In my Tunisian cholent, I swap out some of the cooking liquid with a thick tomato and onion salsa, which deepens the flavors. My grandmother made cholent with “kuklot”, semolina patties with fat, garlic, and lots of herbs. In my version, I replace the kuklot with kofta – which are like kuklot, only without the fat, and with lots of chopped herbs and grated onion.
Ingredients for Tunisian Cholent
For the cholent:
- 1 cup wheat soaked in water overnight)
- 1 tablespoon Sugar or honey
- 1.8 pounds (800 grams) Short Ribs cut into cubes
- eggs as many as you like
- Salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
For the salsa:
- ¼ cup (60ml) oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika or hot if you prefer
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste or 2 grated tomatoes
For the kofta:
- 2 cups semolina
- 1 bunch parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
- 3-4 dill stalks chopped
- 1 large white onion grated
- Salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 beaten egg
Instructions
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1. Soak the wheat in a large amount of water overnight.
Prepare the Salsa:
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2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, over low heat for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
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3. Add the paprika and stir thoroughly. Add the tomato paste ,or grated tomatoes, mix and lower the flame. Cook over a low flame for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and looks like salsa (there is no need to stir). Add salt to taste.
Prepare the Kofta:
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4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Mix all the kofta ingredients in a bowl until homogeneous. Form the mixture into oval patties, about the size of a tennis ball. Place them in a double boiler (less than half an inch/ 1 cm apart). Cover the pot with parchment paper and steam the patties over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Prepare the cholent:
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5. Preheat the oven to 200ºF (100ºC). In a large, oven-safe pot, heat the tablespoon of sugar over medium heat for about 3 minutes until it dissolves and becomes a light amber caramel. Add the salsa and stir thoroughly.
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6. Drain the wheat, add it to the pot with the salsa and stir. Add the meat and stir some more. Then arrange the eggs and kofta on top. Add enough water to cover the cholent ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the flame and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer the covered pot to the oven and bake overnight.
This recipe is courtesy of “HaShulchan”