Al Ha VeDa על הא ודא

Monday, August 16, 2004

Posted 10:11 AM by Simon

Some like it hot

Update: some more details of the preparation added.

We aren't an all-the-year-round Hamin eating family, but the period during the summer when we don't eat Hamin (otherwise known as cholent) gets shorter every year, and this year it seems to be over already.

Like everybody else, I, and I alone, know the One True Way to prepare Hamin, and it's like this:

• 500g shoulder meat cut into chunks.
• About a cup full of wheat grains.
• 4-8 potatoes, depending on size, peeled and cut into largish pieces.
• 2-3 sweet potatoes, ditto.
• 1 or 2 swedes, ditto (I think that's the English for לפת).Update: it seems it's a turnip, see comments
• 1 head of garlic, whole but with the outer skin removed.
• 1 hot green pepper, either whole or sliced.
• 1 egg per person (raw, in the shell), and a few more in case of unexpected guests.
• 1 kishke.

Fry the meat briefly to seal it (there is probably a technical term for this which I don't know). It should have enough fat that you don't need any added oil. Take off the heat and add some combination of salt, pepper, cummin, cinnamon, hot chilli powder, cloves, cardamons, ginger, coriander, paprika, turmeric or whatever else you feel like. Mix well. Add everything else. Cover with water. Bring to the boil and put on a hotplate until tomorrow. Serve with arak or single malt Scotch.