Cholent
Cholent is the traditional Sabbath stew, developed by Jewish communities in Europe to solve a practical religious problem — Jewish law forbids lighting fire during Shabbat, the Saturday day of rest, but permits eating food cooked beforehand if it remains on a continuous heat source. The solution was a thick stew put on to simmer Friday evening, before sunset, and left on very low heat for almost 24 hours, ready to serve at Saturday lunch. The recipe varies enormously depending on the Jewish community of origin — Ashkenazi Jews often prefer versions with beef, beans and barley, while Sephardic and Mizrahi communities have their own versions with rice, chickpeas or other grains, often with different spices. The name "cholent" likely derives from Old French, reflecting the historical migration of Jews through Europe, and the dish remains a powerful symbol of religious tradition continuing through cooking, despite the enormous regional diversity.
Beef chunks
Beef pieces cooked until very tender
Beans and barley
White beans and pearl barley, slow-cooked
Whole potatoes
Small potatoes, left whole in the stew
Simmered overnight
Cooked over very low heat for many hours
Ingredients 4 servings
- 600 g beef brisket, large cubes
- 200 g dried white beans, soaked overnight
- 100 g pearl barley
- 8 small potatoes, peeled
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper
How to make it
- 1Drain the white beans that soaked overnight and rinse under cold water.
- 2Brown the beef pieces in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, in batches, until coloured on all sides.
- 3Remove the meat and in the same pot sauté the sliced onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.
- 4Return the meat to the pot and add the drained beans, pearl barley, whole potatoes, paprika and cumin.
- 5Season generously with salt and pepper, then cover everything with hot water, at least 5 cm above the ingredients.
- 6Bring to a gentle boil on the stove, then cover the pot tightly with a sealed lid.
- 7Transfer the pot to an oven preheated to 100°C and let it simmer very slowly for at least 12 hours, ideally overnight.
- 8Check occasionally and add hot water if the stew seems too dry, then serve hot straight from the pot.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
