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f a stew could be your best friend on a chilly evening, this would be it. This Sweet Potato Eggplant (Brinjal) Beef Stew isn’t here to impress with fancy tricks—it’s here to wrap you in a warm, veggie-filled hug and say, “Hey, slow down. Dinner’s got your back.”
Let’s be honest—some veggies were just made for each other. Sweet potato brings the buttery richness. Eggplant? Oh, she’s the smoky queen of the oven, silky when treated right, bold when grilled, and a natural match for just about anything olive-oiled and seasoned to perfection. Put the sweet potato and eggplant together? You’ve got a match made in Mediterranean heaven with a touch of homestyle comfort.
But this time, I took it a step further—because sometimes, the veggies want beef.
It all starts with tender chunks of beef, browned, then simmered low and slow until they’re basically melt-in-your-mouth magic. But here’s where things get fun: in come the sweet potatoes—those little golden cubes of sunshine—followed closely by soft, silky eggplant that thickens up the stew and adds an additional “meatiness.” Add juicy tomatoes to the mix, and suddenly, you’ve got a stew that’s sweet, savory, and just a little sassy. It’s the kind of dish that warms your whole house and fills your kitchen with those “what smells so good?!” aromas that draw everyone to the table.
This dish came together on a lazy Sunday afternoon—the kind of day made for slow cooking and big flavor. A little bit intuitive, a little bit rustic, and a whole lot of soul. It’s hearty, it’s humble, and it feeds the body and the cravings at the same time.
You’ll find this Sweet Potato Eggplant Beef Stew full recipe waiting for you just below—go on, scroll down and save it. Trust me, this is one to keep in your regular rotation.
K’ love you bye.
Sweet Potato & Eggplant Beef Stew
Equipment
- large sauce pan or pot
- stove top
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 800g beef chuck see note 1
- 2 large white onions cut into large chunks
- 2 large eggplants cut into large chunks
- 50 grams tomato paste
- 2 ½ tsp chicken stock powder or beef, see note 2
- 1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground five spice or ground fennel
- 2 tsp fine sea salt or fine pink salt, separate
- 1.5 liters warm water see note 2
- 2 large white fleshed sweet potato peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 medium fresh red chili or as per personal preference
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan to a medium-high heat, add the olive oil and beef cubes and sauté until the beef has browned and most of the meats liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and eggplant and sauté for 3 minutes or until the vegetables start to brown.
- Add the tomato paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Followed by the chicken stock powder, paprika, five spice and 1 tsp salt. Pour in the warm water and stir gently.
- Reduce to a low-medium heat and simmer uncovered for 50 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add in chunks of the sweet potato and stir gently, ensuring the sweet potato is mostly submerged in the liquid. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the sweet potato is tender, about 30-40minutes. Note: feel free to add a dash of water as needed, add rather to little liquid than to much because the sweet potato is tender your stew will be ready.
- 5 minutes prior to serving you can add the fresh chili and the remaining 1 tsp salt (if needed). Note: you can obviously add it whenever, but the earlier you add it the spicier your stew ill be.
- Once the sweet potato is tender and you've added the chili, you can dish up. Salt to taste if needed and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Beef Chuck: a fatty cut of chuck would be preferable as you don't want the beef to still be tough once the sweet potato is tender or add another hour to the cooking process.
- Chicken or beef stock powder and water: I add the powder followed by warm water but feel free to omit the powder and only add liquid stock (1.5l). You can also up the flavour profile by adding both the stock powder as well as liquid stock, just be sure to check the salt levels as stock can generally be quite salty.
- Storage: the stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, thereafter, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
