Spiced Short Ribs and Potatoes

Name: Spiced Short Ribs and Potatoes
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: Tanzanian
Ingredients: 4 pounds (1.8 kg) English-style, bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 3- inch segments; 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed; 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper; ⅓ cup (90 g) double-concentrated tomato paste; 6 garlic cloves, finely grated; 2- inch piece ginger, finely grated; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 1½ pounds (680 g) whole baby Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed clean if needed; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro tender stems and leaves,* for serving; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro tender stems and leaves,* for serving; Basmati rice or crusty bread, for serving; Basmati rice or crusty bread, for serving; Green bird’s-eye chilis,* for serving; Yellow onions, use red onions; Yellow onions, use red onions; Cinnamon stick, use ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; Cinnamon stick, use ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; Kashmiri red chili powder, use ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Kashmiri red chili powder, use ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Kashmiri red chili powder, use ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Cilantro, use parsley, mint, or dill; Cilantro, use parsley, mint, or dill; Cilantro, use parsley, mint, or dill; Cilantro, use parsley, mint, or dill; Bird’s-eye chilis, use jalapeños or serranos; Bird’s-eye chilis, use jalapeños or serranos; Bird’s-eye chilis, use jalapeños or serranos; Lime wedges, use lemon wedges

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
4 hr

Appears in

Third Culture Cooking

By Zaynab Issa

Published 2025

About

Meat curry, a dish that frequented the dinner table growing up and ranks high on my list of classic Khoja comfort foods, is traditionally made with affordable stew beef cubes cooked until very tender and shreddy. Borrowing on an almost identical flavor profile, I opted for beefy, rich, bone-in short ribs for this cozy meal. It’s visually a little more exciting and elevates that weeknight staple into something a little more “wow.”

My favorite part of this dish is the whole baby Yukon

Ingredients

Sub-Saharan Africa
Tanzania
Dinner
Main course
Low carb
Keto

Ingredients

Method