Shabbat – Thai Cholent

  This recipe won second prize in the 2013 JVS/Gefiltefest Cook Up a Veggie Shabbat Dinner! recipe competition, as judged by Reto Frei (co-owner of leading vegetarian restaurant in London, tibits ). Thai Cholent Recipe Type : Vegan Author: Tanya Winston Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 10 hours Total time: 10 hours 30 mins Serves: 4-6 My husband and I (and our toddler) are vegetarian, and shomrei Shabbat, and we try out new vegan and vegetarian slow cooker recipe inventions each week. This one has proved the lasting favourite. It’s a mild Thai curry style dish, which is simple to make and full of flavour. It is perfect as the main course for Shabbat lunch – a delicious slow cooker/hot pot alternative to a heavy cholent. Ingredients 2 sticks of celery (or 1 onion) a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger or galangal half a fresh green chilli (or whole chilli, according to taste) 1 large sweet potato 1 packet (approx. 175 g/6 oz) of baby corn 1 large courgette 1 lime 2 sticks of lemongrass, fresh or dry 1 teaspoon coriander powder 3 dried kaffir lime leaves 1 can of butter beans (approx. 235 g/8 oz drained), or any other beans you like 1½ tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons tamarind paste (optional if hard to find) 1 can (400 ml/1.6 cups) coconut milk 2 tablespoons olive oil Instructions PREPARATION: Finely chop the celery or onion and ginger/galangal. De-seed and finely chop the green chilli. Leave the seeds if you would prefer it spicier. Peel and chop the rest of vegetables into 1- or 2-inch cubes. The sweet potato, butternut squash and carrot work best as 1-inch cubes, other vegetables 2-inches. Baby corn or mange tout should stay whole. Zest and juice the lime. Bruise/bash the lemongrass if it’s fresh. Crumble the lime leaves and leave out spine. Rinse can of beans in fresh water COOKING: Heat the olive oil in large pan. Heat the herbs and spices – lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger and coriander powder – for a minute in the oil on a medium heat. Add the vegetables and green chilli and cook them for around 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. (Alternatively you can cook this in an oven at a very low setting.) Add the beans, lime zest and juice, tamarind sauce, soy sauce and coconut milk. The liquid should just cover most of vegetables – only the tips should be poking out. If necessary add more coconut milk, or water, to get the levels right. Cook on a low setting for approximately 8 hours, although it’s still fine if you cook it for up to 10 hours. We prepare on Friday afternoon, then leave it sitting in slow cooker and put the slow cooker on a timer so that it’s ready at the time we want it for Shabbat lunch. Serve on Shabbat with pre-cooked noodles, quinoa or couscous. Notes Variations We don’t eat onions or garlic but the celery can be substituted for onion if you prefer. Other vegetables can also be added or substituted, according to taste and what quantity you wish to make. Examples of vegetables that work well are baby aubergines, parsnips, peppers and mange tout. 3.2.1230