Ital Stew
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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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.
Ingredients
| 50g | dried white haricot beans |
| 50g | dried red kidney beans |
| 50g | dried black beans |
| 50g | dried pinto beans |
| 2 tbsp | coconut oil |
| 1 | onion, finely diced |
| 1 | cinnamon stick |
| 8 | cloves |
| 12 | pimento (allspice) berries |
| 15g | fresh ginger, peeled and minced |
| 5 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 1½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 litre | vegetable stock |
| 8 | thyme sprigs |
| 1 | rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 2 tsp | mixed peppercorns |
| 300ml | coconut milk |
| 80g | squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes |
| 80g | cassava, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes |
| 80g | carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes |
| 80g | potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes |
| 80g | sweet 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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