Main Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb Lean stewing beef or lamb
1/2 c Oil
1 lg Onion; finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves; crushed
1 1/2 c Water
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 ts Hot chili pepper (or more)
3 c Spinach, chopped
1 ts Cumin
2 tb Coriander leaves, chopped
- (more if desired)

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Cooking time: 1 1/2-2 hours
1. Cut meat into 3/4' cubes.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add onion and fry gently until transparent. Increase heat, add garlic and meat cubes and fry, stirring often, until juices evaporate and meat begins to brown.
3. Add water, salt and pepper to taste, chili pepper, and cumin. Bring to a slow simmer and reduce heat. Cover pan and simmer gently for 1-1 1/2 hours until meat is tender. Time depends on cut of meat used.
4. Add spinach and coriander and cook for further 10-15 minutes.
5. Mound chalau [see note 2] on a platter and spoon some of the sauce on top. Serve remainder in a separate bowl.

Note1: 1/4 c. yellow split peas (daul nakhud) can be substituted for the spinach. This dish is then called Korma and the split peas are added at step 3.
Note 2: To make 6-8 servings of Chalau, start with 3 cups of basmati or other good quality long grain rice. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a cooking pot, add the rice, and stir for 5 minutes. Add required water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered +/- 30 minutes. To cook this authentically, put a cloth over the rim of the pan before putting on the lid.

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