Cholent – Classic Ashkenazi Sabbath Stew with homemade date syrup (silan)

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade date syrup (silan) ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the dates and water in a pot and bring to a boil.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Cook over low heat 5 minutes and mash the dates with a wooden spoon.

   Stove
3. 3
   Line a sieve with thin cloth and set it over a bowl. Pour in the mixture, press the dates with a spoon, gather the edges of the cloth and squeeze well.

   ColanderCheeseclothBowl
4. 4
   Return the liquid to the pot and reduce over low heat about half an hour, until to a thick syrup.

   StovePot
5. 5
   Let the date syrup cool.

   Jar

For the Fried onion

1. 6
   Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   StoveLarge pot
2. 7
   Add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 8
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 9
   Add the meat and fry about 5 minutes, until seared on all sides.

   Stove
2. 10
   Add the barley, beans and chickpeas to the pot, and place the potatoes and eggs around the meat. The eggs go in whole, in their shells.
3. 11
   Add the cumin, paprika, hot paprika, date syrup, salt and black pepper and pour in the water until it covers everything.
4. 12
   Bring to a boil.

   Stove
5. 13
   Turn down' to the lowest heat', cover and simmer at least 10 hours, until the meat is tender and falls apart.

   StoveLid

   💡Toward the end of cooking, check the water in the pot; if it's low, add only boiling water, so the hamin doesn't cool down in the middle of cooking.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
6. 14
   Serve the hamin on Saturday at lunch with bread.