THIS DISH DATES BACK TO ROMAN TIMES. IT IS A LITTLE ELABORATE BUT WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.

Working time: approx. 50 min.

Cooking/baking time: approx. 105 min.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

200 g spelt grains

100 g chickpeas

100 g red borlotti beans

Cut 1 carrot or parsnip into fine cubes

1 onion, seedling removed and finely chopped

1/4 celeriac only for healthy people, otherwise leave out. Cut into cubes

Finely chop the parsley

1 clove of garlic Remove the sprout and chop finely

olive oil

Fine sea salt

1.5 L spring water

A generous pinch of each: Galangal powder, Bertram powder, fennel powder, ysop powder, quendel powder, cinnamon powder, cubeb powder.

Preparation:


If you like it spicy and a little hot, add pieces of galangal root. Soak the spelt grains, chickpeas and beans in plenty of spring water the day before. The following day, sieve the whole lot and wash briefly in fresh spring water. Briefly fry the onion, garlic and carrot in 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Then remove from the heat for 5 minutes and leave to stand. This allows the essential oils from the onion and garlic to be absorbed into the carrots so that the ingredients are not lost. Then add the remaining vegetables, spices and herbs and sauté for another 3 minutes.


Then deglaze with the 1.5 liters of water and add the chickpeas. Simmer over a low heat for an hour. Cover the pan with a lid. Then add the beans and spelt grains and cook over a low heat for another 45 minutes.


Then remove from the heat and check whether the spelt grains have burst. Season with salt at the end. This dish is served with spelt bread. The original recipe calls for grated sheep’s cheese (pecorino) to be sprinkled on top. This gives the dish a more delicate flavor. This stew is very low in fat, so the sheep’s cheese is not harmful.

Curiosity:

The burst spelt grains are not only a source of vitamins and trace elements, the husk of the grain cleanses the intestinal walls so efficiently that one can speak of an intestinal cleansing. A generous portion of galangal root strengthens the heart and boosts the enzymes in the intestines. Thanks to the chickpeas, the dish contains a high proportion of flavones, which stimulate cell regeneration where croquettes are offered.