Chorba is traditionally made with lamb, though personally I prefer it with beef.(or "though beef works just as well"). It's an incredibly flavorful soup, though not exactly light on calories.
- 500g lamb (or beef, preferably from the hind leg), cut into chunks
- A few pieces of fat (lamb tail fat or smoked pork fat)
- 3 onions
- 3 tomatoes, quartered or cut into 6 pieces
- 2 potatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 carrots
- A pinch of cumin (lightly crushed)
- A pinch of coriander seeds
- A bunch of fresh herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro)
- 1 whole chili pepper
In a cauldron or deep pot, render the fat from the fatback or pork fat. Add the meat and sear until golden brown. Next, add 2 onions (sliced into rings), followed by the tomatoes and chopped bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables release their juices.
Add the carrots (cut into matchsticks), crushed cumin, whole chili pepper, and the herb bundle (remove it after cooking to infuse flavor). Pour in enough water to cover everything and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Then, add the potatoes (you can cut them as you like, leave them whole, or even substitute with noodles, as in lagman) and the remaining onion. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs or green onions.
In a cauldron or deep pot, render the fat from the fatback or pork fat. Add the meat and sear until golden brown. Next, add 2 onions (sliced into rings), followed by the tomatoes and chopped bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables release their juices.
Add the carrots (cut into matchsticks), crushed cumin, whole chili pepper, and the herb bundle (remove it after cooking to infuse flavor). Pour in enough water to cover everything and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Then, add the potatoes (you can cut them as you like, leave them whole, or even substitute with noodles, as in lagman) and the remaining onion. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs or green onions.
