Bozbash is a dish common in the Caucasus and loved by gourmets and lovers of tasty and healthy food. This thick soup with vegetables and dried fruits is made mainly from lamb with the addition of vegetables to suit your taste. There are a large number of recipes for Caucasian aromatic dishes.
The set of ingredients may vary depending on the time of year and location, but the cooking principle is the same - the soup must contain chickpeas (chickpeas), onions, chestnuts or potatoes. In this article, the authors of the Quick Recipes website will tell you how to prepare traditional bozbash so that everyone will be delighted.
Classic recipe
Lamb bozbash, the classic recipe for which is discussed later in the article, turns out rich, and also has a special sourness and unusual appearance.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
To cook the classic version of bozbash soup you will need:
- mutton. It is recommended to prepare chilled meat on the bone - 800 g;
- chickpeas Peas need to be sorted out from spoiled ones - 100 g;
- potato. Medium weight tubers should be used - 5 pcs.;
- fleshy tomatoes, medium weight – 1 pc.;
- onion. The weight of the vegetable should be approximately 80 g - 2 pcs.;
- filtered water – 3 l;
- real butter – 40-50 ml;
- real saffron – 1 g;
- chopped fresh herbs to taste – 7-10 g.
Bozbash should be salted during cooking to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
Bozbash cooking stations according to the classic version are located in the following order:
- Initially, you need to put the chickpeas in a dish and fill it with water heated to approximately 80 degrees. Soak the peas for about 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, the chickpeas need to be washed and placed in a saucepan of suitable volume. Pour the product with water (about 500 ml is required).
- Turn on the burner on the stove. It is advisable to first set the temperature to the average value.
- Place a saucepan with chickpeas on the stove and cook the “peas” for approximately 1 hour. After the water boils, the heat power of the burner must be reduced.
- After 1 hour, the chickpeas need to be transferred to a colander. If desired, you can remove the skin from the product.
- Next, prepare the broth. For the broth, you need to pour water into a container with thick walls and a bottom. And also rinse the meat.
- Place a container of water on the stove. It is recommended to set the heat on the burner to medium.
- When the water starts to boil, you need to put the lamb in it and cook it for about 30-40 minutes.
- After the specified period of time, the meat should be removed from the broth, and the broth itself should be strained.
- Rinse the pan and pour the broth back into it.
- While the meat is cooling, you need to peel and cut the potatoes into large slices, as well as peel and cut the onions into medium cubes.
- The tomato must be peeled. To easily remove the skin from the vegetable, you need to make 2 cross cuts on the tomato. Then put the product in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately into ice water, also for 30 seconds.
- After preparing the tomato, you need to carefully pull the skin from the cut site; it will easily come away from the pulp.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the tomato pulp into small cubes.
- The cooled meat must be removed from the bone and cut into medium-sized cubes.
- Then you need to turn on 2 burners on the stove. The heat on them should be set to medium.
- Place a pan with broth on one burner, and on the second you need to place a frying pan with high walls.
- Place butter in a frying pan and fry the onion in it for about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, you need to put the meat in the pan and fry the ingredients for about 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, add the tomato to the pan and continue frying for about 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, the frying should be removed from the heat.
- Then (if the broth in the pan has already boiled) you need to put the potatoes in the broth and let it cook for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add the contents of the pan to the pan, add chickpeas and saffron. Salt the bozbash and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Next, you need to put the greens in the soup, let the broth boil and remove the pan from the heat.
Bozbash after cooking should be infused for at least 30 minutes (preferably 8 hours).
Serving rules, decoration
When serving the soup, sprinkle ground paprika or black pepper in strips along the edge of the plate. It is recommended to eat the dish with pita bread, a loaf (dried) and chopped fresh vegetables.
Lamb bozbash with prunes
Lamb bozbash, a recipe with prunes, is not inferior in popularity to the classic one, it turns out satisfying and moderately rich.
What ingredients will you need?
