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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Kare-kare with rice

Kare-kare is a Filipino beef stew simmered in a peanut sauce, served with vegetables and rice. For 4 people, it takes about 2 hours 10 minutes to make, at a medium difficulty level, costing €3.80 per serving. The key to success is slow simmered meat and adding the sauce at the end so it stays creamy.

Here's kare-kare from the Philippines, a beef and vegetable stew in a creamy peanut sauce, served with rice.

Kare-kare with rice
Total time
2 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Kare-kare is first and foremost a texture experience, with beef chuck simmered for nearly two hours until it falls apart under a fork. The peanut sauce, thickened with toasted rice, coats the meat and vegetables in a slightly sweet, nutty flavor, quite different from spicier Asian peanut sauces. Soft eggplant, still crisp green beans, and bok choy each add their own bite to the dish.

This is more of a Sunday dish than a weeknight one, the kind of stew you let simmer quietly while you take care of other things. It takes patience but barely any technique, which makes it great for having people over without stress, or for cooking a big batch and enjoying it over the following days. The shrimp paste on the side might surprise you at first, but it quickly becomes essential for perking up every bite.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef chuck 800 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Eggplants 2
  • Green beans 200 g
  • Bok choy 2
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 4 cloves

Pantry

  • Peanut butter 5 tbsp
  • Shrimp paste 2 tsp
  • White riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Raw riceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Peanuts, Shellfish

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the beef into large cubes and brown it with the onion and garlic in a pot with the oil. 10 min

    Take the time to brown all the meat well, it's the base of the flavor.

  2. Cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer covered until the meat is very tender. 1 h 30

    Keep the heat very low, just a few bubbles at the surface is enough.

  3. Dry toast two tablespoons of raw rice, grind it into a powder, and mix it with the peanut butter and a little broth. 5 min

    Toasted rice gives the sauce a thick texture and a nutty flavor.

  4. Pour this sauce into the pot, add the chopped eggplants and green beans, then the bok choy last. 15 min

    Lay the vegetables in without stirring too much so they keep their shape.

  5. Cook the rice and serve the stew with a little shrimp paste on the side. 12 min

    Shrimp paste is eaten in very small amounts, it's quite salty.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a well marbled piece of chuck rather than a lean cut, it will stay more tender after two hours of cooking.
  • Taste the broth before adding the peanut sauce, since the shrimp paste served on the side is often enough to season the dish.
  • If the sauce looks too thick at the end, thin it with a little hot broth rather than cold water.

The variations

  • Swap the chuck for beef shank, which turns even more tender after a long simmer.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with squash chunks and firm tofu, and skip the shrimp paste.
  • For a quicker meal, use thinly sliced tender beef and cut the simmering time to 30 minutes before adding the sauce and vegetables.

What to serve it with

  • Steamed white rice
  • Plain cucumber slices
  • Hot unsweetened green tea

Storage

Kare-kare keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It freezes well without the green vegetables, which you should add fresh when reheating. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you substitute the shrimp paste?

Yes, you can use fish sauce instead or simply skip it if you're cooking for someone who doesn't like its flavor. It's mainly used in small amounts to season the dish, it's not essential to the sauce itself.

Can you make kare-kare ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended since the peanut sauce develops more flavor after resting overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently and add the green vegetables at the last minute so they stay crisp.

Does kare-kare freeze well?

The beef stew and sauce freeze well for up to 2 months. It's best to freeze it without the green beans and vegetables, which lose their texture, and add them fresh when reheating.

Why toast the raw rice before grinding it?

Dry toasting the rice gives the sauce a toasted, nutty aroma and helps it thicken naturally without flour or cornstarch. It's a quick step but it really changes the final flavor of the dish.

How long does it take to make a kare-kare, a Filipino beef stew in peanut sauce, with vegetables and rice?

Count 2 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a kare-kare, a Filipino beef stew in peanut sauce, with vegetables and rice?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a kare-kare, a Filipino beef stew in peanut sauce, with vegetables and rice cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains peanuts, shellfish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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