Indian Spiced Venison Stew

For those of you who witnessed me butcher an axis deer in my last post, I decided to reward the brave with a little something special. My Indian Spiced Venison Stew recipe. Since axis deer come from the tropics of India, I included many Indian spices–such as garam masala–that pair perfectly with the venison. Not to mention, pan-frying all of the ingredients in coconut oil adds a richness and a unique flavor. Although this recipe has a lot of spice, the sweet potato gives it the right amount of sweetness. In the end, we just kept going back for more.

The ingredients include:

• 4 cups venison, cubed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced (one large)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 10.75 oz. can of tomato puree
• 2 teaspoons ground garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 15 oz. can of chick peas, drained
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

To begin, place the cubed venison in a large bowl. Then add salt and black pepper.

Also add the flour. Toss with your hands or stir with a spoon until all the pieces of meat are evenly coated.

Pour coconut oil into the bottom of a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. In batches, cook the meat 2-3 minutes on each side and stir occasionally. (Tip: do it in batches because you don’t want to overcrowd the meat. You want to evenly brown the meat, not steam it.)

Continue on with the next batch of meat. If needed, add more coconut oil if the pot is dry.

Remove the meat from the pot and transfer it over to a plate in order to cool.

To the same pot (with the caramelized goodness), combine the diced onion.

Minced garlic.

Freshly grated ginger. Ah, I love the smell of ginger.

And sauté for about 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Remember to add more coconut oil if needed.

Stir in the tomato paste.

Cook for about 2 minutes until mixture is thick and dark, like so.

Include all of the spices. Are you ready for them?

Coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.

And lastly, the important spice: garam masala.

Toss the venison back into the pot.

Add the chicken broth. I had some homemade from a chicken carcass I’d roasted but if you buy it from the store just make sure it’s low sodium.

Also the colorful tomato puree.

Then the heavy cream.

Give these ingredients a gentle stir.

Then add the drained chick peas.

And lastly, the diced sweet potato. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer on medium heat, partly covered, until liquid has thickened and the venison easily falls apart–about 2 hours.

Ladle the stew into a giant bowl and garnish with optional fresh herbs such as cilantro.

Have you gone back for a second serving yet? Go on, you deserve it.

Print Recipe

“Indian Spiced Venison Stew”

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups venison cubed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cups sweet potato peeled and diced (one large)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 10.75 oz. can of tomato puree
• 2 teaspoons ground garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 15 oz. can of chick peas drained
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions

• Toss the meat with flour, salt and black pepper until each piece is evenly coated.
• Add coconut oil to the bottom of dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat.
• Work in batches and cook the meat 2-3 minutes on each side, stirring occasionally.
• Continue on with the next batch of meat. Add more coconut oil if the pan is dry.
• Remove the meat from the pot and transfer to a plate in order to cool.
• Then include the onion, garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Remember to add more oil if needed.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes, until it becomes thick and dark.
• Add coriander, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper, and garam masala.
• Transfer the meat back into the pot.
• Include the chicken broth, tomato puree, heavy cream, chick peas, and sweet potato.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat.
• Simmer on medium heat, partly covered, until liquid has thickened and venison easily falls apart --about two hours.
• Serve, garnish with optional fresh herbs such as cilantro, and enjoy.