Kufta - Armenian, Azerbaijani and Turkish soup and meatball recipes

Updated: Dashuta

07/03/2014 Cooking time: 2 hours 0 minutes

Save

I cooked)

Estimate

This wonderful soup is a real gift for all gourmets and lovers of Caucasian cuisine. It is incredibly tasty, with a unique aroma and rather unusual ingredients.

Classic recipe

Kufta-bozbash in Azerbaijani classic form is found only in the Caucasus, as it contains chestnuts. The dish is served at a traditional oriental lunch, which lasts more than 2 hours.

Before serving the hearty dish, guests are offered fresh, unchopped greens and smoked sturgeon balyk, followed, according to tradition, by fried peaches, plums or cherry plums.

What ingredients will you need?

The classic recipe for the Azerbaijani treat includes 6 components:

cherry plum;
chickpeas;
chestnuts;
onion;
mutton;
bones.

The broth is prepared in clean water using salt and available spices.

Step-by-step cooking process

You can prepare kofta-bozbash in Azerbaijani style by following step-by-step recommendations:

At the first stage, chickpeas (chickpeas) are soaked in water overnight.
In the morning, after the peas have swollen, they are boiled in bone broth until tender.
Next, peel and wash the onion.
At the next stage, wash the meat under running water and cut the meat into small pieces.
After this, the onion is passed through a meat grinder along with the lamb. The mixture is salted and peppered.
Meatballs are made from the resulting minced meat, placing pre-washed and pitted cherry plums inside.
At the next stage, pre-peeled chestnuts and finely chopped onions are added to the broth with the peas.
A few minutes after adding the chestnuts and onions to the broth, the meatballs are added to the liquid.
At the last stage, bozbash is salted and peppered.

The dish is served hot. As a decoration, you can sprinkle the broth with fresh dill.

What can I add?

There are several ingredients that Azerbaijani chefs like to add to the classic kofta-bozbash. For example, to give a dish a pleasant color and aroma, saffron tincture is poured into the broth 15 minutes before the end of cooking, and mint is responsible for the refreshing taste in the summer heat. Some cooks also add rice to the minced lamb, in addition to onions. Those who do not like the taste of chestnuts replace them with potatoes. In order for the bozbash to be rich, fat tail fat is added to it, after crushing it. Some ingredients can be changed. However, this will not affect the taste of the dish.

Classic	Replacement
mutton	beef
chestnuts	potato
cherry plum	plum/peach
chickpeas	classic peas
rice	buckwheat

Different nations have their own recipes for meat broth and meatballs. Those who want to discover something new are encouraged to experiment with ingredients.

Serving rules, decoration

Kufta-bozbash is served hot or cold, depending on the time of year. If it contains fat tail fat, the broth should be warm so that the ingredient does not harden.

Kufta-bozbash in Azerbaijani can be served hot or cold.

The first course of meat broth with meatballs is considered the main lunch treat. As a decoration, the soup is sprinkled with fresh herbs or finely chopped green onions.

With rice

Kufta-bozbash in Azerbaijani style may contain rice. White bulk ingredient is used when there is not enough minced meat for meatballs and you need to create volume.

What ingredients will you need?

For 8 servings of Azerbaijani dish you will need:

lamb (0.4 kg);
cooking fat (1 tbsp);
rice (1/2 cup);
dried cherry plum (6 pcs.);
onion (1 pc.);
potatoes (4 pcs.);
chickpeas (150 g).

Spices:

cilantro (1 tbsp);
turmeric (0.5 tsp);
mint (1 tsp);
dill (1 tbsp);
black pepper;
salt.

