Beef Stew with a Chinese Twist 1 package of stew 2 tbsp. flour 1 tbsp. oil 1/2 c water, will probably need to add more as it cooks, I did 1/2 tsp. ginger 1/4 c soy sauce (think I added more) 2 lg. onions, sliced Dredge meat in flour and brown on all sides. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until onions are tender. The longer it cooks the meat will become more tender. Keep a watch as this is when I needed to add water as it cooked the gravy thickens. Serve over rice or egg noodles. We loved this. I was hoping for leftovers for another meal, but that did not happen. The gravy was delicious.