Cauliflower Hamin With Schug-A-Churri Sauce

After many experiments dedicated to creating a truly delicious vegan Shabbat stew, I landed on using cauliflower as the centerpiece. Thanks to chefs like Eyal Shani and Michael Solomonov, whole roasted cauliflower has become a part of the Israeli cooking canon, and here I surround it with some of the elements of a traditional hamin—beans and grains—and some more unexpected ones in the form of whole tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Since there’s no meat here, I really amp up the spice and tomato elements for a powerful flavor of vegetable-based umami. When the hamin is done, you should be able to slice through the cauliflower easily and portion it out with the rest of the ingredients; a shallow bowl is the perfect vessel here, and you can pile some cool, crunchy salad right into the bowl and top it with a bit of tahini.

Directions

Prepare the Cauliflower Hamin

1. In a medium bowl, cover the beans with at least four cups cold water. Cover with a kitchen towel and soak on the counter for eight hours or refrigerate for 12 hours. (You can also use the quick-soak method; see below.)

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the oil in a large (at least eight-quart) heavy pot with a lid, sprinkle half a teaspoon of the salt over the oil, and arrange the onion slices to cover the bottom of the pot, in a few layers if needed, to fit. Flip the onion slices so that both sides are coated in the salted oil. Scatter the wheat berries and soaked beans on top of the onions. Trim the cauliflower so that most of the stem is removed and you can stand the cauliflower upright without it tipping over, then arrange the cauliflower on top of the beans and wheat berries. Nestle the sweet potato halves and whole tomatoes around the cauliflower. Scatter the garlic cloves around the pot.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the broth, water, tomato paste, cumin, sweet and smoked paprikas, cayenne, and the remaining 4 teaspoons salt. Pour the liquid into the pot; it should come up to the top of the sweet potatoes, and the cauliflower head should stick out the top. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover it tightly (if your pot doesn’t have a tight seal, seal it with foil first). Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the beans and wheat berries are tender, the cauliflower is scoopable with a spoon, and the tomatoes are shriveled, eight to 10 hours. Uncover, season with salt to taste and serve with Schug-a-Churri (recipe follows), chopped salad (recipe follows), and tahini sauce.

Tips: Soaked beans can be drained, rinsed, and frozen, then used from their frozen state in recipes calling for soaked beans. Just make sure you mark freezer bags with the original amount of beans, pre-soaking, to avoid confusion when you’re ready to use them. Quick-Soaked Beans: This shortcut allows you to skip the soaking step and achieve beans almost as perfect as the ones that soak in the fridge overnight. Place the beans in a medium saucepan, cover with four inches of cold water, bring to a boil, and boil for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beans cool in their water for one hour. Drain the beans and proceed with the recipe.

Prepare the Schug-a-Churri

Make the schug-a-churri in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes a scant 2 cups.

1. In the bowl of a food processor, process the garlic until very finely minced, stopping the processor and scraping down the sides once if necessary, 15 to 20 seconds.

2. Add the jalapenos and shallots and pulse until everything is minced, 30 pulses. Empty into a bowl, then place the parsley, cilantro, and oregano in the processor and pulse until finely chopped but not wet, 20 to 25 pulses.

3. Add to the bowl along with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, cumin, black pepper, and salt and stir to combine.

Prepare the Chopped Salad

1. Combine the cucumbers and tomatoes in a large bowl, making sure to use as much of the tomato juices as possible. Toss with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2. If you are not eating the salad immediately after preparing it, strain the liquid from the salad and reserve it. When you are ready to serve, pour the juice over the salad and toss.

Credits

From SHABBAT by Adeena Sussman, published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright @ 2023 by Adeena Sussman. Purchase on Amazon.

Recipe tags

Adeena Sussman Beans Cauliflower Cholent Classic Jewish food Complete meal ideas Coriander Farro Fresh herbs Grain Hot sauce Plant-based Shabbos Spiced Stew Sugar free Tomatoes Twist on tradition Vegan Vegetables With a twist