The calorie content of the dish with the listed ingredients is 144 kcal per 100 g.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare an Azerbaijani dish, you need:

The first step is to soak the peas in cold water overnight.
Next, in the morning, the chickpeas are washed under running water and placed in a separate container.
At the next stage, cook the rice and soak the cherry plum in cold water.
After the rice has reached the desired state, peel the onion and wash it under running water.
Next, wash and chop the meat into small pieces.
At the next stage, the meat, onions and rice are passed through a meat grinder, making minced meat. After this, it is salted and peppered to taste.
Next, meatballs are made from the minced meat, placing a piece of cherry plum in the middle of each.
Broth is made from cooking oil and water and filtered.
At the next stage, put chickpeas in a pan with broth and cook them.
Next, peel, wash and add potatoes and onions to boil in the broth with the chickpeas. It is not necessary to chop vegetables finely.
At the last stage, meatballs are placed in the bozbash. The liquid is salted, peppered and the rest of the spices are added to it.

Preparing the treat takes almost 2 hours.

From veal

Kufta-bozbash in Azerbaijani style is also prepared from beef or veal. The cooking process is the same as using lamb.

What ingredients will you need?

To prepare an Azerbaijani dish you take:

veal (0.7 kg);
rice (2 tbsp);
potatoes (7 pcs.);
onions (3 pcs.);
peas (0.5 tbsp.);
sour plums (4 pcs.).

Spices:

mint (4 g);
saffron;
pepper mixture;
salt.

For the broth you need 3 liters of water.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare a Caucasian treat you need:

At the first stage, soak the peas for 3-4 hours.
Next, let the rice cook.
At the next stage, peel the potatoes and onions and wash them under running water. Plums are also washed and pitted.
After this, wash and cut the veal into small pieces.
Next, 2 onions, meat and rice are passed through a meat grinder, making minced meat.
At the next stage, the meatballs are formed, placing a piece of plum in the middle of each.
After this, put the water in the pan on the fire and pour the peas into it.
Next, 1 onion and potatoes are cut into several large pieces and also placed in a pan.
At the next stage, meatballs are placed in the broth, and the liquid is salted and peppered. A few minutes before the end of cooking, add the remaining spices to the bozbash.

The broth is served with fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

Veal pulp - 0.5 kilograms
Veal ribs – 0.5 kilograms
Onions - 3 pieces (1 - for broth, 2 - for minced meat)
Round rice - 3 tbsp. spoons
Chickpeas - 0.5 cups
Fresh greens - 70-100 grams (dill, mint, cilantro - equal parts in total)
Dried lemon balm - 2 tbsp. spoons
Potatoes – 2 pieces
Dried cherry plum – 10 pieces
Saffron - 5-6 pieces
Cinnamon – 1 pinch
Ground black pepper - To taste
Salt - To taste

Number of servings: 4

With tomatoes

Some oriental cooks put tomatoes in kofta-bozbash. The taste is interesting and refreshing.

What ingredients will you need?

To prepare pea broth with meat balls you need:

lamb (0.6 kg);
rice (1/2 cup);
peas (1/2 cup);
potatoes (3 pcs.);
onion (1 pc.);
tomato (1 pc.);
prunes.

Spices:

turmeric (1/2 tsp);
mint;
pepper mixture;
salt.

The cooking process takes no more than 90 minutes.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare an Azerbaijani treat, you need:

At the first stage, put the peas to cook.
Next, the meat is washed under running water and cut into medium-sized pieces.
After this, peel the onions and potatoes and wash them under running water.
At the next stage, minced meat is prepared from onions, meat and rice, passing the ingredients through a meat grinder.
Next, balls are made from the minced meat, placing a piece of pitted prune inside.
After this, pour water into the pan and put it on the fire. After a few minutes, meatballs are added to the liquid. When they float to the surface, reduce the heat under the pan and cook for another 40 minutes.
At the next stage, potatoes and onions cut in half are added to the meatballs. After a few minutes, add the tomato.
At the last stage, peas and spices are added to the pan with the ingredients.

Before serving, bozbash is sprinkled with dried mint.

In the cauldron

Residents of mountainous regions are accustomed to preparing Caucasian soup with meat in a cauldron in nature. Experts note that in such conditions the dish turns out to be especially satisfying and aromatic.

What ingredients will you need?

