Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 8

For the msoki

• 1.5kg (3.3 lbs) beef cheek or shank, cut into pieces
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3-4 carrots
• 2-3 zucchini
• 1 shallot or green onion
• 1 tomato or 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cardoon stalk, blanched and peeled
• 2-3 turnips
• 1 large kohlrabi
• 2 celery stalks, finely sliced without leaves
• 500g (1 lb) spinach
• 1/3 head green (or white) cabbage
• 1 large handful fava beans
• 1 large handful peas
• 6 artichoke hearts
• 1 handful green beans (optional)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch mint, chopped
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 head garlic, chopped (5 cloves)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 rose buds, petals separated
• Salt, pepper
• 1 tsp harissa (to taste)
• To serve
• 6 round matzot

For the asbana

• 250g (9 oz) ground beef
• one handful chopped spinach (about 100g/3.5 oz)
• 1/2 bunch parsley/cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch mint
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• a few rose petals
• 1 handful rice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground fennel (optional)
• salt, pepper
• 1 tsp harissa (to taste)
• 2 egg yolks, no whites

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Read the entire recipe to understand the process. The asbana is traditionally a stuffing made in a casing; I make it into meatballs and cook them on top of the vegetables.

1. Grab a very large bowl (and some patience), and cut all the vegetables into 1.5cm (½-inch) cubes.

2. Brown the meat, cut into pieces, in a large pot, add the onion, cover with water and cook for 45 minutes under pressure. Set aside the meat and reserve the cooking liquid.

For the asbana

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients and form slightly elongated meatballs and place on a plate; they will cook with the vegetables.

3. In the same pot, pour 1 tbsp sunflower oil, add all the vegetables, herbs and spices, sweat the vegetables over low heat for about ten minutes, add the meat juice, cover with water to the level (add the asbana meatballs if making them) and continue cooking under pressure for 15-20 minutes. Open to check doneness. Return the meat once everything is cooked.

4. When reheating the dish, 30 minutes before serving, add the round matzot broken into pieces.

Tips and variations

• In my family’s tradition, there are no potatoes, bell peppers, or cauliflower.
• Some add dill.
• The asbana can also be cooked in a cooking bag, forming a long sausage; in this case, don’t pack it too tightly and possibly pierce a few holes, as the rice expands during cooking.
• Add a piece of lamb to cook with the beef, if you like.
• If you don’t have a pressure cooker, it will take 3-4 hours of cooking.