To decorate bozbash with prunes you need to prepare:
- prunes. The indicated weight of the product without seeds is 60 g;
- potato. You should use a tuber of a non-cooking variety and medium size - 6 pcs.;
- bell pepper It is advisable to use a red vegetable - 1 pc.;
- onion. The ingredient should weigh approximately 90 g - 2 pcs.;
- chilled lamb shoulder or neck. If there is a bone in the meat, it should be left - 700 g;
- water that has undergone a purification process – 2 l;
- dried thyme – 1 g;
- purified sunflower oil – 30 ml;
- dried basil – 1 g;
- real tomato paste (the product should contain only tomatoes) – 50 g.
Lamb bozbash, recipe with prunes.
Salt and pepper bozbash is required when preparing it according to taste preferences.
Step-by-step cooking process
The recipe for cooking bozbash soup with prunes consists of the following steps:
- First, you need to rinse the meat to remove any debris that has stuck during storage.
- Place the lamb in a thick-walled container with a double bottom.
- Pour water over the meat and turn on the stove. It is recommended to initially set the burner to medium heat.
- After the water begins to boil, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the burner. The meat should be boiled at a gentle boil. It is important that from the beginning to the end of cooking the lamb, the foam that forms must be removed from the broth.
- Boil the lamb for approximately 30-40 minutes.
- Next, you need to remove the boiled meat from the container and strain the broth.
- Remove the bones from the meat and cut the fillet into cubes.
- Onions and potatoes need to be peeled. After this, the onion needs to be cut into medium-sized cubes, and it is advisable to cut the potatoes into large cubes or cubes.
- The prunes should be rinsed well so that the dirt can be washed off better; the product must be soaked in advance for about 7 minutes in warm water. If there are seeds in the dried fruit, they must be removed.
- Cut the dried fruit into small cubes.
- The bell pepper needs to be cut into 2 parts, the seeds and stalk removed, and the “pulp” of the vegetable washed.
- Cut the prepared pepper into small cubes.
- Turn on the stove and set the fire to medium heat (you need to prepare 2 burners).
- You need to place a container with broth on one burner. You need to bring the broth to a boil.
- Place a frying pan on the second burner and pour oil into it.
- When the oil is slightly warm, add the onion and fry it for approximately 3 minutes.
- Then add cubes of boiled meat to the onion and continue frying for about 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, add bell peppers to the pan, then prunes and tomato paste. It takes approximately 5 minutes to simmer the ingredients.
- After 5 minutes, the pan should be removed from the heat.
- Next, you need to put the potatoes in a container with boiling broth and cook them for about 5-7 minutes.
- After the indicated time, you need to transfer the contents from the frying pan into the container, also add salt, thyme and basil. You need to cook the bozbash for about 18-20 minutes.
- Approximately 5 minutes before the soup is ready, add crushed pepper to the soup.
After cooking, bozbash should “rest” for about 10 minutes.
Possible cooking options
- If you can't find lamb, make beef bozbash. You can also use lean pork.
- As in the case of other Asian dishes, for example, lagman, bozbash perfectly saves the housewife’s time, serving as a full-fledged first and second dish.
- If there is not too much meat, you can add pre-boiled chickpeas, which are passed through a meat grinder.
- Don't like prunes? Feel free to replace it with dried apricots or mix these dried fruits.
- Try adding a little more spices: basil and cilantro are great. Kufta-bozbash will sparkle with new shades of taste!
I hope you enjoyed this hearty and delicious Azerbaijani dish. How would you change or add to the recipe? Share your opinion in the comments.
Bozbash in a cauldron
Bozbash turns out to be more aromatic and rich when served in a cauldron outdoors.
The soup recipe is distinguished by the addition of apples and hot peppers. It is advisable to cook the dish from lamb shoulder.
What ingredients will you need?
To cook bozbash over a fire in a cauldron you will need:
- lamb shoulder with bone – 700 g;
- onion. You will need bulbs weighing approximately 80 g - 3 pcs.;
- carrot. The ingredient should weigh approximately 80-90 g - 3 pcs.;
- tomatoes of medium fleshiness and medium size - 3 pcs.;
- bell pepper It is advisable to use a yellow or red product - 2 pcs.;
- potato. It is necessary to prepare large tubers - 3 pcs.;
- sweet and sour apple – 2 pcs.;
- chickpeas (can be replaced with dry peas). The ingredient must be soaked in water in advance - 150 g;
- hot pepper pod – 1 pc.;
- sunflower non-fragrant oil – 40-50 ml;
- drinking water – 4 l;
- fresh parsley – 5-7 leaves;
- onion feathers - 10-12 pcs.;
- cumin, basil and thyme – 1-1.5 g each;
- saffron, coriander and ground black pepper – 1-2 g each.
