Chovlent (the cuisine of Zakarpatye)

Chovlent – is a very tasty dish in pots. The baked beef, beans, and carrot with tomato paste is delicious, nourishing, and useful.

The dish has its history. It was borrowed from the Jewish cuisine. As you know the Jewish people don’t work Saturdays. Such dish as chovlent was made up in order to have the dinner on Saturday because chovlent should be cooked for a long time in a stove (people began to cook it on Friday). In length of time the recipe has slightly changed, we don’t put raw haricots and beans in the pots. They were the very ingredients who were the cause the long concoction. The Ukrainian recipe of chovlent is easy and you don’t need special attainments. For this reason have no fear and fall to the cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 400 g beef
  • 100 g beans
  • 50 g pearl barley
  • 1 bulb onion
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2-3 glasses of broth
  • 1 tbsp ground paprika
  • garlic – to taste
  • salo – to taste
  • fresh chopped parsley – to taste
  • sunflower oil – to taste
  • ground black pepper – to taste
  • salt – to taste

Cooking

Pour beans with water and leave them for a night. Pour pearl barley with boiling water and cook it for 15 minutes. Peel and cube a bulb onion. Peel and slice a carrot. Saute the vegetables with paprika and tomato paste on the preheated oil.

Cut meat into medium pieces. Melt salo in a frying pan. Combine the beef, salt and pepper. Place the ingredients in the frying pan and cook till done. Place the components in the pots in layers: pearl barley, beans, meat and vegetables. Pour the ingredients with broth. The liquid should cover all ingredients. Season the dish. Top it with culinary plants and chopped garlic (1/2 cloves on each pot).

Preheat oven to 180-200°C and bake chovlent for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy your meal!

Do you have a favorite Ukrainian recipe for baked beef, beans, and carrot with tomato paste? If so, please let us know in the comments below or write us an e-mail.