Caucasian cuisine has long and firmly gained popularity around the world. However, this popularity is somewhat narrowly targeted. Kebabs, pita bread, chicken tapaka - and, perhaps, that's all. But there is also a Caucasian soup that saturates and delights the taste buds, and seduces the look. In short, the first dishes of this cuisine are well worth learning to cook them.
General rules
Whatever you are going to cook, Azerbaijani, Armenian or Georgian soup, it should be based on mutton broth. If you have difficulty getting this meat, you can replace it with beef. But not pork or chicken in any way - you will lose most of your taste pleasure and you will not be able to fully appreciate the charm of the dish.
With greens, a large degree of liberty is allowed. However, not a single Caucasian soup is complete without cilantro. At least a couple of twigs, but must be present in the dish.
If chickpeas is on the product list, take it seriously. This is not peas and beans, it is extremely difficult to cook it until cooked. Beans are soaked in cold water for at least half a day. And keep in mind: at the same time, they noticeably increase in size.
And do not skimp on spices and pungency. Caucasian soup cannot be fresh! If you do not like spicy, you should pay attention to dishes from the cuisines of other countries.
Azerbaijani kyufta bozbash: the beginning
Preparing this miracle of cooking is quite difficult. However, anyone who has ever tasted bozbash kuft soup is ready to work hard for it.
The cooked and strained mutton broth is held on the stove until it boils, after which pre-soaked chickpeas (half a glass in dry form for two liters of liquid) are loaded into it. He will languish for about an hour.
A thick tomato gets rid of the skin, is cut lightly and laid to the chickpea. Potato goes there too. It is advisable to find small tubers: they only peel and put whole.
Two onions are finely chopped, a pair of spoons of rice is 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 insist. Kurdyuk finely crumbles; it should turn out about two spoons. The preparatory phase is completed, you can go to the main part.
Soup Meatballs
The main feature that this spicy Caucasian soup boasts is meat balls. But not ordinary, but with a filling. For her you have to find dried plum. Not a sweet dried fruit, namely an acidic wild plum.
A third of a kilo of lamb mince is combined with steamed and strained rice. Half the chopped onion is poured here. The base is salted 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 kufta is ready to be sent to the soup.
Final stage
When the chickpeas became soft, the potatoes were lowered into the soup and brought to the initial softness, meatballs were dropped one by one into the pan. Ten minutes are detected; when they pass, the kufta will already pop up and will be almost ready. At this point, spices are laid in the soup: the remaining onions, saffron, peas. And of course, chopped kurdyuk. Five minutes of cooking - kufta bozbash is ready.
Kefir soup (grar). Caucasian kitchen
A unique recipe: a broth base is not required here. This dish can be eaten even by those who keep an eye on the figure.
Soup belongs to Kurdish cuisine, although similar variations can be found in the culinary of other peoples of the Caucasus. Kefir, two liters, is poured into a pot of suitable volume. Take a medium-fat product. 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, mixes. In a bowl, two eggs are beaten to foam. They also need to be poured into the pan. After the next careful mixing, the vessel is placed on the stove, at the slowest fire. The soup needs to be mixed more often, otherwise it may burn. Ready signal will be a thickening of the liquid.
A glass of barley is washed separately, boiled until final readiness and left for ten minutes under the lid. Then it is poured into the pan, and the soup is cooked for another ten minutes. After removing from the stove, the soup is abundantly sprinkled with chopped cilantro and insisted 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 the following.
From a third of a kilogram of fresh mutton in a liter of water, the broth is cooked. 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 cooked, another large onion and half a hot pepper without seeds are finely chopped. They are fried to a slight blush, after which cubes of several tomatoes are poured into the pan. Tomatoes are taken two hundred grams; it is advisable to rid them of the skins. 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 stewpan. Next, in a bowl are mixed gruel from four cloves of garlic, dry coriander, a little vegetable oil and chopped cilantro. The mass is introduced into the Kharcho soup in a Caucasian way; the stewpan is left on fire for a few more minutes. Walnuts will be the final touch. A glass of their kernels is pounded and poured into the soup. Ten minutes of general languor - and lunch is ready.
Khashlama
I would like to mention another Caucasian soup. Its authors are Armenians. The soup is very thick; From time to time there are even disputes over whether khashlama should be considered the first dish, or whether it still refers to the second. But the main thing is very tasty and satisfying.
Grams of 800 is not the most fatty meat is cut large and fried in a thick-walled cauldron. In theory, it is necessary to fry on fat 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. Next go in turn:
- large cubes of carrots;
- squares of bell pepper; four pods of different colors should be taken;
- slices of medium squash;
- strips of half hot pepper;
- four small tomatoes without skin (no need to cut);
- chopped garlic (as much as you see fit).
All this is stewed until soft, that is, until the vegetables reach half-preparedness. Then pour half a liter of beer (light), put laurel and spices. Regarding the latter: try to find a set specifically for hashlama in the market, Armenians sell it in an “assembled” form.
Cooking continues to soften the toughest vegetable - carrots. You get a very thick and spicy soup with a little liquid.
Right feed
Caucasian soup must be not only skillfully prepared, but also properly eaten. It is not recommended to flavor it with sour cream - not the case. But generously sprinkle with herbs - a very welcome step. Instead of bread, it is better to put pita bread on the table - thank God, buying it now is not at all a problem.
There are first courses that come from the Caucasus, you need to be hot. Especially if you still used lamb when cooking. By the way, in the latter case, it is better to cook Caucasian soup at once: when heated, it loses a noticeable part of its charm.