You should also prepare salt.
Step-by-step cooking process
The procedure for cooking bozbash in a cauldron is as follows:
- First you need to remove the dirty husk from one onion. You don’t have to remove the husks completely; they will give the broth a yellow color.
- The carrots need to be washed well and cut into 2 parts. Similarly, you need to cut the prepared onion.
- Pour water into the cauldron and place the cauldron over the fire. There should be enough heat for the water to boil.
- Rinse the lamb and place it in a cauldron. Along with the meat, you need to put prepared carrots and onions in the cauldron.
- It is necessary to cook the contents in the cauldron until the meat is ready; the broth must be slightly salted during the cooking process, and it is also necessary to remove any foam that forms.
- The average cooking time for meat is about 50-60 minutes. During this period of time you need to prepare the vegetables.
- First you need to peel the remaining onions and cut them into thin quarter rings.
- The remaining 2 carrots must be washed and cut into thin cubes.
- Tomatoes need to be washed, wiped and cut into small cubes.
- Bell peppers should be peeled and cut similarly to carrots.
- Hot peppers need to be washed and cut into 2 parts.
- Then (when the meat is cooked) the lamb must be placed in a dish, and the broth must be strained into a clean container. Rinse and wipe the cauldron. Boiled carrots and onions should be thrown away; they are not used further.
- Boiled meat needs to be slightly cooled, removed from the bone and cut into small cubes.
- Place a clean and dry cauldron over the fire and pour oil into it.
- When the oil becomes hot, you need to put the meat in it and fry it with occasional stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Then you need to put the onion in the cauldron and fry the ingredients until the onion is browned.
- After the onions have browned, put the carrots in the cauldron and fry the food for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, you need to put tomatoes, bell peppers, and dry spices (cumin, thyme, basil, and also saffron, black pepper and coriander) into the cauldron. You need to simmer the food for approximately 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, you need to pour the broth into the cauldron and add hot pepper.
- When the broth boils, you need to transfer the soaked chickpeas/peas into the cauldron. It takes approximately 40 minutes to cook the ingredients.
- While boiling the chickpeas, you need to peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces. You also need to peel and seed the apples and cut them like potatoes.
- After the specified time (provided that the chickpeas are boiled), you need to put potatoes and apples in the cauldron and salt the contents.
- Bozbash should be cooked until the last ingredients are ready.
Ready bozbash should be left for about 30 minutes. To serve the dish, wash and chop the parsley and green onions. These ingredients should be added immediately to the plates.
Azerbaijani bozbash recipe in a slow cooker
Lamb bozbash (the recipe in Azerbaijani can be prepared in a slow cooker) thanks to the device it turns out to be more nutritious and rich.
What ingredients will you need?
To cook Azerbaijani bozbash you need:
- chilled lamb ribs – 0.7 kg;
- chickpeas The product must be sorted out from spoiled peas in advance - 250 g;
- fresh garlic – 6 cloves;
- potato. It is necessary to select medium-weight tubers - 4 pcs.;
- carrots weighing about 80 g - 2 pcs.;
- bell pepper If possible, use the product in different colors - 2 pcs.;
- onion. Onion heads should weigh no more than 90 g - 2 pcs.;
- quince (can be replaced with small sweet and sour apples) – 2 pcs.;
- whole tomatoes cooked in their own juice – 400 g;
- real pomegranate juice – 100 ml;
- filtered water (for preparing broth) – 3 l;
- natural butter – 100 g;
- hot pepper pod – 1 pc.;
- laurel leaves – 2 pcs.;
- allspice peas – 6 pcs.;
- crushed black pepper – 2 g.
You will also need salt and chopped fresh herbs to serve bozbash.