To prepare the Azerbaijani first course you need:

lamb (1 kg);
chickpeas (1/2 cup);
onions (3 pcs.);
potatoes (5 pcs.);
sweet pepper (1 pc.);
hot pepper (2 pcs.);
cherry tomatoes (10 pcs.);
canned green peas (0.2 kg);
vegetable oil.

Spices:

Imeretian saffron (1/2 tsp);
salt;
pepper mixture;
dried greens.

For the broth you will also need 4 liters of water.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare Azerbaijani soup yourself, you need:

The first step is to soak the peas in warm water overnight.
Next, peel the potatoes and onions and wash them under running water. The tails of the sweet pepper are cut off and cored.
Hot peppers and tomatoes are also washed under running cold water.
After this, the meat is washed and cut into small pieces.
At the next stage, put the cauldron on the fire and pour sunflower oil into it.
After a few minutes, put pieces of meat on the bottom of the cauldron and fry until golden brown, 4-6 minutes.
Next, cut the onion into half rings and place it in a cauldron with the meat.
When the onion begins to turn yellow, pour cold water into the container and leave until it boils.
As soon as the bozbash boils, add the remaining ingredients and spices to it. If the potatoes are not large, then they are placed whole. Bell peppers can be chopped into strips.
10 minutes before the end of cooking, add whole tomatoes to the broth (the readiness of bozbash is determined by the potatoes, which become soft but do not fall apart).

The finished dish is poured into plates and sprinkled with herbs.

Kufta Bozbash video recipe

Watch the video for an interesting variation of preparing Azerbaijani kyufta-bozbash in a cauldron.
With the recipes on this site you can cook lighter and even dietary soups, including Beef Soup and Chicken Broth Soup. You can also get acquainted with the cuisine of other countries and prepare Miso soup, popular in China, or Onion soup, beloved by the French. If you are familiar with Caucasian cuisine and know how to prepare a very tasty kofta-bozbash, then share your secrets with us in the comments.

Other soup recipes

Okroshka with sausage Okroshka with mineral water Okroshka with kefir Okroshka with whey Borscht with beans Enjoy reading!

Reader reviews

Nobody has written anything yet. Be the first!

In a slow cooker

Azerbaijani-style kufta-bozbash is also prepared in a slow cooker. The process will take much less time than when cooking in the usual way.

What ingredients will you need?

To prepare an oriental dish in a slow cooker you need:

fatty lamb (0.6 kg);
chickpeas (1/2 tbsp.);
rice (0.05 kg);
potatoes (3 pcs.);
onions (2 pcs.);
dried cherry plum.

Spices:

cinnamon;
mint;
saffron;
pepper mixture;
salt.

The ingredients are for 4 servings.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare soup in Azerbaijani style you need:

At the first stage, pour cold water over the peas and leave for 12 hours.
After this, the chickpeas are washed, placed in a multicooker bowl, filled with 1 liter of cold water, and cooked until tender for 40 minutes at a temperature of 160C˚. As soon as the chickpeas are ready, drain the water.
Next, pour cold water over the rice and leave it to swell for 60 minutes.
At the next stage, peel the potatoes and onions and wash them under cold water.
After this, the meat is washed and cut into small pieces.
Lamb and onions are passed through a meat grinder, turning them into minced meat.
Next, rice, salt, mint, cinnamon and pepper are added to the minced meat. The ingredients are mixed.
Medium-sized balls are made from minced meat, placing cherry plum inside.
At the next stage, pour water into the multicooker and boil it, setting the temperature to 130 C˚ for 20 minutes.
After this, meatballs and potatoes cut into 4 pieces are placed in boiling water. The water is salted and set for 20 minutes without changing the temperature.
While the kufta and potatoes are boiling, pour in the saffron with hot water and leave it for 15 minutes.
At the final stage, add the remaining ingredients to the meatballs and potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.

Before serving, the dish is decorated with parsley leaves.

