Hamin Kharshuf
I invented this stew to highlight one of my favorite winter vegetables in Israel. Cardoon (kharshuf in Hebrew) looks like a prehistoric celery.
1 medium cardoon, or 1¼ lbs. frozen artichoke bottoms (see note) Lemon juice
3 cups wheat berries
15 oz. can of chickpeas
1¼ lbs. lamb or fatty beef, cut into chunks
12 whole cloves of garlic
3 Tbsp. za’atar
1 Tbsp. sumac
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
6 whole eggs
Cochini Hamin
This chicken and rice stew originated with the Cochini Jews in Kerala, India.
3 large onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. oil
5 cardamom pods, or 1 tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. turmeric
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 medium carrots, grated
2” ginger, grated
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 medium chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces
2 cups brown lentils or split peas
2 cups long grain rice
6 whole eggs
Persian (Shirazi) Khalebibi
This stew originates in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, and its name is one of the more interesting ones among the world’s Shabbat stews.
½ cup medium grain rice
½ cup kidney beans
⅓ cup pinto beans
⅓ cup brown lentils
⅓ cup mung beans
1¼ lbs. stew beef, cut into chunks
2-3 marrow bones
1 large onion, diced into ½” pieces
1 large turnip, peeled and diced into ½” pieces
1½ cups red cabbage, chopped into ½” pieces
1½ cups white cabbage, chopped into ½” pieces
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp. turmeric
---------------------------------
For serving:
1 sliced lemon
Basic Vegetarian Hamin
This recipe mixes various influences from the Sephardi diaspora while avoiding meat. It works well on its own, but is even better as a base for experimenting with different flavors.
2-3 medium, roughly chopped onions
2 Tbsp. olive oil (or more as needed)
2-4 sliced cloves of garlic
1 large or 2 small diced green chili peppers with seeds and membranes removed
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cups mixed beans, soaked overnight
1 cup brown lentils
1 cup wheat berries
1 large handful of dried wild mushrooms, pre-soaked in hot water
3 medium potatoes cut into chunks
1 large sweet potato cut into chunks
6 whole eggs
-------------------------------
Optional add-ins:
One large chopped carrot or turnip
Seitan strips
Vegetarian sausages
Swap in 1 cup of thoroughly rinsed, long grain rice or pearl barley for the wheat.
For a spicier flavor, leave in some of the chili seeds and membranes and/or add 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper.
For a different flavor profile, leave out the cumin, turmeric, and cardamom, replacing them with 1 tsp. each of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground cloves.
Polish Chulent
Many American Jews with Ashkenazi roots would see this as the “standard” cholent recipe. I see this recipe as more of a base than a complete recipe.
1 cup barley
1 cup beans (any variety or a mix, soaked overnight and drained in the morning if using dry)
2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
3-4 medium potatoes, cleaned and cut into chunks (optional: peeled)
3-4 marrow bones
1½ - 2¼ lbs. beef, cut into chunks; 3 lbs. beef flanken on the bones, cut into separate pieces; or a combination of both
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
