Mashkhurda Uzbek Style

There is no country in the world that does not have its own national dishes. The Uzbek cuisine is particularly delicious and famous, presenting us with its traditional soup – Mashkhurda Uzbek Style. Its basis is a little-known bean to us – mash, which can easily be found on the shelves of any supermarket. Combining many vegetables, mash, rice, and meat, mashkhurda turns out to be very hearty. The step-by-step recipe for mashkhurda Uzbek Style will definitely go into your collection!

Caloric Value: 142 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cooking Time: 105 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings.

Cuisine: Uzbek.

Ingredients

• 500 g of meat (beef or lamb);
• 70 g of rice;
• 100 g of mash;
• 2 medium carrots;
• 2 medium potatoes;
• 1 tomato;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 onion;
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste;
• 2 teaspoons of ground paprika;
• 40 g of greens (cilantro, parsley, or dill);
• ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper;
• salt to taste.

Preparation

1. First, prepare the grains: sort through the mash, as there are often stones, rinse, and leave it in a bowl with warm water. Rinse the rice as well and leave the grains until it's time to cook.

2. Trim off all the excess from the rinsed meat, cutting it into medium cubes. Water should not drip from the meat, so be sure to dry it with paper towels.

3. Peel the onion and chop it into medium cubes. Do not chop it too finely, as there is a risk that it will burn quickly over high heat. Remove the stem from the bell pepper, extract the partitions with seeds, and cut the pepper into cubes.

4. Peel the carrot and potato, also dicing them into small cubes. After that, rinse the potato to remove excess starch. Cut the tomato similarly to the other vegetables. It is not necessary to peel the tomato skin beforehand.

5. Let's move on to the next cooking stage. It is advisable to cook this soup in a cauldron, but if you don't have one, a deep frying pan or a pot with a thick bottom will work. You can start by sautéing the base for the soup in a good frying pan, and then transfer it to the pot. Heat vegetable oil over high heat; there should be enough – about 70 ml. First, sauté the onion until lightly golden, for just 1-2 minutes.

6. Next, add the meat and continue frying it over high heat without a lid, stirring occasionally. Fry the meat until all unnecessary moisture and protein foam evaporate. It should be fried very well until golden brown appears.

7. Add the tomato with all its juices to the meat. Continue frying the soup base for about 5 minutes. The tomato will soften, turning into something resembling a paste. If nothing is burning, do not reduce the heat.

8. Then add the bell pepper, which can be of any color. Sauté everything for about 3 minutes, remembering to stir the contents of the pot.

9. Afterwards, add the carrot and fry for another 3 minutes. It shouldn't be overly browned; the main goal is to achieve a delicious aroma. Once the carrot has “sautéed,” add a spoon of quality tomato paste and continue frying for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

10. Once all the vegetables have “made friends” with each other, and the moisture from the pot has evaporated, add cold drinking water to it. Cover the pot or cauldron with a lid and wait for it to boil.

11. Skim off the foam from the broth that rises during boiling, as it brings all the soot and excess fat to the surface. Drain the soaked mash from the water and add it to the soup. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and wait for the mash grains to pop. This process takes about 30 minutes.

12. Add the potatoes and pre-rinsed rice to the soup. It is preferable to take round-grained, unsteamed rice, as used in traditional recipes. Cover with a lid and continue boiling until it comes to a boil, after which salt, add black pepper or other spices, and paprika.

13. Boil the soup until the potatoes are ready, about 15 minutes. During this time, finely chop a bunch of greens, which can be absolutely any kind you like. Turn off the heat and add finely chopped garlic and some of the greens to the soup. Cover with a lid and let the soup sit for 5 minutes.

14. Uzbek mashkhurda turns out to be very hearty and thick. This dish can confidently be eaten over several days, as it becomes even tastier after steeping. When serving, add the remaining fresh greens. The flavor of mashkhurda is perfectly complemented by traditional dairy drinks – matsoni and katyk. Try to diversify your lunches with delicious Uzbek cuisine!