Olla gitana - (Gypsy pot) from Murcia

• olive oil (aceite de oliva)
• can of chickpeas (garbanzos)
• 2 garlic cloves (dientes de ajo)
• 1 onion (cebolla)
• 1 pointed red pepper (pimiento rojo)
• 1 tomato (tomate)
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika (pimienton dulce)
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika (pimienton picante)
• 1 large potato (potata)
• 1 bay leaf (hoja de laurel)
• 3/4 litre of good vegetable stock (caldo de veduras)
• 1/2 butternut squash/pumpkin (calabaza)
• 100g fine green beans (judias verdes)
• 2 pears (peras)
• 6 toasted almonds (almendres tostados)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (vinagre de vino tinto)
• pinch of saffron (azafrán)
• salt (sal)
• freshly ground black pepper (pimienta recién molida negro)
• mint leaves to garnish (menta o hierbabuena)

Method

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and fry the garlic until just starting to colour; remove the garlic and put aside but keep the oil in the pan.

Dice the onion and pepper, add to the pan and then fry gently until soft; in the meantime, grate a tomato with a cheese grater - it should pass through the grater leaving the skin to protect you fingers! Add this to the pan and cook gently for a couple of minutes.

Now chop your potato into chunks of about 5 cm and add to the pan with the paprika, stock, chick peas and bay leaf and simmer for about 6-8 mins; meanwhile, chop the squash/pumpkin into similar size chunks as the potato, peel core and quarter the pears lengthways and chop the beans. Add them all to the pan along with the saffron and continue to simmer gently checking on you veg every now and then; it should all be just tender.

While the stew is simmering, crush the garlic with the almonds and a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar. Add the vinegar and continue pounding until you have a smooth paste.

Stir the paste into the stew being careful not to break up the vegetables and pears and then season to taste. Serve in cazuelas dishes and garnish with fresh mint leaves.


Source:

http://www.delicious-spanish-recipes.com/olla-gitana.html