Step-by-step cooking process
The algorithm for decorating Azerbaijani bozbash in a multicooker is as follows:
- Initially, you need to put the chickpeas in a deep container and fill it with cool water. Soak the “peas” for approximately 4 hours.
- Then the chickpeas should be washed, placed in a bowl for the device and filled with water (approximately 1 liter is required).
- Place the bowl with the contents in the multicooker and turn on the device. The mode needs to be set to “cooking”, and the time is approximately 40 minutes.
- After a sound notification about the end of the program, the chickpeas need to be transferred to a dish, the water should be drained, and the bowl should be rinsed.
- Next, wash the lamb ribs and cut them into medium-sized pieces.
- Place the ribs in a bowl and fill them with prepared water.
- Place the bowl into the device. Turn on the multicooker in cooking mode. The time should be set to approximately 50-60 minutes.
- While the water is boiling, you need to peel one carrot and one onion at a time.
- Remove the foam from the boiling water and place the onions and carrots in the bowl with the meat (if desired, the vegetables can be cut into 2 parts). You also need to add allspice and bay leaves.
- After the device signals the end of the program, you need to take out the ribs and put them on a plate, and strain the broth into a clean bowl. Boiled carrots and onions, as well as peppers and laurel leaves must be thrown away; they are no longer used in the recipe.
- Then you need to wash the multicooker bowl again and wipe it dry. Next, the products are prepared.
- Peel the garlic and pass the cloves through a press.
- The remaining carrots should be washed well and cut into small cubes.
- The last onion needs to be peeled and cut into thin quarter rings.
- The bell pepper must be peeled (remove the stem and seeds) and cut in the same way as carrots.
- Tomatoes should be removed from the marinade and peeled. After this, the fruits must be carefully cut into small pieces with a knife.
- Next, you need to place the bowl in the device and turn the device on to frying mode. The time can be set to approximately 20 minutes.
- Place the butter in a bowl and wait for it to melt.
- Then you need to put the ribs in hot butter and fry them until a light golden brown crust forms.
- Then you need to put the onion in the bowl and fry the food until the onion slices become transparent.
- Next you need to put the carrots in the bowl and fry the contents for about 10 minutes.
- Next, you need to put the tomatoes in the bowl and simmer the ingredients for approximately another 7 minutes.
- During this time, you need to peel and cut the quince.
- Then (when 7 minutes are over) you need to put quince, chickpeas and bell pepper into the bowl. Pour broth over the contents. Switch the multicooker to cooking mode and set the time interval to approximately 20 minutes.
- During this time, you should peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces.
- After the end of 20 minutes, you need to put potatoes, garlic, as well as hot and crushed pepper into the bowl. Without changing the mode, you should set the cooking time to approximately 20 minutes.
- After the specified time (if the potatoes and other ingredients are ready), you need to pour pomegranate juice into the bozbash and let the contents boil. Turn off the device.
After finishing cooking, you need to close the multicooker and let the bozbash brew for about 30 minutes. When serving, add greens to the soup.
Bozbash in Georgian
Bozbash in Georgian turns out to be very rich and aromatic. The dish can be prepared both in a spicy (with the addition of hot pepper) and in a regular version.
What ingredients will you need?
For Georgian bozbash the following are used:
- chilled lamb shoulder – 1 kg;
- onion. You should prepare medium-sized heads - 3 pcs.;
- lamb fat tail – 100 g;
- potato. You will need large tubers - 3 pcs.;
- rice. It is recommended to prepare round grains – 50 g;
- egg. It is advisable that the egg be of the selected category - 3 pcs.;
- cilantro. Fresh herbs required - 50 g;
- tarragon leaves – 50 g;
- saffron – 2 g;
- real tkemali sauce – 30 ml;
- filtered water – 3 l;
- crushed pepper – 2-4 g.
Bozbash should be salted during cooking to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
The process of registering a Georgian bozbash consists of the following steps:
- Initially, you need to wash the meat and immediately cut it into portions.
- Place the lamb in a deep, thick-walled container and add water. Boil the meat for approximately 30 minutes from the moment the water boils. During the cooking process, it is necessary to periodically remove the foam from the broth.
