Recipe swap: Maltese stew

Gather together all your ingredients (click here for a full list) Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

In a large saucepan, over a medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and add the onions, frying gently until soft. Add the garlic and cook until browned Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

Keep on a medium-high heat, add the diced beef and turn over once or twice until browned Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

Pour in the red wine and stir. When the wine has begun to boil, add the tomato concentrate and chopped tomatoes. Once it has begun to boil again turn down the heat to a gentle simmer Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

Add the lamb stock cube, pepper, curry powder, nutmeg and sugar and stir through. Then cover and leave to simmer on a low heat for 1.5 hours so the sauce is simmering very gently without bubbling on the surface too much. Stir occasionally Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

After the 1.5 hours is up, add the vegetables, cover again and continue to simmer on a low heat for a further half an hour Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

After the half an hour is up, uncover and simmer on a slightly higher heat for half an hour to make sure the sauce has reduced properly and vegetables are cooked through, stirring every now and then. If it appears to be reducing a little too quickly, pour in a little water from time to time Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

In the last few minutes of cooking time, stir through the peas gently so as to not break up the beef too much. The stew is done once the peas are cooked Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius

Here's how the finished dish should look. Serve with hot, crusty bread or over freshly prepared ribbon pasta Photograph: Mary-Rose Agius