Home » Beef stew mixed with crispy muriwo weCovo (Veggies)
Beef stew nemuriwo ready!

Beef stew mixed with crispy muriwo weCovo (Veggies)

Written by Published on in Traditional, Vegetables
4 Servings ~ 30 minutes
  • 500g beef blade
  • 3 tbsp frying oil
  • Onion (chopped)
  • Tomato (chopped)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Bunch of Covo vegetables

This is a signature dish for many Zimbabweans in and outside of Zimbabwe (where the correct ingredients can be found). If you have been out of the country for a prolonged period of time as I once was you are probably dying of nostalgia at seeing this popular dish. I am with you.

In my mid to late teenage years including in-between boarding school I had an opportunity to do this recipe in my mother’s house. In a household with four boys and one girl, the girl being younger, there was simply no way one could have escaped cooking and other regular household chores. Looking back, what a fantastic empowerment courtesy of my mom. So when I moved on to live by myself after varsity you can imagine it was somewhat smooth sailing when it came to cooking. To this day, this dish remains one of my favorite especially when served with plain Sadza. Let’s give it a try!

Also see  Mufushwa weNyemba (dried black-eyed peas leaves)

Quick Instructions

As a quick tip, its a good idea to do this dish with tender beef. This takes less time to boil as you will need minimum water just to boil the meat to cook. After you add veggies, taste for your seasoning as it may be necessary to add a bit more salt for good taste.

  1. Get your beef and cut it into good sized pieces. Put your beef pieces into a pot and add 1/2 cup water as well as your salt.  Close pot and leave to boil until water is finished. This should be about 20-25 minutes depending on your heat level as well as the amount of water in your pot.
  2. Prepare your leafy green veggies by washing and cutting them during this waiting time while your pot is boiling. When water is finished add 3 tbsp frying oil and fry your beef until brownish at which point add your tomatoes and onion and continue to mix taking short breaks until the tomatoes and onions are barely visible. De-glaze the pot time and again with drops of water.
  3. Add your veggies and mix. Continue mixing at regular intervals to allow the veggies to cook but not over-cook. Remember we want the veggies crispy and green yet cooked. Once satisfied with the veggies after tasting remove from heat.
  4. Your beef stew with crispy muriwo weCovo is ready.
Also see  Green Salad with a twist

Pictorial Detailed Instructions

Step 1
Get your beef  (a) and cut it into decent pieces (hahaha) (b) and put in pot. Add 1/2 cup water (c) and add your salt.  Close pot and leave to boil until water is finished (d). This should be about 20-25 minutes depending on your heat level as well as amount of water in your pot.
Step 2
Prepare your veggies by washing and cutting them during this waiting time while your pot is boiling (a). When water is finished in pot (b) add 3 tbsp frying oil and fry your beef until invitingly brownish at which point add your tomatoes and onion (c) and mix taking short breaks until the tomatoes and onions are barely visible as shown in (d). Feel free to add drops of water time and again for de-glazing.
Step 3
Add your prepared veggies (a) and mix (b). Continue to mix taking occasional brief breaks to allow the veggies to cook but not over-cook (c). Remember we want the veggies crispy and green yet cooked. Once satisfied with the veggies after tasting remove from heat.
Beef stew nemuriwo ready!
Your beef stew nemuriwo is ready! Serve with sadza and enjoy.

This is one of Zimbabwe’s traditional dishes. Am confident enough to say as we speak someone somewhere in Zimbabwe is getting ready to have this dish for supper tonight! That’s how popular and central to day-to-day household living in Zimbabwe the dish is.