- While the meat is boiling, you need to peel and cut the potatoes and onions into medium-sized pieces.
- After 30 minutes, you need to remove the meat into a dish and strain the broth into a clean bowl.
- Wash the container you are using and wipe it dry.
- Turn on the stove to heat slightly below medium and place clean containers on it.
- Quickly cut the fat tail fat into about 5 pieces and place it in a container. Let the fat melt.
- Then you should put pieces of boiled lamb in the fat and fry them for about 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, add the onion to the lamb and continue frying for approximately another 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add rice to the contents, mix the products and pour broth over them. It takes approximately 10 minutes to cook the ingredients.
- Next, you need to put the potatoes in the container. Cook the soup until the rice and potatoes are ready.
- Then you need to temporarily remove the container with its contents from heating. Let the soup cool slightly.
- While the soup is cooling, you need to beat the eggs in a separate bowl, as well as rinse and chop the fresh herbs.
- After this, you need to pour the beaten egg in a thin stream into the soup. In this case, you should constantly mix the ingredients.
- Following the egg, you need to add ground pepper, saffron and salt to the contents. Place the container of soup back on the heat.
- Heat the bozbash, but do not bring it to active boiling.
- Add chopped herbs to the soup, pour in the tkemali and remove the container with the contents from the stove.
Leave the bozbash to steep for approximately 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
- Lamb ribs – 500 grams
- Lamb pulp - 150 grams
- Veal pulp - 150 grams
- Onions - 3 pieces (2 - minced, 1 - fried)
- Round rice - 2 tbsp. spoons
- Potatoes – 4 pieces
- Chickpeas - 1 Cup
- Dried cherry plum – 8 pieces
- Dried mint - 1 teaspoon
- Saffron – 5 pieces
- Ghee butter - 2 tbsp. spoons
- Chicken egg – 1 piece
- Ground black pepper - To taste
- Salt - To taste
Number of servings: 4
Useful tips and tricks
Lamb bozbash, the recipes for which are presented in the article, turns out rich, with a pronounced meaty taste, nutritious if you follow the rules:
Important subtleties | Notes |
It is advisable to cook bozbash on a lamb shoulder or rump | These parts of the carcass cook faster, and the meat also contains enough fat, and its fibers are not very coarse in texture. |
Potatoes in soup should be put in large slices | Large cuts of the tuber are a distinctive feature of bozbash soup. |
Chickpeas can be boiled in advance until half cooked | Pre-boiling the ingredient shortens the cooking time of the soup. |
Bozbash should be prepared in a container with thick walls and bottom. | If you use a regular pan, then due to the duration of cooking, the food may burn. Also, dishes with thin walls do not ensure uniform heating of the contents in it. |
When cooking soup, it is important to maintain the proportions of water and meat. | According to the classic recipe, for every 500 g of meat, 2 liters of water are required. In this case, during the process of cooking meat, water should be added to the original level. |
Chickpeas should be soaked for at least 4 hours before cooking. | Thanks to soaking, the product cooks faster and also does not cause gas accumulation in the intestines. |
Meat for bozbash must not only be boiled, but also fried | Fried boiled meat gives the soup the desired appearance and taste, and also increases the satiety of the dish. |
It is advisable to cook bozbash with meat on the bone | The bone gives the soup greater richness and satiety. |
Bozbash will turn out with a clear broth if you boil the lamb over low heat and remove the foam from the water during the cooking process. It is strictly forbidden to add water to almost finished soup, as this will make the broth taste watery. It is important not to overcook the vegetables used in the recipe.
Caucasian soup: its variety
It’s amazing that bozbash can be made from completely different vegetables and fruits, depending on the season! This soup is cooked mainly with lamb or beef, which contains less fat, but you can add a whole lot of vegetables to the recipe: eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, turnips, as well as beans, green peas, etc.
To cook soup with a traditional sour-spicy taste, add apples, cherry plums, plums, quince and pickled tomatoes. The more herbs, the more aromatic the bozbash; cilantro goes well with meat, but don’t forget about many other spices - tarragon, saffron, coriander, mint and thyme.
Bon appetit!
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