Uzbek national cuisine is loved and revered by many for its unique taste. The history of the origin of dishes is closely connected with the history of the region, the territory of which covers the modern independent state of Uzbekistan. Due to the fact that long before the conquest of Tsarist Russia, the Uzbeks led both a sedentary and nomadic lifestyle, the Uzbek cuisine is diverse and satisfying.
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A brief description of the features of Uzbek national cuisine
The leading place in the Uzbek national cuisine is occupied by meat dishes. As a rule, in most dishes lamb is used, less often beef and horse meat. The meat is usually fried in cottonseed oil produced in Uzbekistan. But dishes from poultry and fish are not popular and are not particularly successful. It is also difficult to imagine Uzbek cuisine without fresh herbs and aromatic spices such as zira, cilantro, basil (rayon), and barberry. As a complement to meat dishes, Uzbeks certainly serve fresh vegetable salads, which can be seasoned with sour milk or suzma, as well as freshly brewed green tea or ayran.
Uzbek cuisine is very diverse. For example, there are at least 10 types of recipes for pilaf and barbecue. Moreover, in each region of Uzbekistan they are prepared in their own way. If you want to learn how to cook dishes of national Uzbek cuisine, we suggest considering several recipes for simple dishes that even a novice hostess can cope with.
Uzbek soup "Kainatma Shurpa"
The peculiarity of such a soup is that, unlike most Uzbek dishes, the meat is not fried in it.
To cook Uzbek shurpa, you will need:
- T-bone meat (brisket, ribs) - 700 g;
- Onions - 2 pcs.;
- Carrots - 2 pcs.;
- Potato - 4 pcs.;
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
- Bell pepper - 1 pc.;
- Hot hot chili pepper - 1 pc.;
- Fresh dill - 1 bunch;
- Fresh cilantro - 1 bunch;
- Salt.
Rinse the meat under running water, cut into large pieces, and then dip in a pan filled with cold water. When the water boils, carefully remove the foam formed from the meat, reduce the temperature to a low value and cover.
In the meantime, peel the meat while the meat, onions, carrots and potatoes are cooked. For bell pepper, remove the stalk and seeds. Chop the onions in half rings, carrots in circles, and divide the potatoes, tomatoes and bell pepper into several large pieces.
1 hour after boiling water, add onion half rings, carrots to the meat, and continue cooking for about half an hour. After time, put tomatoes, bell peppers, chili and potatoes in the soup. After boiling, cook the dish until the potatoes are soft. Before removing the shurpa from the heat, add salt to taste. Serve it in deep plates with fresh cakes, sprinkled with cilantro and dill.
Dolma stuffed cabbage from grape leaves
Ingredients:
- Minced meat (it is best to take lamb) - 500 g;
- Round grain rice - 0.5 cups;
- Onions - 2 pcs.;
- Grape leaves - 400 g;
- Sunflower oil - 1 tbsp. l.;
- Ground black pepper;
- Salt.
Stuff the minced meat in a deep bowl, add washed rice, salt and black pepper to taste to it, and then mix everything together well.
Rinse grape leaves under running water and lay them on a table. On each leaf put 1 dessert spoon of minced meat. If the leaves are small, you can take 2 pieces per workpiece. Wrap the minced meat in a leaf like a cabbage roll. If desired, each dolma can be tied with thread.
Arrange all the blanks in a low pan to make a dense row, add salt and pour oil. After that, fill the dolma with broth (cooked, ideally, from lamb bones) and bring to a boil. After boiling, cook the dish for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, while the dolma is being stewed, prepare a fry for it. Remove the peel from the onion and cut it into thin half rings. Pour in the pan sunflower oil and fry the onion on it until golden brown. If desired, add 2 chopped tomatoes or a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to it.
Arrange the prepared dolma on plates, fill with broth and serve with fresh chopped herbs and kefir.