Green Beans in Tomato Sauce (Fasolia Khadra)

I never liked this meal, I just do it because your dad likes it. At first I used to say it's time consuming, but then he would trim and cut it for me so that I just have to cook it. Then I realized that he really loves it.

• 1 lb of green beans, ends trimmed, sliced horizontally and then diced into 2cm pieces
  
• 1 lb of stew beef or lamb, cut in 2cm cubes
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1/2 a can of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups of water
  

In a medium sized pot, sear the beef on high until it's golden. Add the water and spices and simmer on medium heat until the meat is tender, approximately 1 hour.

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. In another medium sized pot, add the oil and saute the onions on medium-high heat until golden brown. Add the green beans with a dash of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and let the green beans cook completely, stirring occasionally.

Lastly, add the tomatoes and meat to the pot with the green beans. Add enough broth to just barely cover the mixture and adjust the seasonings at this point. Bring everything to a low simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!

VARIATION
To make this meal vegan, use olive oil instead of vegetable oil and use diced fresh tomatoes (~4). Follow the assembly as above, just omitting all of the meat steps. At the end, only simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Canned diced tomatoes can also be used. The vegan version is better eaten with pita bread instead of rice.