Cut beef into 1-2 inch cubes. Rinse beef with cold water and drain well.
Season with green seasoning, tomato, onion, garlic, thyme, hot pepper-if using, salt and black pepper. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight covered in the refrigerator. Note that I don’t always season in advance and seasonings can be added after coating with the browning--as seen in the correponding YouTube video.
In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. When hot but not smoking add sugar and allow it to bubble, froth, expand and darken. Do not allow it to smoke and get black. If this happens you have to start over!
Add seasoned beef and listen to it sing in the pot. Immediately raise heat to high and stir continuously to coat with the brown sugar, about 3 minutes.
Stir in carrots, celery, tomatoes, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Make Dumplings: Meanwhile, in a bowl add the ingredients for the dumplings, except water, and mix well to combine. Gradually add water and knead to form a soft dough, about 3 mins. A few minutes before the beef is finished cooking, pinch off pieces and roll between the palms of your hands to make dumplings. Place them on an oiled sheet pan until they are ready to be used.
After the liquid has evaporated, add 2-3 cups of hot water, more if you like lots of "sauce". Bring to a boil, add chopped herbs, green bell pepper, more salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
Place dumplings in pot, trying to immerse them gently in the sauce.
Cover and cook or until the dumplings are fully cooked and chewy and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.