Beef Hashlama with Potatoes

This dish is neither a soup nor a stew; it is something in between them, namely - a real beef hashlama with potatoes, which is familiar to every Caucasian family. A hearty broth with chunks of meat, a huge variety of vegetables, and, of course, aromatic spices are necessarily present in the recipe.

Yield: 6 servings (pot volume - 3 liters).

Cooking time: 3 hours.

Caloric Content: 72 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Caucasian.

Ingredients

• beef meat - 500 g;
• white onion - 300 g;
• bell peppers of different colors - 250 g (net weight);
• parsley + dill - 80 g;
• potatoes - 700 g;
• tomatoes - 200 g;
• khmeli-suneli - 5 g;
• garlic - 5 cloves;
• chili pepper - 1/3 pcs;
• bay leaves - 5 leaves;
• purified water - 700 ml;
• butter or vegetable oil - 5 g. (for greasing the bottom);
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients. Clean the bell pepper, rinse off any remaining seeds, and cut it into large cubes. It is better to take non-mushy types of potatoes so that the pieces remain whole after prolonged stewing. Cut the tomatoes into wedges.

2. Cut the beef into sizable pieces. Small membranes can be left on, as the meat will soften well at the end, and they will practically dissolve in the mass, becoming soft.

3. Grease the bottom of the pot slightly with oil (it doesn't matter which - butter or vegetable, but without a pronounced smell). Lay half of the meat chunks.

4. Chop the onion into half-ring strips.

5. Sprinkle half of the chopped onion over the beef.

6. Sprinkle this layer with salt, pepper, and khmeli-suneli.

7. Place part of the bell pepper on top.

8. Chop the greens not too finely.

9. Add the greens as the next layer in the pot.

10. Cut the potatoes into large segments, as they will be stewed together with the meat until cooked, and in the finished dish, this root vegetable should remain whole.

11. Lay half of the chopped potatoes on the parsley and dill.

12. Sprinkle this layer with spices.

13. Next, add the tomatoes to the pot, but not all at once, just part of them.

14. Sprinkle with chopped garlic on top.

15. Again, place the meat. The layers are then repeated.

16. But only after the onion (this is right in the middle of the filled pot), add the bay leaves and small pieces of chili pepper.

17. When all the components are layered, pour in the water. It should be a couple of centimeters below the edge of the vegetables (which is 700 milliliters). If you want to get a more liquid hashlama, the amount of water can be increased.

18. Simmer the dish covered on low heat for about three hours. If using young veal, two hours will be sufficient.

19. The beef hashlama with potatoes is ready. The meat should simply melt in your mouth, and the potatoes should remain whole.

Aromatic and flavorful hashlama must be served hot. Fresh lavash and greens will perfectly complement a hearty lunch, give it a try.