ITAL STEW WITH SPINNERS
SERVES 6 (5 mg THC per serving)
ITAL STEW IS KIND OF LIKE JAMAICAN CHILI, but instead of cornbread or tortilla chips, we add dumplings, called spinners, to the pot. The word “Ital” comes from the word “vital,” tapping into the idea of the essential life force and goodness that Rastafarians embrace and put out into the world. This very healthy stew is extra hearty thanks to squash, potatoes, and red kidney beans (which we call red peas, see here). To speed things up, yes, you could use canned beans instead of starting with dried, but the texture of fresh cooked beans is really unmatched—you should try it at least once. Spinners are little flour dumplings made by taking a small piece of dough and rubbing it between your palms, “spinning” it if you will, into a long twisty cylinder. They are cooked directly in the stew and soak up all that good flavor. Sometimes I like to use half whole wheat flour or all white whole wheat flour for the extra fiber and nutrition for spinners, but the dumplings will be more stick-to-your-ribs! (You may need to add a little extra water since whole wheat flour will absorb more liquid.)
BEANS
1 cup dried kidney beans
Vegetable broth or water
7 allspice berries
4 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1½ cups light coconut milk
SPINNERS
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
STEW
2 cups peeled or unpeeled calabaza, Hubbard, kabocha, or butternut squash pieces (¾ inch)
1 large red potato, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise at an angle into ½-inch-thick slices
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon CannaOil
8 fresh thyme sprigs
2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut crosswise at an angle into ½-inch-thick slices
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, pricked a few times with a fork
2 whole scallions, thinly sliced
- SOAK AND COOK THE BEANS: Add the beans to a soup pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 1½ inches. Set aside to soak overnight. The next morning, add enough vegetable broth to again cover the beans by 1½ inches. Add the allspice and garlic to the beans. Halve the ginger lengthwise and use the flat side of a chef’s knife to smash it, then add it to the pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook the beans until they are nearly tender, about 40 minutes. Add the coconut milk and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- MAKE THE STEW: Add the squash, potato, carrot, and salt to the beans. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often for 8 minutes.
- While the stew simmers, make the spinners: Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Use a fork to stir in ¼ cup room-temperature water. Mix and knead the dough until it is smooth and it holds together without crumbling apart (you may need to add another 1 to 2 tablespoons water), 1 to 2 minutes. Break off a grape-size piece of dough and roll it between your palms to make a 1½-inch-long rope. Drop the rope into the stew. Repeat with the remaining dough—you should get about 32 spinners. Stir the spinners occasionally until they float to the surface, 5 to 8 minutes. By now the vegetables should be tender.
- Add the CannaOil, thyme, plantains, and Scotch bonnet to the stew. Continue to cook until the plantain is tender, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
- Remove from the heat and pull out the ginger pieces, the herb sprigs, and allspice berries (if you can find them!). Serve sprinkled with scallions.
