The “olla gitana,” a typical dish from the Murcian area of Spain, is a casserole without meat but with a large quantity of vegetables which convert into energy to help keep you warm during the colder months.
You will need:
A cup of chick peas – garbanzos
A cup of haricot beans – judías blancas (alubias)
A cup of French beans – judías verdes
150g pumpkin – calabaza
Three pears – peras
A large slice of bread – pan
A handful of almonds – almendras
Onion – cebolla
Two cloves garlic – ajo
Two mature tomatoes – tomates maduros
Stock – caldo
Salt, pepper, paprika and saffron –
sal, pimienta, pimentón y azafrán
Method
Soak the chick peas overnight.
Put the chick peas and the white beans in a saucepean with a litre of stock. Cook for 20 minutes and then add the pears, pumpkin and French beans (all previously roughly chopped).
While the vegetables are cooking fry the slice of bread in a little oil with the cloves of garlic. Reserve when golden. Using the same oil to fry the chopped onion and tomatoes and finally the paprika. The paprika should be added at the final cooking stage as it burns easily and once burnt has a very sour taste. Reserve.
Put the bread, garlic and almonds in a pestle and mortar and add the saffron. Form a paste. Add to the tomato mixture and then add all to the vegetables some 10 minutes before their final cooking time.
Serve with crusty white/brown bread.
