Shurpa is a rich soup, which is very common most in Central Asian countries and some African countries. Of course, each country has its own centuries-old traditions of cooking this dish. Depending on which animals prevail in the area, different types of shurpa are cooked. The most common mutton shurpa is also chicken shurpa, pork, beef and so on.
The cooking technique of this dish is also very different. The taste of this soup, or, as some call it, a thick sauce, largely depends on the spices that are placed in it. It can be a mixture of different peppers, coriander, zira, cumin, as well as different herbs: parsley and dill, cilantro, rosemary, basil, celery. By the way, in some coastal regions of Turkmenistan they cook shurpa even from fish, and moose shurpa is a favorite dish of hunters.
Shurpa from beef, the recipe of which is closer to Russian cuisine, is a rich and hearty dish, it is traditionally prepared in a cauldron. The process of cooking shurpa itself is very long, it should languish in a cauldron over low heat for several hours or in a pan for a couple of hours. The process of languishing shurpa should make it very tasty, and the meat soft and tender. Vegetables that are placed in this soup are usually cut very large. And the preparation itself is of two types: with preliminary frying of both meat and vegetables; without roasting, when vegetables are added directly to the finished broth.
Beef Shurpa, recipe
To prepare a rich Central Asian soup, we need:
- fresh beef meat, pulp, better tenderloin - one kilogram;
- potatoes, six large tubers;
- tomatoes - four pieces;
- onions - three small heads;
- garlic - three cloves;
- bay leaf - two to three leaves;
- peppercorns - a few pieces;
- salt, red and black peppers;
- coriander, various greens - to taste.
This recipe is adapted for the Russian gourmet, not everyone will like the unusual taste of lamb meat. But we used to eat beef from childhood, and such a rich and very tasty soup like beef shurpa, the recipe for which is waiting for us below, will appeal to everyone, without exception.
Take a five-liter pan and put the broth to cook. To do this, wash the beef, cut into large pieces and put on fire. When the broth boils, carefully remove the protein foam with a slotted spoon and set the fire to a minimum. With the lid closed, the broth will need to be cooked, depending on whether it is young or old, from two to four hours.
At this time, we will prepare the remaining products for shurpa. Peel the potatoes, cut them into large cubes, peel the carrots, chop it in circles a centimeter thick. Free the garlic from the husk and cut into fairly large pieces. Tomatoes can be scalded with boiling water and peeled, you can not do this. We also cut the tomatoes into slices. We chop any greens that you like, it can be a traditional herb: parsley and dill, and for an amateur: cilantro, celery, basil. Do not forget that all vegetables should be in pieces in large pieces.
When the meat is ready, we will take it out of the broth, let’s cool a little and cut into portions. Pieces should not be large, about two by two centimeters. We put the broth on the fire again and throw potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns into it. When the broth with vegetables boils, we will throw chopped meat into it. If the vegetables are almost soft, you need to drop three onion heads whole, without husks, into the shurpa, after making incisions on them so that the onion gives off its aroma. A little later, add tomatoes to the soup. At the end we put salt and pepper to taste, ground coriander. When the shurpa is ready, it can be poured on plates. You need to eat it, of course, hot, sprinkled with fresh leaves of parsley.
Shurpa from beef, the recipe of which we examined, is a hearty meat soup with vegetables, herbs. It is extremely fragrant and healthy. And the most remarkable thing is that at home you can please everyone with fresh and tasty shurpa, a traditional oriental dish. But it is better, of course, to go to the forest or to the river, and there, in the fresh air, treat yourself to Shurpa. Enjoy your meal!