Kyufta bozbash in Azerbaijani style

The recipe for the national dish with an ancient history, kyufta bozbash in Azerbaijani style, has been known since the times of the Ottoman Empire. Large meatballs made of beef or lamb are placed in the broth, inside of which are dried plum or cherry plum. The soup is seasoned with large pieces of potatoes, chickpeas, and remnants of plums. Turmeric gives the dish a special taste and color. The uniqueness of kyufta bozbash, among other things, is that it can be both a first and a second course.

Yield: 5 servings.

Cooking time: 1 hour (provided that the chickpeas were soaked in water for 6-8 hours in advance).

Cuisine: Azerbaijani.

Ingredients

• beef mince – 500 g;
• white onion – 140 g;
• round rice – 40 g;
• egg C 1 – 1 pc;
• dried plum – 50 g;
• potatoes (only not small) – 5 pcs;
• chickpeas – 100 g;
• turmeric – 1 tsp heaping;
• salt, freshly ground pepper – to taste;
• dried mint – for portion topping.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients for making kyufta bozbash in Azerbaijani style. The mince for kyufta can be either beef or lamb. If possible, it is even better to replace dried plums with cherry plums. It is better to use large or medium-sized potatoes.

2. The day before, soak the chickpeas in cold water and leave for 6-8 hours to swell.

3. Then boil them without salt for 40-45 minutes, removing any foam that forms. After finishing, drain the water.

4. Rinse the rice several times in running water.

5. Grate one half of the onion, and finely chop the other.

6. Combine the mince, grated onion, and rice in one container.

7. Add the egg.

8. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

9. Mix everything thoroughly until you have a homogeneous sticky mass.

10. Visually divide it into 5 parts and start rolling the kyufta in your hands. In the resulting ball, make a small indentation to place the plum inside. Close the indentation with the mince and roll it into a ball again.

11. Do this for all 5 preparations. Place them on a board.

12. In the same pot, sauté the onion over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

13. Add turmeric and mix well to color the mixture yellow.

14. For each serving of kyufta bozbash, use 250-300 milliliters of water, so measure 1.5 liters of water for 5 meatballs.

15. Pour the water into the pot and wait for it to boil (you can increase the heat).

16. Gently lower the kyufta into the boiling water.

17. Periodically skim off the foam that forms and simmer the soup on low heat.

18. After about 20 minutes, the meat will be ready – this is evident from the cooked rice that will start to stick out from the kyufta.

19. Now add the potatoes to the pot (if the tubers are very large, cut them in half).

20. Immediately add the boiled chickpeas. Salt the broth to your taste and cook everything for another 20-30 minutes after boiling.

21. Then add the remaining plums to the pot and cook them for a couple of minutes, after which turn off the heat and let the dish sit under a lid for about 5 minutes.

Kyufta bozbash in Azerbaijani style is served in deep bowls and sprinkled on top with dried mint. The aromatic and rich broth, large kyufta, potato, and chickpeas will allow you to have a hearty lunch, savoring the rich flavor of this ancient dish. Such a hot treat is served not only for family lunch but also for big holidays to esteemed guests.