Nurse’s Ital Stew Recipe

What is an Ital dish?

An ital dish refers to a dish that is vegetarian, can be vegan, and is based on the rastafarian culture. It is free of animal products, uses most, if not all natural ingredients and is meant to nourish your mind, body, and soul.

What does Ital Stew consist of?

This warm Caribbean stew is made of ground provisions, fresh herbs & spices, and coconut milk. I’ve been thinking of ways to incorprate more meatless meals into my weekly rotation and what better way to start? I did a little research to get me going and I came up with this delicious ital stew that is guaranteed to please!

What do Jamaican Rastas eat?

Jamaican rastas consume a diet that mainly consists of fruits and vegetables. Ground provisions, legumes, and natural ingredients are at the core of the rastafarian diet as they do not consume meat products and its derivatives. Ital is a contraction of vital and it is meant to reflect something from natural, or from the earth.

Ital Stew Ingredients

-1 1/2 cup of red Kidney Beans

-14 cups of water

-10 Garlic cloves (divided in half)

-1/2 red Onion, finely chopped

-1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (or habanero)

-1 Grace Pumpkin soup packet, sifted

-1 lb Kabocha squash, seeds removed and diced

-2 Scallion, finely chopped

-Few sprigs of Thyme

-3 Red Potatoes, cut into cubes

-Small handful of Parsley

-1/2 Chayote, sliced

-1 Carrot, cut into round coins

-1/4 Red Pepper, chopped

-1/4 Green Pepper, chopped

-1/4 cup Coconut Milk

-1/4 cup of olive oil

-1 spoonful of green seasoning recipe here: https://thatnursecooks.com/2022/12/01/haitian-epis-caribbean-green-seasoning/

-1 Small handful of spinach

-1 tsp Curry Powder

-1 tsp Onion Powder

-1 tsp Garlic Powder

-1 tsp All purpose seasoning

Directions

The first step of this dish is to cook the kidney beans. In a large stock pot, add your 1 1/2 cup of kidney beans along with 14 cups of water and 5 garlic cloves. Place on medium heat and boil for 1 hr 15 minutes. While your kidney beans are boiling, take this opportunity to prep your vegetables. Finely chop the remaining 5 garlic cloves. Once you’ve boiled the kidney beans for 1 hr 15 minutes, grab a strainer or colander. You’ll separate the kidney beans from the water it boiled in, but don’t toss that water! We’ll be using it.
Now that you’ve separated the beans from the water, set it aside. Set the water it boiled in to the side as well. You may have to rinse your stock pot out to rid it of the residue left behind from boiling the kidney beans. Once you’ve cleaned the pot, place it on medium heat and add your olive oil. Warm for 2 minutes. Add your green seasoning and sauté for 1 minute. Now add in your finely chopped red onion, finely chopped garlic, and bell peppers and sauté another minute. Next, add in your diced squash, potato, chayote, and carrots. Sauté for another minute. Add 2 cups of the water the beans were boiled in and 5 cups of regular, plain water. Stir. At this point, add your kidney beans that you cooked. Next, add your coconut milk and sifted Grace pumpkin soup packet, scallion, thyme, pepper, and parsley. Add onion & garlic powder, as well as all purpose seasoning.
Cover your pot and maintain low/medium heat