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dagara, tagara, lamb stew, veal stew, lamb and veal stew, veggie stew | balkanlunchbox.com

Lamb, Beef and Vegetable Stew (Dagara, Tagara)

Aida
Delicious lamb and beef vegetable stew. Known as dagara (tagara), the dish was invented by a wise wife to save her husband from a curse. (Read the text for a fun background story!)
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Bosnian
Servings 6
Calories 614 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 clay pot, glassware, or baking pan if using an unglazed clay pot, soak it ahead of time

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4-6 beef or veal cutlets smaller, alternatively use chuck, round, or sirloin, cut into chunks
  • 1 pound lamb ribs or chops you'll have 3 pounds of meat in total (about 1.5 kilograms)
  • 2-4 tablespoons stock powder or Vegeta, or 2-3 crushed bouillon cubes
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • Oil for searing and seasoning
  • 4 potatoes large, Russet, or Yukon gold; peeled and quartered
  • .5-1 pound green beans preferably flat green beans, ends cut off
  • 5-6 whole garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 yellow or white onion large, quartered
  • 3-4 bell peppers large, or local babura or Italian sweet peppers, or bull's horn peppers; deseeded, and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons butter sliced
  • 2-3 carrots large, peeled, cut into sticks
  • (Optional) 1-2 cups boiling water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 480°F (250°C). Season meat with 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, and black pepper. Let it sit for 5 minutes. (You should have about 3 pounds of meat in total)
  • Heat plenty of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Once it's sizzling, brown meat on each side for approximately 2-4 minutes per side. (You may have to do it in batches. Later batches will need less time as the oil gets hotter.) Remove meat from the pan, and pour the remaining oil into the pan you plan to use for baking (a clay pot is preferred, but use what you have).
  • Layer ingredients in the pot in the following order: onion, garlic, meat, peppers, potatoes, carrots and beans. Top with butter. Optionally add one to two cups of boiling water. Cover tightly with a lid, or foil (pierce it in a few places so some of the steam can escape). Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Lower heat to 390°F (200°C) and bake an additional 30-45 minutes.
  • Serve with homemade bread. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat using your preferred method, or in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10-15 minutes. Add liquid if necessary. Reheat only once! Freeze up to 2 months after it cools down completely, in an airtight container. Thaw at room temp, then reheat (once!). Some taste will be lost.

Video

Notes

  • Nutrition Info
Nutritional information is an approximation. 
  • Video
Water was not added in the video, but as of lately, we've been adding it for extra stew. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6Sodium: 792mgSugar: 6.1gFiber: 6.1gCholesterol: 199mgCalories: 614kcalSaturated Fat: 9.3gFat: 27.9gProtein: 54.7gCarbohydrates: 33.9g
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