1 onion
3 potatoes, cubed (and peeled, optional)
½ cup of beans (red, white chickpea - use whatever you like, or mix them!)
¼ - ½ cup barley, soaked
500 grams (1 pound) shank meat or asado (short ribs)
1 kishke (optional)
Spices -
1 tbsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. sweet paprika (can also mix with spicy paprika)
1 tsp. garlic powder (can also use a couple garlic cloves)
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. honey
You’ll need a crockpot (slow-cooker) for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, you can make it in an oven-safe pot to put in your oven over Shabbat, or on the plata (hotplate), though I’ve never tried doing it on the plata before and cannot properly recommend.
Make sure to start cooking it about an hour before Shabbat starts. Once you have it up, you can really forget about it until kiddush/lunch the next day.
Instructions:
- Cut and saute the onions in a bit of oil first. Can do this straight in the crockpot or on the stovetop first, and then add to the crockpot.
- To the crockpot, add the potatoes, beans, barley, meat, and spices. Kiske as well if using.
- Add water until it just covers everything, and set the crockpot to low.
(In the picture I added, the water is a little too high, but that's because I like a watery cholent. If you do too, make sure to add a little more of everything where the spices are concerned.)
- Enjoy Shabbat morning/afternoon after a full night of cooking!
It's a very easy recipe to double, triple, or quadruple, depending on how many people you're planning to feed and how big a crockpot you have.
Other options to add to the cholent:
Eggs, sweet potato, carrots, silan (instead of honey), brown sugar (for a more caramelized flavor), turmeric. It’s easy to get creative with it.
For a gluten free version, switch out the barley for more beans or rice.
