Once, while visiting, I spied on how Uzbek homemade dumplings are prepared. This, of course, is not pilaf, which is cooked and loved in Uzbekistan everywhere, but delicious in its own way.
In everyday life, chuchvara is not chic, but ordinary dumplings, they are prepared simply and without frills. Take a simple unleavened dough, the most ordinary minced meat from the store and boiling water for cooking.
By the way, children like chuchvara very much. Such dumplings are similar in shape to small leaves that children sculpt with great pleasure, and then, with the same pleasure and delight, watch these leaves boil.
In translation, chuchvara means boiled leaves.
It turns out that the same chuchvara can also be a festive dish, if you do not pursue profit, but cook it for the soul, for pleasure and pleasure.
Chuchvara is not about meat, but about love for it!
Take lamb, fat tail fat, a lot of juicy onions, for taste, black pepper, ground cumin and a little coriander. Cook dumplings in lamb broth and serve with onion and carrot fried in spicy tomato sauce.
It's just that the process itself will take a little longer. So, I share the recipe and all the cooking details.
1. It all starts with the filling.
The secret of chuchvara, and indeed of all Uzbek dishes, lies in the juicy meat filling. Therefore, we start with the filling.
For minced meat, I propose to take lamb pulp and always fat tail fat. Why lamb and not beef or other meat? It just tastes better, try it and you will understand.
And to make the minced meat play in Uzbek, add a lot of juicy onions and don't forget about ground cumin, black pepper and coriander. For aroma, you can add mint and basil, it will turn out unconventional, but tasty.
Meat and onion can be finely chopped, but it is better to twist coarsely in a meat grinder. It's faster and more convenient. Also, you don't need to crush the minced meat, just mix, cover and leave to soak in the juice for a while.
2. Now let's do the test.
To feel the difference between the taste of classic dumplings and chuchvara, I suggest moving away from the traditional unleavened dough and mix ordinary flour with durum wheat flour in a ratio of 1: 3, and add eggs, preferably with half a dozen at least and 1 Art. l. vegetable or olive oil.
The dough can be kneaded in a kneader. Here, not like yeast dough, which loves hands, but much easier. The main thing is that the dough is soft and elastic. Be sure to cover the dough and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes. When it has rested, we repeat and knead again to make the dough even softer and even more elastic.
3. We make dumplings with the whole family and as quickly as possible.
Next, you need to roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut into squares 2.5 * 2.5 cm from it. We put a small amount of filling on each square and carefully fill the edges of the dumplings.
A spoon is useless here, you have to do everything with your hands. Such delicate work in Uzbekistan is entrusted to young girls. Their fingers easily and quickly cope with small dumplings, the main skill is.
By the way, it will be enough to close the top and two opposite edges together. This is the easiest way to make dumplings. Do not be afraid when cooking they will not fall apart, it will be delicious.
4. We cook chuchvara - a rich broth instead of water!
Now you can put the pan on the fire. Many are accustomed to cooking dumplings in water, and this is the main difference between Russian dumplings and Uzbek chuchvara. Therefore, we will replace the water with a rich lamb broth, which can be prepared for future use and frozen.
When the broth has boiled, put the dumplings in a saucepan. When they surfaced, then it's ready.
5. And with chuchvara sauce it is much tastier. Well, why not a festive dish?
The sauce is very simple to prepare. First you need to fry the onion in vegetable oil, add carrots to it. Do not fry too much.
Add tomato paste or just frozen grated tomatoes at the end.
Season with salt, add bay leaf, peppercorns, pour over everything with broth. Simmer a little over low heat, cover and set aside.
Dry herbs and any of your favorite condiments will make the taste richer and richer. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Now put the sauce and dumplings in the cashier, tossing slightly in a plate, mix. Further, for beauty, more sauce on top and some dumplings.
It is also delicious to eat chuchvara with sour cream or yogurt, you can also eat sour milk or just with broth ...
Bon Appetit!
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