What is a mess and how to prepare it at home? Step-by-step recipe with a photo. Combinations of ingredients. Rules and options for filing. Video recipe.
Kawardak is a thick soup with meat and vegetables, which belongs to oriental cuisine, mainly Uzbek. From the Uzbek language, chaos is translated as "disorder, confusion". That is, it consists of those vegetables that are available at home. Therefore, it is the presence of simple ingredients that make it financially affordable for every wallet. Remain unchanged in the recipe - meat, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes (tomato). You don't have to stop at this set of products. If you have bell peppers - great, onions - please, eggplants - feel free to put them. Fresh herbs are also desirable, but not required. Potatoes are usually taken in the same quantity with meat, and the rest of the vegetables are placed arbitrarily.
According to its consistency, the mess can be cooked thinner, like soup, or thicker, like the second. A real Uzbek dish is prepared in a cauldron over an open fire. And in the absence of such conditions, they cook it on the stove, replacing the authentic cauldron with cast-iron dishes with a thick bottom and walls, so that it retains heat for a long time and the food does not burn. The technological process of cooking this dish is so simple that even the most inexperienced housewife can easily repeat it.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 235 kcal.
- Servings - 5
- Cooking time - 2 hours
Ingredients:
- Meat (beef or lamb) - 500 g
- Potatoes - 7 pcs.
- Carrots - 2 pcs.
- Garlic - 2 cloves (I replaced with ground dry garlic)
- Ground black pepper - pinch or to taste
- Vegetable oil - 120 ml
- Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Greens (cilantro, parsley) - a bunch (I have ground dry greens)
- Bay leaf - 1 pc.
- Water - 200 ml
Step-by-step preparation of the mess:
1. To prepare this dish, it is preferable to use lamb or beef. But today, chefs are preparing a mess with any kind of meat: veal, pork, and even poultry (chicken, turkey). If you are taking pork, then reduce the amount of vegetable oil. I use pork in my recipe.
So, cut the selected meat not very finely, into pieces of medium size, so that it is evenly fried and remains noticeable chunks in the finished dish.
Put a cauldron or any other suitable dish on a high heat, pour in vegetable oil and heat well. Since the Uzbeks prepare a mess of lamb or beef, they use a fat tail for frying. I preferred to use vegetable oil, because pork and so fatty meat.
When smoke starts to rise, reduce the gas to medium heat and place the meat in boiling oil. Stir occasionally and fry for 10 minutes until a reddish brown crust forms.
2. Peel the carrots, wash and cut into medium cubes. The cutting method is not important. Some cooks cut carrots into rings. Add the carrots to the meat and cook until golden brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Next, toss in the peeled and cut potatoes in medium cubes or quarters. If it's small, you don't need to chop it at all. Stir and cook for 5 minutes to soak in the fat and flavor of the meat. Season with salt, pepper and spices. Additionally, you can put 1 tbsp. ground sweet paprika. The Uzbeks do not add it, but with paprika the dish is tastier.
4. Pour water or broth into the cauldron so that it covers the food by 3 cm, close the lid and after boiling simmer for 30 minutes over very low heat.
5. Then place the tomatoes, cut into rings or strips, and place in the saucepan. You can use tomato paste instead of tomatoes. Add bay leaves.
6. Stir and bring to a boil again. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes over low heat, covered. Turn off the heat, leave the lid on, and let the soup steep for 5-10 minutes before serving. It is better to serve the mess not in plates, but in deep bowls. Place the meat with vegetables in a serving bowl, pour in a little broth, add chopped garlic and finely chopped herbs.
