Ingredients
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Procedure
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- Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 4 cm (1½-inch) chunks.
- On low heat, heat the margarine in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and bell peppers. Stir, making sure all vegetables get a good coating of the oil.
- Gently fry/sweat the vegetables for 3 minutes and season well, then add the flour and continue to stir and coat all the vegetables.
- Stir in the tin of chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste, then add enough water to cover all the ingredients in the pan.
- Simmer gently for a further 3 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Stir in the stock/bouillon, yeast extract, and garlic.
- Place a lid on (with a slight gap to allow some of the steam to escape), and gently simmer on a low heat for 35–50 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Make the dumpling mixture: Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Cut the margarine into the flour, and add a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Add a very small quantity of cold water and pinch-mix with your fingers (you can always add more later), just enough to make a strong, sticky dough.
- Test the main stew to see if it's ready for adding the dumpling dough. Take a carrot from the pan and if it feels semi-cooked, but still firm, then it is the perfect time to add the butter beans and peas.
- Taste, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Distribute walnut-sized lumps of dough, evenly spaced, on top of the simmering stew.
- Replace the lid and cook for a further 20–25 minutes, at which time you should have large, light and fluffy dumplings.
- Serve the stew and dumplings piping hot straight from the pan with fresh crusty bread and prepared yellow mustard on the side.