The Fair Trade Cook Book
The FAIRTRADE COOKBOOK
Fair Trade Recipes for a Fairer World

Cholent

Country of origin: Israel A hearty, rich, very slow cooking beef hotpot.
Serves a minimum of 8 portions.
The cooking technique is designed to eliminate any work on the Sabbath in accordance with Jewish laws. There are so many variations on cholent that it deserves a website all of its own. This is a recipe "under development".
The nearest recipe relative to this is Potjeikos from South Africa
Use stewing steak or braising steak, or brisket.

Ingredients

2 large	onions
1.5 Kilos	Beef
15 ml	Middle Eastern Spice Mix
500 gm dry weight	chick peas / red kidney beans / cannlini beans (mixture is OK)
200 gm	Bulgar Wheat or Pearl Barley
6 to 8	medium FAIRTRADE potatoes
6 to 8	unshelled hens eggs
250 gm	FAIRTRADE rice (optional)
FAIRTRADE	Sources Fresh food Rice Pulses

Method

Preparation

Thursday

Put the beans into a bowl and cover with a generous quantity of cold water.
Make up your spices mix if necessary.

Friday

Drain the beans.
Peel and quarter the potatoes.
Skin and slice the onions.
Dice the beef and remove any unwanted fat and gristle.
Wash the eggs well.
Wash the rice and soak for 30 minutes or so in cold water.

Cooking

In your largest Le Creuset or similar pan, fry the onions in a little sunflower oil until starting to brown.
Brown the diced beef with the onions and then add the spices and continue to fry for a few minutes.
Then make a layer of beans followed by a layer of grain.
Next make a layer of potatoes and then a layer of eggs (still in their shells).
Drain the rice and place in a muslin cooking bag. Tie up the end with muslin or string, but leave enough space for the rice to at least double in volume.
Put the rice on top of the layer of eggs and then add enough boiling water to cover with room to spare (2 cm below the top of the pan).
Bring to the boil on the stove top and then turn off the heat.
Cover the pan lid with a layer of baking foil and seal the pan.
Place in a slow oven (Gas Mark 1/4) and cook overnight and until lunchtime on Saturday.

To serve

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, and serve one per person as a starter.
Serve hot as a communal pot.
For jews on the sabbath, this is a complete meal. For others a green vegetable (peas or spinach) might be appreciated.

Variation

Use Suma Fair Trade aduki beans and or black beans in place of the red kidney beans.
Use 50 ml of plain flour as thickening in place of the wheat or barley.
Add a few cloves of crushed garlic to the onions.
Use a stuffed chicken in place of the Beef.
Use diced lamb in place of the beef.

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