The holidays are over and with them the copious lunches and dinners typical of these dates, that are why it’s time to start with lighter dishes that accompany the diets that most of us have started, some healthy dishes, without fat, but at the same time loaded of vitamins such as those offered by our rich Mediterranean diet.
The Olla de la Plana or Valencia Lolita is one of the traditional and most popular stews in the province of Castellan, which on this occasion I am sharing as a healthy dish full of properties for our body.
Ingredients to make Olla de la Plana -Typical of Castellan!
- 80 grams of dried white beans
- 2 thistle leaves
- Chopped chard leaves
- 1 turnip
- 1 carrot
- 50 grams of green beans
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 small cabbage
- 1 small onion
- 1 splash of virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch of ground saffron
- 1 pinch of sweet paprika
- 1 handful of salt
- 1 handful of rice
How to make Olla de la Plana -Typical of Castellan!
1.The night before, soak the beans. Keeping them for about 12 hours is enough, although it depends on the quality of the bean.
2.Drain the beans and cook them in a clay pot covered with water. When it starts to boil, scare them with a little cold water and if they make you foam, remove it with a slotted spoon
3.While the vegetables are cooking, we prepare the vegetables for the Plana pot: peel and cut the carrot, potatoes, turnip and onion into small pieces. Wash, remove the threads from the thistles and cut them into small pieces. Wash and chop the cabbage and green beans.
4.When the beans are somewhat tender add all the vegetables, a handful of salt, add water if needed and two tablespoons of crude oil, and let everything cook over low heat for another hour or until the beans are well cooked.
5.In a small frying pan put a splash of oil to heat and when it is hot, turn off the heat and add the sweet paprika. Shake the pan to mix well and add a scoop of the broth from the thistle pot, stir again and pour everything into the stew.
6.Putting a handful of rice in the Valencia pot is optional, but in my house we have always put it and it is more complete. So put the saffron and add the rice, let it cook over high heat for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it finish cooking with the pot covered.
7.Serve the Plana de Castellan pot very hot.
