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Aiwaj Iraqi tomato beef served
Rich spiced tomato beef with Middle Eastern flavours

Iraqi spiced beef and tomato stew (Aiwaj)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Aiwaj is the patience game of Iraqi cuisine. This thick, tomato beef stew is a textbook example of slow cooking. Tougher, sinewy cuts (like shin) turn butter-soft over long hours, while collagen dissolves from them, thickening the tomato into a silky, rich sauce. Frying spices in oil creates a flavour explosion you'd never get by simply boiling.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 2 hrs
⌛ Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 520 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Iraqi

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Heavy-bottomed saucepan (for heat retention)
  • Wooden spoon
  • Sharp knife

Instructions

1 ✓

Cut the meat into large cubes, the onion finely. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the onion until golden brown.

Tip: Thorough frying of the onion (caramelisation) adds sweetness, counteracting the tomato's acidity.
2 ✓

Add the spices (cinnamon, cumin, turmeric) and crushed garlic. Fry for half a minute until intensely fragrant.

Tip: This is the 'blooming' technique: spice aromatics dissolve in fat, making the dish much tastier than if sprinkled into water.
3 ✓

Throw in the beef cubes and fry on high heat until browned all over.

Tip: Flavours created during searing (Maillard reaction) form the base of the stew.
4 ✓

Stir in the tomato puree and fry for another 1-2 minutes until it turns dark red.

Tip: Frying the puree dulls the raw, acidic taste and deepens the colour.
5 ✓

Pour in the stock, add salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to minimum, cover, and cook for 1.5-2 hours.

Tip: The meat should only simmer. Slow heat breakdown makes the fibres tender.
6 ✓

When the meat is butter-soft and the sauce has thickened, serve with rice or flatbread.

Tip: If the sauce is too runny, take the lid off and boil away excess water at the end.

Recipe FAQ

Why is the meat hard after 1 hour?
Muscle fibres contract first from heat. It takes time for collagen to turn into gelatin (min. 1.5-2 hours). Be patient!
Sauce too sour?
Tomato acidity depends on the brand. A pinch of sugar or bicarbonate of soda helps balance it.

Ingredients

  • 600 g Beef (shin or neck)
  • 200 g Tomato puree (concentrated)
  • 2 heads Onion
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 500 ml Beef stock (or water)
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper