Peas Stew (Bazella) Recipe

Name: Pea Stew (bazella)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 small chopped onion; 1 pound, chunks minced or ground lamb or beef; A pinch of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg for the meat; 3 tablespoons neutral oil (divided); 1 pound (about 2 cups) of fresh or frozen peas; 2 carrots chopped (optional), fresh or frozen.; 3 cups fresh tomato sauce (about 4 medium size ripe tomatoes) blended with 1/2 cup of water.; 1 tablespoon tomato paste.; 1 teaspoon allspice.; 1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste).

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This peas stew recipe also known as bazella w riz in Arabic or bazella stew is a hearty warm comfort dish, consisting of peas cooked with meat in tomato sauce.

Bazella or peas stew is a perfect meal for any weeknight. This recipe is not only your kids will love but also the whole family. It’s a very easy dish to make with minimal ingredients.

Cooked pea stew served with rice in a plate

Palestinian cuisine is full of delicious meals and numerous stews. A stew consists of either tomato juice or meat stock base, a protein, and a main vegetable then served over a bed of rice. Just like cauliflower stew, spinach stew, asparagus stew, and the most popular fasolia (green bean stew) and mulukhiyah.

The Arabic word for a stew is yakhni or yakhneh. Stew is a dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in liquid in a closed dish or pan. All yakhnis are often served over a bed of rice plain or vermicelli rice (ruz bil sh'iryeh).

Fresh peas with skin laying at the table, with some peas picked out of the skin.

My late dad used to plant bazella in our backyard, ready to be picked and unshelled in late spring-early summer, which is the season for fresh bazella. My sisters and I would help my mother unshelled the fresh peas, then my mother would work on packing them in zip bags, and then store them in the freezer to use throughout the winter season.

Frozen peas are available throughout the year at any grocery store. Whether you choose to use frozen or fresh, either would work well with this recipe.

This green pea stew bazella recipe is a great comfort food dish made with peas as the main vegetable, and added fresh carrots, with either beef or lamb chunks, minced or ground cooked in tomato juice served over a bed of white rice is considered a classic middle eastern stew and can be a great addition for a dinner party.

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Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations and Substitutions
Pro Tips
Storage and Reheating
FAQ
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Pea Stew (bazella)

Equipment

Pots - for cooking the meat and the vegetables.

Blender - for juicing fresh tomatoes.

Knife - for cutting carrots.

Cutting board - To cut carrots if fresh.

Ingredients

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Sweet onion - I l like to use sweet onions with this dish they pair well with the meat.
Green peas - fresh peas or frozen can work well with this recipe, I highly recommend non-sweet peas for a tastier flavor.
Meat - lamb or beef, any meat either chunks, minced, or ground works well.
Carrots - are a great vegetable addition to this dish, and they pair well with peas.
A blend of Spices - ground cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg gives a great flavor to the meat and the dish overall.
Tomato juice - I prefer to use fresh tomato juice with this dish.

Instructions

Step 1 | In a pot heat olive oil and saute onions over medium-high heat until golden brown.

Raw meat with spices over sauteed onions in a pot

Step 2 | Add meat, spices, and salt, and integrate everything well together.

Step 3 | Continue to cook the meat until the meat is more brownish and fully cooked.

Step 4 | Heat oil over medium heat in a separate pot, add peas and carrots, and sauté for about 7 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Peas, carrots and cooked meat with onions mixed in a pot

Step 5 | Pour vegetables over meat and integrate them well together.

Pouring tomato juice from the blender over peas, chopped carrots, and cooked meat with onions in the pot

Step 6 | Pour in tomato sauce then stir in about one tablespoon of tomato paste, add salt and allspice, and integrate everything well together.

Step 7 | Let it simmer uncovered on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

You can add chopped potatoes in addition or instead of carrots.
You can use brown rice instead of white rice.
You can add bay leaf while cooking the meat.
Vegetable stock or chicken broth can be mixed with tomato juice for a richer flavor.

Pro Tips

Make sure to saute vegetables for about 5-7 minutes or until soften before adding tomato juice.
If using fresh vegetables, carrots take longer to cook than peas so make sure to saute them for up to 7 minutes before adding peas.
It's best to avoid cooking this dish with sweet peas, preferably use any other regular peas that are not sweet.
If you use lamb chunks I recommend cooking them in a pressure cooker, as they take longer to cook in a regular pot.

Storage and Reheating

Peas stew can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can reheat peas stew in a small pan on the stovetop or in the microwave, add 1-2 tables spoons of water if it's too thick prior to heating.