Bozbash

Caucasian cuisine is always nourishing, piquant, fragrant. Oriental dishes love that is why. Today, almost every restaurant can meet and Lagman, and Bozbash, and Manti. Probably every hostess at least once and tried to cook one of these dishes. For those who have not done this yet, we recommend that you pamper your household with an unusual bozbash.

Bozbash: dish features

Bozbash is a meat soup that is traditionally cooked in lamb. Although, of course, many other nations have modified the classic recipe for themselves. As a result, when preparing began to use new ingredients. But it did not make the taste worse, but only slightly changed it.

This dish was considered the food of the Caucasian Khans. Today it falls into the category of the most interesting elements of any menu. He is not ashamed to submit, even on a solemn occasion. Like tkemali sauce, bozbash will never leave the table of the Caucasian peoples.

According to the original recipe, the soup is cooked in lamb. Moreover, usually in the course is the head of the animal. It is for her that the dish got its name, since in translation from Azerbaijani "bozba" it is the head. This soup stands out among the rest primarily by the presence of special peas - chickpea. It is easy to get in food stores. In addition, chestnuts must be present in the recipe. Prepared lamb, past the primary cooking, additionally also fried.

The variations of the dishes are divided into national and seasonal. According to tradition, winter and summer bozbash are prepared in different ways. In addition, the Azerbaijani cuisine can boast of even making soup, not on meat, but on fish. Versions using lamb meat or lamb meat pieces have long been considered classic.

Of the additional ingredients that may be present in the recipe for bozbash, are often dried fruits, sour plums and apples. More common supplements are carrots and peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and beans, turnips, eggplants. Onion is an essential ingredient along with spices - tarragon, saffron, basil and mint. In Russia, it is customary to replace chestnuts with potatoes that are most suitable for this.

Classic lamb bozbash: summer and winter

Since there are many bozbash recipes, among the variations of Armenian cuisine it is necessary to consider the winter and summer options. The cooking algorithm is about the same, but the ingredients are quite different.

The overall technology is as follows. Broth is brewed, often meat-fried and laid back into the water. Thermally processed vegetables and fruits are sent there for adding additional spices, spices are added.

Winter bozbash from lamb must be nourishing and give energy to the body. Therefore, its components are not as light as in the summer dish. In addition, they are quite warming and toning. Although lamb is classified as quite fatty meat, it is almost 3 times lighter than pork. This should be taken into account by all who care about their health, adjusting in accordance with this diet.

Composition:

1. Mutton -0,5 kg
2. Chickpea -¾ Art. (volume indicated for dry product)
3. Chestnuts - 0.5 kg.
4. Onions - 2 pcs.
5. Dried apricots - 3 tbsp.
6. Tomato paste and ghee - 1 tbsp.
7. Red pepper, salt and parsley, garlic powder - to taste

Cooking:

• Before you start boiling broth, soak chickpeas for the night. To do this, it is filled with cold, but boiled water, the volume of which exceeds the amount of the Turkish peas 4 times.
• In a pan filled with cold water, you should lay the pieces of lamb. Gourmets and connoisseurs of national cuisines are advised to choose ribs or brisket, as well as the front leg. There prepared and prepared chickpeas, after which everything boils. It takes about 1.5 hours. During the cooking process it is required to continuously remove the foam. After this period, the meat is removed and thrown into the pan, where it is fried until golden brown. Then put the lamb pieces back.
• Onions and shred for 2-3 minutes. Pasta in hot vegetable oil with the addition of tomato paste. Chestnuts are crushed and sent to the pan with it. After 15 minutes They are joined by well-washed dried apricots, seasonings and ghee. The total cooking time will be no more than 30 minutes. subject to low fire.

Summer bozbash looks a little different. It has a sweeter flavor due to ingredients and lower fat content. Here, in addition to lamb, sour apples, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions will appear. Condiments are selected at the personal discretion. The most interesting are cardamom and paprika. In addition, the original recipe requires the presence of okra.

The broth on the lamb is boiled in the same way as in the case of winter bozbash, but without chickpea in the same saucepan. Meat must be fried for 8-10 minutes. and put it back in the pan. Pepper chop rings, apples and tomatoes - any medium-sized slices. Onions are sautéed in butter, but without tomato paste. Then all the ingredients put broth. It takes about 15 minutes to brew.

Bozbash in Azerbaijani

The Azerbaijani version has many differences in the set of ingredients, even though the classic version is also cooked in lamb using chickpeas. But here the number of components is much larger.

Composition:

1. Lamb - 1 kg. (meat with bone)
2. Chickpeas - 100 gr. (volume of dry product)
3. Chestnuts or potatoes - 1kg.
4. Quince, Bulgarian pepper, onion - 2 pcs.
5. Dried plum - 1 tbsp.
6. Spices - to taste
7. Oil - 20 gr.

Cooking:

• Prepare the broth in the manner described earlier.
• After that, the lamb in its own fat is fried in a pan, acquiring a crust. Experts are advised to use meat in a skillet (it is him, not the saucepan), chickpeas and bay leaves with onions and cloves are poured, and broth is poured.
• The vessel is removed in an oven, the temperature inside which is 200 ° C.
• After 30 minutes onions and bay leaves are removed from the dish, and in their place come chopped vegetables. Wait at the oven will have another 30 minutes.
• The last step is to spice up the dish with spices and simmer it for 15 minutes in the oven. Before serving, you can put in the saucepan more butter and green onion feathers. If desired, permissible and fresh tomatoes.

Beef bozbash

In Russia, there is an adaptation of this soup, lowering its fat content and making it suitable for those who are not recommended rich broth. This is a beef bozbash, with which there are even less difficulties than with previous versions.

Composition:

1. Beef - 500 gr.
2. Asparagus - 250 gr.
3. Onions - 3 pcs.
4. Eggplant - 2pcs.
5. Tomatoes - 5pcs.
6. Potatoes - 500 gr.
7. Basil, cilantro, dill and garlic - to taste

Cooking:

• Before cooking the broth, meat is carefully cut into medium-sized pieces, which are boiled together with pepper and onion on medium heat.
• After bringing the meat to half-cooked, the potato divided into quarters is placed in a saucepan or stew-pan.
• Tomatoes must be stripped of the skins and sent to the total mass, or else they must be replaced with tomato paste. Eggplants are salted and fried in a pan with asparagus and bell pepper, after which they complement the already practically cooked dish.
• After bringing the soup to a boil, it is boiled for another 15 minutes. on average power. All ingredients are carefully crumpled with a fork to turn into puree.

Knowing the original recipe of bozbash and its components, you can vary the components at your discretion, changing the taste as you want. For more sweetness, use prunes and apples. Instead of pieces of meat, you can add meatballs from minced meat. Do not be afraid to create and experiment in the kitchen: it is always interesting.