Dymlyama in Uzbek style

Vegetable assortment with meat or dymlyama in Uzbek style, as this dish is called by the residents of Central Asia, is cooked in a large cauldron over an open fire. Under a thick layer of vegetables, pieces of beef or lamb stew for a long time, becoming tender and soft, like canned meat. The smoke from the fire adds charm of the wild to this stew, but has nothing to do with the name "dymlyama," which translates as "steamed."

However, dymlyama in Uzbek style can also be prepared on an ordinary stove in an ordinary pot. The main thing is that it has a thick bottom.

Yield: 7 servings.

Cooking time: 120 minutes.

Calories: 91 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Uzbek.

Ingredients

• beef meat - 600 g;
• potatoes - 420 g;
• white onion - 170 g;
• juicy carrot - 260 g;
• eggplant - 170 g;
• bell pepper - 130 g;
• tomatoes - 250 g;
• cabbage - 550 g;
• fresh herbs - large bunch;
• bay leaf - 1 pc;
• garlic - 1 head;
• odorless vegetable oil - 55 ml;
• salt - to taste;
• ground coriander - 0.5 tsp;
• cumin - a pinch.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients. Beef can be replaced with lamb or beef on the bone.

2. The volume of ingredients is calculated for a three-liter pot. First of all, it's worth preparing all the components, so that they are ready for stewing. For this, cut the meat into not small pieces. The tendons and veins should not be cut out - they will tenderize beautifully and even make the taste more interesting.

3. Cut the onion into half rings.

4. Cut the carrot into large pieces, matching the size of the meat. A decorative knife can be used for this.

5. Do the same with the potatoes.

6. Slice the eggplants into not thin circles, about 1.5 centimeters thick, so that at the end of stewing they retain their shape and do not turn into mush.

7. Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut it into wide strips.

8. Cut the tomatoes into one-centimeter slices.

9. Cut the garlic into slices.

10. Remove the core from the cabbage first.

11. Then divide it into several large segments. Cut off the thick veins and separate the leaves.

12. Cut the bunch of herbs into 5-6 pieces, using even the lower stems - they are very aromatic.

13. Pour the oil into the pot.

14. Distribute the pieces of meat along the bottom.

15. Salt them, season with dried coriander and cumin, the seeds of which should be crushed between the palms or in a mortar.

16. Cover the first layer with onion, pressing it down slightly with your hands, so it releases juice.

17. Next, layer the potatoes. Salt them.

18. Place the carrots on top of them.

19. Follow with the eggplants, sprinkling them with salt.

20. Next, add the sweet pepper.

21. Cover it with tomato slices and salt them.

22. Distribute the garlic on top.

23. Close everything with herbs. Place the bay leaf.

24. At this moment, it seems that the pot is already full and nothing else will fit in. But you still need to arrange the cabbage leaves around the edges without pressing down the lower vegetables.

25. On top of this layer of cabbage, pile the remaining chunks of cabbage. Salt them. Do not add a drop of water - the stew will cook exclusively in its own juice.

26. Now comes the most interesting part - cover the formed mound with a deep bowl of suitable diameter and put the pot on medium heat.

27. After 15 minutes, the cabbage will settle a little. Continue stewing, but reduce the heat to the lowest.

28. When the upper layer settles down to the edge of the pot, you can replace the bowl with a regular lid. Stew the mixture for at least one and a half hours.

29. Check the readiness of the dish by the cabbage - if the leaves are soft and do not crunch, you can turn off the heat and then let the stew sit under the lid for another 10 minutes.

30. For a festive table, dymlyama is laid out on a wide dish in reverse order. First, arrange the cabbage leaves in a circle.

31. Next are the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

32. After them - the potatoes.

33. And at the very top - the languid meat. During the simmering, a certain amount of liquid formed, which can be poured over the layers.

34. The meat has softened so much that it can be swallowed without chewing - it simply dissolves in the mouth.

On an ordinary day for a family lunch, the dumplings in Uzbek style are mixed in the pot and immediately served in individual plates. Give it a try, enjoy your meal!