Appetizing and delicious kharcho soup with pearl barley is not a classic recipe that came from Georgia. Traditional kharcho is boiled with rice, but if the necessary ingredients are not at hand, then there is always the opportunity to change the classic components of the dish. As a result of such culinary experiments, a surprisingly tasty, rich and nutritious dish with the famous spicy-sour taste of classic kharcho is obtained.
Each region of Georgia has its own traditional kharcho recipe with pearl barley or rice. A dish cannot be imagined without ingredients such as beef, walnuts, and tkemali sauce. Unfortunately, not all stores have the opportunity to purchase tkemali, so the housewives have to experiment with the ingredients, choosing the components that are currently available.
Component Selection
If you translate the name, then kharcho soup with pearl barley is the first dish on beef broth. This type of meat will be a classic ingredient, but if necessary it can be replaced with chicken. Chicken meat also goes well with spices and vegetables. For preparation, it is recommended to use the fillet parts of the carcass, where the meat is softer.
Specific dressing for kharcho soup with pearl barley - tkemali sauce. This Georgian seasoning gives the first dish a sour taste. The product is made from garlic, peppermint and plum. If the sauce could not be found, then it can be replaced with high-quality tomato paste or just fresh tomatoes. In addition, vinegar or lemon juice will be useful in the dish.
List of Essential Ingredients
To prepare a delicious first course, we will use the classic Kharcho recipe with pearl barley. The following products are required for cooking:
- 320 g of beef;
- three potatoes;
- 160 g of pearl barley;
- one onion;
- three to four cloves of garlic;
- one spoon (tablespoon) of tkemali sauce or tomato paste;
- sunflower oil;
- adjika;
- salt;
- parsley greens;
- ground pepper;
- cilantro.
If desired, carrots, cucumbers, celery and other vegetable components can be added to kharcho with pearl barley.
Description of the cooking process
Rinse the meat well and then cut into small pieces. Pour ice water into the pan, where we send the meat cubes. We put on the fire. We are waiting for it to boil. Remove the first foam from the broth, cover the pan with a lid. Do not forget to periodically remove the foam, if it appears. Cook the meat until cooked over low heat.
While we are preparing beef broth for kharcho soup with pearl barley, we are engaged in vegetables. Remove the skin from garlic, chop it with a crush. Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes. Peel and cut the onions into medium-sized slices. Pearl barley must be thoroughly washed. Then it is added to the soup along with potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes.
Gas station
While the main ingredients are boiled, we will prepare the tomato-vegetable mixture. In a small pan, heat the oil (sunflower or cream). Fry chopped garlic and onions on it. When the vegetables get a delicious golden crust, you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste or classic tkemali sauce. The resulting mixture must be stewed for 7-12 minutes.
We try the potatoes. If the vegetables are cooked in the soup, then add the vegetable mixture with tomato paste to the pan. Mix. Cook until fully cooked. After cooking, do not rush to pour the soup on plates. He needs to let stand for about 30-40 minutes. It is also necessary so that pearl barley is fully cooked and reveals all its taste properties. In the soup, add dry or fresh herbs, salt to taste, spices and sour cream.
Tips
In order for pearl barley to cook quickly (simultaneously with other ingredients), it must first be soaked for a couple of hours in cold water. This process will not only allow cereals to cook faster, but also improve its taste. Kharcho soup recipe can be changed at your discretion, if required by culinary imagination. Some housewives cook a dish with lamb or pork. Others prefer to add dill, basil, mint, coriander, hot pepper or parsley instead of cilantro. It happens that the hostesses use ready-made collections of spices.
One of the most popular seasonings for spicy kharcho soup is suneli hops. This fragrant collection contains most of the above ingredients and is a favorite among Georgian housewives.