Kufta in Turkish

Turkish kofta is prepared in the form of meatballs and served with bean or bean puree. This tasty dish is not too tedious to prepare and it does not take much time.

Ingredients for puree:

Garlic – clove;
Thick Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup. You can prepare it yourself or replace it with thick sour cream;
Beans - two cans;
Ground cumin and ground black pepper - 1/4 teaspoon each;
Sesame tahini paste - one large spoon;
1/4 to 1/2 small spoon of salt.

Ingredients for meatballs:

The egg is small;
Shallot – finely chopped;
Minced beef, lamb or pork - half a kilo;
Corn starch - 1.5 large spoons;
Grated ginger - a teaspoon;
Garlic – three finely chopped cloves;
Olive oil - large spoon;
Salt, ground cinnamon, ground allspice - 1/2 teaspoon each;
Ground coriander and ground cumin - 1/4 teaspoon each;
For minced meat homogeneity - two tablespoons of water;
Ground black pepper - 1/8 small spoon.

To finalize the dish, you will need:

Chopped garlic clove;
Olive oil – 2-3 tablespoons;
A bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped;
Pine nuts - two tablespoons;
Chili pepper (flakes) – 1-2 teaspoons.

Step-by-step preparation:

Drain the jar of beans, place the beans, garlic, cumin, Greek yogurt and tahini in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with black pepper and salt to taste. Place the dishes with the mixture aside for a while;
Wash the bowl of the food processor and dry it with a paper towel, place the minced meat in it. Add shallots, olive oil, garlic, cornstarch, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, coriander, black pepper and salt;
Grind until all ingredients are homogeneously mixed, and then at low speeds of the combine we obtain a paste-like mass, constantly adding water to it. This gives the minced meat juiciness and uniformity;
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees;
Cover the baking sheet with parchment. Take 1.5 small spoons of minced meat, form small meatballs, place them on a baking sheet at an average distance from each other;
Bake in a preheated oven until the meatballs are brown and have a firm consistency;
We take them out of the oven. Heat two large tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and place our dish in it;
Add pine nuts and toast them until golden;
Then add fresh mint, chopped garlic and chopped chili pepper;
The dish should simmer for a few more seconds on the fire, then season it with pepper;
Place the puree in a large bowl and add meatballs with pine nuts to it, pour olive oil over it and garnish with chili pepper (shavings).

The unique original dish is ready. You can put it on the table and start trying.

Useful tips and tricks

To make kufta-bozbash, you need to choose the right ingredients:

Meat for meatballs should be fresh and not stringy.
Vegetables are selected without visible black spots or dark spots.
It is recommended to use only chickpeas and not other types of peas.
As a spice, they must use either classic or Imeretian saffron (marigold flowers), as they give the dish a pleasant yellow color and a unique taste.

Caucasian soup is good because it does not require fine chopping of most ingredients. Since potatoes, tomatoes, onions and peppers are cooked whole or cut into 2 parts, they are easy to remove. Pre-cooking the bone broth for the Azerbaijani dish is not necessary, but is recommended by many experts. They note that this way the bozbash turns out to be more satisfying and rich.

You can prepare kofta-bozbash in Azerbaijani style by following both the classic and alternative recipes. The dish has a number of beneficial properties and is recommended for consumption by men and women of all ages. The advantage of the soup is that you can regulate its fat content by choosing the right ingredients.

Description of preparation:

The recipe for bozbash-kufta belongs to Azerbaijani cuisine, this soup is a type of kufta, but with one small difference: here we will have meatballs instead of meat pulp.
In principle, there are no other differences, but in any case, the taste of this soup is very unusual and, one might even say, unusual, especially for those who do not often turn to recipes from Caucasian cuisine. But we are not afraid to try something new, and therefore we will easily prepare this delicious soup, and I will help you and tell you how to make bozbash-kufta very quickly and easily. Purpose: For lunch Main ingredient: Meat / Veal Dish: Soups / Bozbash Geography of cuisine: Azerbaijani