Recipes>Bean Recipes

Ital Stew

by Xavier Bramble from Stews: One-Pot Comfort Food From Around The World

Easy

Serves 4

Inspired by Ital stew, a plant-based dish packed with vegetables and warming spices, this recipe from Xavier Bramble is a soothing one-pot recipe to see you through the colder months.

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Hearty winter warmers to please a crowd

From the book

Stews: One-Pot Comfort Food From Around The World

Xavier Bramble

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Introduction

The Ital community in Jamaica is a group of people who embrace plant-based living and eating. The famous Ital stew is known for its wonderful flavours and nutritional benefits. I developed my version during my obsessive bean phase (which, for that matter, is still ongoing). For this dish, I bought a load of dried beans at a market in Portugal, soaked them overnight, then started to play around with the flavour of the stew. I tried different spice combinations and different types of bean until I found my favourites. This is the result.

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Ingredients

50gdried white haricot beans
50gdried red kidney beans
50gdried black beans
50gdried pinto beans
2 tbspcoconut oil
1onion, finely diced
1cinnamon stick
8cloves
12pimento (allspice) berries
15gfresh ginger, peeled and minced
5garlic cloves, minced
1½ tspground turmeric
1 litrevegetable stock
8thyme sprigs
1rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped
2bay leaves
2 tspmixed peppercorns
300mlcoconut milk
80gsquash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
80gcassava, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
80gcarrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
80gpotato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
80gsweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
salt and black pepper
Serving suggestion:
white rice

Method

Prep : 20 mins, plus overnight soaking. Cook : 2 hrs 25 mins.

Place all your dried beans in a single, large bowl and cover them completely with cold water. Leave them to soak overnight. When you’re ready to cook them, drain the beans and rinse them under cold running water for 30 seconds, then you’re ready to go.

Heat up a large stew pot on a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once melted and hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add your cinnamon stick, cloves and pimento berries. Sauté for 5 minutes, until aromatic.

Add the ginger and garlic, sauté for 1 minute, then add the turmeric. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, until the ginger and garlic are soft and the turmeric is cooked out.

Add the vegetable stock, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and mixed peppercorns to the pot, then increase the heat to bring the liquid to a light simmer. Add the soaked and rinsed beans, cover the pot with the lid, reduce the heat again and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beans are soft and fully cooked.

Add the coconut milk and diced vegetables and simmer for 40 minutes with the lid partially on, until the vegetables are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with rice.

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Ingredients
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