Egyptian · lunch, dinner
Bisella (Egyptian Peas and Carrots Stew with Beef)
البسله بالجزر
Video by nadia elsayed on YouTube, in Arabic · Open on YouTube
- Gluten-free with a swap: Use a gluten-free stock cube, or leave it out
- Nut-free
Contains: Gluten, Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
About 42 g protein, 7 g fibre and 19 g net carbs a serve from beef, peas and carrots simmered in tomato; the sugar is about 2 g a serve.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 13
Method
The cook speaks Arabic; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.
- Heat the ghee and oil in a large pot and fry the chopped onion until golden, not brown. 0:35
- Add the beef and the black pepper and sauté, stirring, until the meat is nicely browned. 1:10
- Pour in the tomato juice, the water and the chopped tomatoes to cover the meat. Cover and simmer 40–45 minutes, until the beef is almost tender (or pressure-cook it). 1:40
- Season with the stock cube (optional), sugar and salt, then add the frozen peas and carrots. 2:33
- Bring back to the boil, cover and cook 10–15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the beef is done. 3:29
Tip. Egyptians serve it with white rice; cauliflower rice or a salad keeps it lower in carbs. Serves 10 is our estimate for 1.5 kg beef. Skip the stock cube to cut the salt. Freezes well.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 10
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 21%
- Protein 47%
- Fat 32%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
One serve has about 56% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin B12 High128%
3.1 µg a serve, mostly from beef (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Zinc High96%
11 mg a serve, mostly from beef (89%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Selenium High74%
40 µg a serve, mostly from beef (96%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin A High65%
585 µg a serve, mostly from carrots (86%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin B6 High54%
0.9 mg a serve, mostly from beef (63%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin C High33%
30 mg a serve, mostly from tomato juice (44%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin K High31%
37 µg a serve, mostly from frozen peas and carrots (41%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Iron High29%
5.3 mg a serve, mostly from beef (64%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Potassium High23%
1070 mg a serve, mostly from beef (33%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Omega-3 High23%
0.4 g a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (83%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Folate High20%
81 µg a serve, mostly from frozen peas and carrots (46%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Magnesium Source18%
75 mg a serve, mostly from beef (34%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin E Source14%
2.1 mg a serve, mostly from vegetable oil (28%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Show the other 2
Calcium6%
83 mg a serve. Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D1%
0.1 µg a serve, mostly from beef (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Bamia (Egyptian Okra and Lamb Stew)Egyptian · 460 kcal · 33 g protein
Egyptian Molokhia with Chicken (Jute Leaf Soup)Egyptian · 383 kcal · 38 g protein
Kebda Eskandarani (Alexandria-Style Spicy Liver)Egyptian · 356 kcal · 31 g protein
Adana Kebab (Hand-Minced Lamb with Tail Fat)Turkish · 453 kcal · 32 g protein
Adas bi Hamod (Lebanese Lentil, Chard and Lemon Soup)Lebanese · 263 kcal · 12 g protein
Adasi (Persian Lentil Soup with Golpar)Persian · 324 kcal · 15 g protein
Recipe and video by nadia elsayed; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.