do what I know. With this recipe I tried to stretch myself a bit.

I had beef stew meat that I wanted to use up. My normal inclination would have been to do a variation on a classic -- Chasseur, or Hunter’s Stew. This involves tomatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, often with red wine. 

I love that dish, but I decided to try something a little different.

 African cooking is something out of my comfort zone. I love the flavors that are so often used as well as the traditional cooking techniques, but I have a lot I want to learn when it comes to cooking anything myself.

I decided to start small with a beef stew. I knew putting it in the Instant Pot would help to ensure the meat is fall apart tender. And I actually had all the ingredients I needed right in my cabinet and fridge! Smoked paprika and curry paste really set this dish apart from a regular stew. I had paprika already, and use curry paste quite often, but putting these ingredients together with tomatoes and beef was a new combination.

But let me tell you-- I loved it! Everything worked so beautifully together, and it had a subtle heat-- not spicy, just warming. I would generally serve stew with mashed potatoes, but I served this with rice instead and it was wonderful.