Cholent - Beans Stew
A rich and flavorful beans stew, ready in an hour, using an InstaPot.
A new friend came over, an InstaPot, one of those friends who save us a lot of time in the kitchen, allowing the family to spend time together while the magic happens in the pot. Cooking in it is so enjoyable that I keep trying more and more recipes from the InstaPot version, which is not much different from the regular one, except you can set a timer on the pot and not worry about something burning.
So far, the main drawback I find is that there's only one of these in the house because when the dish is cooked, I'm already thinking about what else I can create in it. This combination of a pressure cooker and a slow cooker allows me to work for ten to fifteen min setting up the dish, and then close it for 2 hours during which I can go back to work or spend time with the kids and enjoy afterward.
Another great thing about this pot is that it won't open if there's any risk, which makes it relatively easy for kids to use (it can turn into an Air Fryer, so kids can make baked potato cubes or schnitzel with minimal risk).
When preparing a traditional Cholent, it means a whole night in the oven, occasionally peeking at it, but with the instapot it is not needed, I set it up for low pressure for an hour an a half, later one it will move to the keep worm on it’s own.
The name "pressure cooker" is a bit misleading because it gives the impression of extra intensity, but here it's the opposite; the pressure is only in the pot, outside of its surroundings, and calm. I enjoy peeking and watching the magic unfold, how several ingredients suddenly come together and turn into a tasty and rich stew.
The last time I tried this recipe, in its vegetarian version (just without meat), I started in the evening, thinking the pot would continue to cook until the next morning. However, at ten at night, when I checked, it was already ready. Me Yuval and Nir tasted it, and the tasting turned into eating a full bowl and a bit more. The pot continued to simmer slowly until the next day, but really, the first four hours were enough. The stew turned into a thick soup with a precise combination of liquids against beans and meat.
I prepare this recipe in at least 5.5-liter pot, and its seasoning consists of silan, tomato paste, soy sauce, and garlic, caramelizing slowly in the pot, filling the house with a delightful aroma. It's what makes all of us come back and refill our bowls.
You can also make it in a regular pot in the oven, start with 30 minutes of stovetop cooking, and then transfer it to the oven for eight hours at 100 degrees Celsius. Normally in this case the pot will be set in the evening and left there for the next day’s lunch.
I'm sure one day my son will try to recreate this recipe and this nightly feast with his parents will bring us good memories and this is what home cooking is all about.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of dried black bean, soaked in water for at least two hours (you can soak them for more hours)
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
! chopped onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Silan (can be substituted with two chopped dates)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon salt
5 eggs (actually, as many as fit in the pot)
500 grams of meat for long cooking, cut into cubes (you can use chicken thighs or cook in a vegetarian version)
3 potatoes washed and pilled
You can also add mushrooms, which go well with the barley
How to make it:
Set the InstaPot in saute mode and add the onion with a tablespoon of olive oil, close the lid for ten minutes until the onion caramelizes.
Add the meat for a light browning on all sides.
Mix the beans the spices and two cups of water in a bowl.
Add all other ingredients beside the eggs: first the beans and the spices, then the potatoes, and the pearl barley.
Fill the pot with water up to its maximum, stir slightly, and put the eggs on top.
Close the pot and operate it in pressure cooker mode for 1.5 hours.
Switch to the slow cooking or keep worm mode and leave it to release the pressure slowly. By now, the stew is ready to be eater but can also stay like that for 2-3 hours. You can also check it from time to time (carefully, if the pot doesn't open, it means the pressure hasn't been released).
Before serving: take out the eggs wash them and pill them, place the potatos in a sparate bowl, and now each person can take some stew and add the eggs and potatoes to it. You can also freeze it, but I preferred to share some of this with the neighbors so that they could enjoy it too.
