This One-Pot Spiced Beef-Lentil Stew is exotic yet soothing. And I made it with what I had in the house during a snowstorm! It has the intense flavors of Persian and Moroccan cuisine: vegetables and beef with cinnamon, coriander, cumin and ginger. Yum!
If you are going to pre-cook the lentils after soaking, bring the water to a boil, then add the soaked lentils. Cook until the lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add at step #6.
Heat the olive oil over low heat in a dutch oven. Cook the carrots at a slow simmer until just becoming tender, 5-8 minutes.
Adjust the heat to medium. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until all traces of pink have disappeared.
Add all the spices and salt and continue to heat until well mixed and fragrant. Stir in the arrowroot flour.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the lentils. Simmer gently until the lentils are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Stir in cilantro.
Serve over basmati rice.
Delicious with chutney of any type, such as this raisin chutney.