As we are entering the month of Carnival in Peru, you may like to try preparing this recipe that is typical of this festive period.....Sancochado!

Ingredients:

• 2 kg (4.4 lb) of beef (breast or hip)
• 1/2 kg of (1 lb) of chickpeas – soaked since the night before
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in halves
• 1 kg (2.2 lb) of broad beans
• 2 leek sticks, cut along in halves
• 4 celery sticks
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut in 2 or 3 pieces
• 8 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut in halves
• 1 medium cabbage, cut in half
• 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cassava (yellow, preferable) peeled and cut in medium pieces
• 1 kg (2.2lb) of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in halves
• 4 corns in 2 or 3 pieces each one
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Salt

Preparation:

Pour a lot of water in a big pot and boil. When it’s boiling, add the pieces of beef and let it boil again. If a bit of foam appears in the water you must remove it with a slotted spoon to eliminate the impurities from the stock. Boil covered for an hour on a medium flame.

Season and add the carrots, broad beans, turnip, celery and leek. Boil for 5 minutes and add the cabbage, potatoes and cassava. When the vegetables are ready you can remove them and put them in another pot.

When the beef is ready, remove it from the pot and put it with the vegetables. Strain the stock and season.

Cook the corn in water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. When they’re ready, put them with the rest of vegetables.

Separately cook the chickpeas in water without salt and serve in a different dish. Serve the stock, hot as the first course. The vegetables and are served separately in another dish as the second course and can be seasoned with chili sauce.

Serves 8 people!