Caucasian soup - kyufta-bozbash, kharcho, grar. Caucasian kitchen

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Caucasian cuisine has long and firmly gained popularity all over the world. However, this popularity is somewhat narrow-minded. Kebabs, pita bread, tapaka chicken - and, perhaps, that's all. But there is also a Caucasian soup, which saturates and pleases the taste buds, and seduces with its appearance. In short, the first courses of this cuisine are well worth learning to cook.

General rules

Whatever you are going to cook, Azerbaijani, Armenian or Georgian soup, it should be based on mutton broth. If there are difficulties with the extraction of this meat, it can be replaced with beef. But not pork or chicken - you will lose much of the taste pleasure and will not be able to fully appreciate the charm of the dish.

You can take a lot of liberties with greens. However, not a single Caucasian soup is complete without cilantro. At least a couple of branches, but should be present in the dish.

If chickpeas are on your grocery list, take them seriously. This is not peas or beans; it is extremely difficult to cook it until cooked. beansSoak in cold water for at least half a day. And keep in mind: at the same time, they noticeably increase in size.

And don't skimp on spice and spiciness. Caucasian soup cannot be bland! If you don't like spicy, you should pay attention to dishes from the cuisines of other countries.

Azerbaijani kufta bozbash: beginning

Preparing this miracle of cooking is quite difficult. However, anyone who has tried kyufta bozbash soup at least once is ready to work hard for it.

Cooked and strained lamb broth is kept on the stove until boiling, after which pre-soaked chickpeas are loaded into it (half a glass in dry form for two liters of liquid). He will languish for about an hour.

Thick tomato gets rid of the skin, medium-sized cut and laid to chickpeas. That's where the potatoes go. It is advisable to find small tubers: they are only peeled and put whole.

Two onions are finely cut, a couple of spoons of rice are steamed for a quarter of an hour in warm water; half a spoonful of natural saffron is poured with a stack of boiling water and left to infuse. Kurdyuk crumbles finely; it should be about two tablespoons. The preparatory stage is over, you can proceed to the main part.

Meatballs for soup

The main feature of this spicy Caucasian soup is meat balls. But not ordinary, but with filling. For her, you will have to find dried cherry plum. Not a sweet dried fruit, but a sour wild plum.

A third of a kilo of minced lamb is combined with steamed and strained rice. This is where half of thechopped onion. The base is s alted and peppered. After thorough mixing, the mass is divided into six equal parts. Each rolls into a ball, a hole is made in it, where 2-3 cherry plums are placed. The hole closes - and the kyufta is ready to be sent to the soup.

Final stage

When the chickpeas become soft, the potatoes are lowered into the soup and brought to the initial softness, the meatballs are lowered into the pan one by one. Ten minutes are timed; when they pass, the kyufta will already float and will be almost ready. At this point, spices are added to the soup: the remaining onion, saffron, peppercorns. And, of course, chopped chicken. Five minutes of cooking - kyufta bozbash is ready.

Kefir soup (grar). Caucasian cuisine

Unique recipe: no bouillon base required. This dish can be eaten even by those who are vigilant about the figure.

Soup belongs to Kurdish cuisine, although similar variations can be found in the cuisine of other peoples of the Caucasus. Kefir, two liters, is poured into a saucepan of a suitable volume. Take a product of medium fat content. Kefir is diluted with a glass of water, three tablespoons of sifted flour are poured. And the liquid is well, until the lumps are completely broken, kneaded. In a bowl, beat two eggs until foamy. They also need to be poured into the pan. After another diligent mixing, the vessel is placed on the stove, on the slowest fire. The soup needs to be stirred more often, otherwise it may burn. The signal of readiness will be the thickening of the liquid.

A glass of barley is washed separately, boiled untilfinal readiness and for ten minutes is left under the lid. Then she pours into the pan, and the soup is cooked for another ten minutes. After removing from the stove, the soup is generously sprinkled with chopped cilantro and infused under the lid for about a quarter of an hour.

Real kharcho

Kharcho has many different variations. Almost every housewife has her own opinion on how to cook this Georgian soup. The most common version is still the following.

Bouillon is boiled from a third kilogram of fresh lamb in a liter of water. Simultaneously with the meat, a whole onion is laid and a little cilantro - for flavor. The broth is cooked until the lamb is completely soft.

While the broth is cooking, another large onion and half a hot pepper without seeds are finely chopped. They are fried to a light blush, after which cubes of several tomatoes are poured into the pan. Tomatoes are taken two hundred grams; it is desirable to rid them of the skin. Together, the vegetables will be stewed for about ten minutes.

Lamb is removed from the broth, the broth is filtered, and the meat is crumbled into small pieces and added to the frying. A little later, the broth is poured into the saucepan. Next, a gruel of four cloves of garlic, dry coriander, a little vegetable oil and chopped cilantro are mixed in a bowl. The mass is introduced into the Caucasian kharcho soup; the saucepan is left on the fire for a few more minutes. The final touch will be walnuts. A glass of their cores is pounded and poured into the soup. Ten minutes of total languor and dinner is ready.

Khashlama

I would like to mention one more Caucasian soup. Its authors are Armenians. The soup is very thick; From time to time there are even disputes whether it is worth considering khashlama as the first dish, or whether it still belongs to the second. But most importantly - very tasty and satisfying.

800 grams of not the fattest meat are cut large and fried in a thick-walled cauldron. In theory, you need to fry in tail fat, in practice, ordinary vegetable oil is usually used.

When the lamb (or beef) is slightly browned, half rings of a large onion are added to it. Frying continues until they are transparent. Followed in turn:

• large carrot cubes;
• squares of bell pepper, four pods of different colors should be taken;
• medium zucchini slices;
• stripes of halves of hot pepper;
• four small peeled tomatoes (no need to cut);
• chopped garlic (as much as you like).

Stew all this until soft, that is, until the vegetables reach half-cooked. Then half a liter of beer (light) is poured in, laurel and spices are put. Regarding the latter: try to find a set on the market designed specifically for khashlama, Armenians sell it in a “assembled” form.

Cooking continues until the toughest vegetable, the carrot, is softened. This will make a very thick and spicy soup with some liquid.

Proper serving

Caucasian soup should not only be skillfully cooked, but also eaten wisely. Notit is recommended to flavor it with sour cream - not the case. But generously sprinkle with herbs - a very approved step. And instead of bread, it’s better to put lavash on the table – thank God, it’s not a problem to buy it now.

There are first courses from the Caucasus that need to be hot. Especially if you still used lamb when cooking. By the way, in the latter case, it is better to cook the Caucasian soup at once: when heated, it loses a noticeable part of its charm.