Ital stew (Vegan, Paleo, GF)

This ital stew recipe is a warm and hearty Rastafarian dish that is a medley of vegetables, herbs and spices simmered down in coconut milk.

I’m so excited to share this Jamaican dish with you all called ital stew. It is delicious, filling and definitely good for the soul without a doubt. The type of stew that you turn to on a cold, winter’s day or if you need something to “hold you” as Jamaicans would say (meaning to give you that extra boost).

What is ital stew

In short ital stew is a one pot plant based dish which derives from the Jamaican Rastafarian movement. The dish is made with root vegetables, herbs, spices and then simmered down in coconut milk. There is absolutely no meat included in ital stew is it strictly vegan. Although some Rasta’s consume small fish under 12 inches, other types of flesh i.e pork, chicken, beef is prohibited.

You can of course include pulse or beans in this recipe i.e. kidney beans, black eyed peas etc… but meat/poultry would be culturally offensive so I would advise against doing so.

Salt is debatable, strict Rasta’s will not use salt and instead overcompensate with additional herbs. On the other hand, some Rasta’s choose to relax a little by using kosher salt, sea salt or pink salt (one that is minimally processed).

Also, the use of freshly squeezed coconut milk is best to compliment the natural/aspect of the recipe too. Here is a good link to refer to of how make your own coconut milk from a fresh coconut.

The great thing about this Jamaican ital stew is that you can include an abundance of vegetables; carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, breadfruit, dasheen (taro/eddoe), cocoyam, yam (name), cassava (yuca), plantain (plantano), cho cho (christophine/chayote) okra you name it and you can make your ital stew according to your vegetarian taste buds. 

Ingredients to make ital stew

I like to use a combination of carbohydrate loaded vegetables in my stew and omit the use of pulse/beans. I also like to add the vegetables in two stages so some of the vegetables breakdown and are used as a means to naturally thicken the stew. The remaining vegetables are adding towards the latter part of the recipe and add that bulkiness/volume.

• Pumpkin
• Carrot
• Sweet potato 
• Plantain
• Dasheen (Taro/Eddoe)
• Cho cho (Christophine/Chayote)
• Coconut milk
• Thyme
• Coriander/cilantro
• Onion
• Scallion
• Tomato
• Bay leaves
• Black pepper
• Turmeric
• Pimento berries (allspice)
• Scotch bonnet

How to make ital stew

• Pour the water and coconut milk into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Once the liquid has reached boiling point reduce the heat to medium then add the scallion, tomato, thyme, coriander/cilantro, onion, garlic. pimento berries and bay leaves.
• Simmer for 5 minutes

• Add the sweet potato, dasheen, carrots along with 1 cup of pumpkin and 1 plantain while stirring the saucepan

• Add the spices – turmeric, black pepper, pink salt (if you are using it) and stir once more.
• Bring the saucepan to a final rolling boil before reducing the flame to medium/low.
• Toss a scotch bonnet into the saucepan (prick it if you want heat)
• Cover the saucepan and simmer for  25 minutes. After this time you will notice the stew thicken from the vegetables breaking down
• Fold in the remaining plantain, pumpkin and cho cho so they cook evenly.
• Cover the saucepan with a lid again and cook the vegetables for 15 minutes until soft
• Remove the thyme stems, scotch bonnet, pimento berries, scallion and bay leaves before serving

Notes and tips for making ital stew

• Only burst the scotch bonnet if you want a fiery heat. By adding the whole scotch bonnet (not pricked) will simply yield flavour NOT heat.
• If you cannot obtain scotch bonnet, fresh chilli or habanero pepper works too.
• Don’t worry if you cannot obtain ALL of the root vegetables – use butternut squash in place of pumpkin, regualr potato if sweet potato isn’t available. Use green banana if plantain isn’t to hand and swap cassava for dasheen or another root vegetable .i.e different type of potato.
• Feel free to include pulse or beans, meat is a NO NO it won’t be ital if meat is included (you were warned).
• If using salt do not use processed white salt, clean salt such a kosher, sea or pink salt is suitable.
• To keep the recipe ital use fresh herbs, thyme, coriander etc… are preferred.
• Pimento berries are known as allspice

More vegan Caribbean recipes you may like

Vegan Caribbean plantain curry

Caribbean curried bean butters

Belizean inspired stew beans

Slow cooker black beans

Caribbean potato curry

Jamaican steamed cabbage

Red pea soup

Ital stew

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Delicious one pot Jamaican style ital stew is wholesome, plant based and filling.

• Author: Charla
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main entree
• Cuisine: Jamaican

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups pumpkin, chopped (260g)
• 1 medium sized carrot, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
• 2 yellow plantains, chopped
• 1 small dasheen, chopped
• 1 cup of cho cho (130g)
• 2 cups of coconut milk (400ml)
• 2 cups of water (400ml)
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 14 cup of coriander/cilantro, chopped (5g)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 scallion, ends removed
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 6 pimento berries (allspice)
• Pink salt (if using to taste, or any unrefined salt i.e kosher, sea salt)

Instructions

1. Pour the water and coconut milk into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Once the liquid has reached boiling point reduce the heat to medium then add the scallion, tomato, thyme, coriander/cilantro, onion, garlic. pimento berries and bay leaves.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes
4. Add the sweet potato, dasheen, carrots along with 1 cup of pumpkin and 1 plantain while stirring the saucepan
5. Add the spices – turmeric, black pepper, pink salt (if you are using it) and stir once more.
6. Bring the saucepan to a final rolling boil before reducing the flame to medium/low.
7. Toss a scotch bonnet into the saucepan (prick it if you want heat)
8. Cover the saucepan and simmer for  25 minutes. After this time you will notice the stew thicken from the vegetables breaking down
9. Fold in the remaining plantain, pumpkin and cho cho so they cook evenly.
10. Cover the saucepan with a lid again and cook the vegetables for 15 minutes until soft
11. Remove the thyme stems, scotch bonnet, pimento berries, scallion and bay leaves before serving

Notes

• Only burst the scotch bonnet if you want a fiery heat. By adding the whole scotch bonnet (not pricked) will simply yield flavour NOT heat.
• If you cannot obtain scotch bonnet, fresh chilli or habanero pepper works too.
• Don’t worry if you cannot obtain ALL of the root vegetables – use butternut squash in place of pumpkin, regualr potato if sweet potato isn’t available. Use green banana if plantain isn’t to hand and swap cassava for dasheen or another root vegetable .i.e different type of potato.
• Feel free to include pulse or beans, meat is a NO NO it won’t be ital if meat is included (you were warned).
• If using salt do not use processed white salt, clean salt such a kosher, sea or pink salt is suitable.
• To keep the recipe ital use fresh herbs, thyme, coriander etc… are preferred.
• Pimento berries are known as allspice

Nutrition

• Calories: 480
• Fat: 30g
• Carbohydrates: 59g
• Fiber: 10g
• Protein: 7g