Taste the flavours of Uzbekistan

Chuchvara
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 5 mins
Serves: 5

Ingredients
For the dough:
500 gm flour
200 ml water
15 gm salt
1 egg
For the stuffing:
250 gm lamb leg
50 gm white onion
85 gm tomato
10 gm salt
12 gm coriander
10 ml sunflower oil
4 gm cumin powder
4 gm coriander
powder
100 ml water
5 gm black pepper

Method
Mix all the dough ingredients until you get a smooth mix. Fold over and cover tightly with cling film. Rest for 30 mins. Uncover and roll out the dough into a very thin (3mm) sheet. Cut squares of 10cm and keep in a plastic bag.
For the stuffing, mince all the ingredients and mix together. Place 6 gm of stuffing in the middle of each square dough.
Fold it in the middle to form a semi-triangular shape, press on the sides to seal the stuffing, and fold the edges of both sides back to form a pilmeni/tortellini shape.
To cook, add 10 pcs in a boiling chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes. Add some chopped dill and serve with sour cream on the side.
Pumpkin Manti
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 5

Ingredients
For the dough:
500 gm flour
150 ml water
15 gm salt
1 egg
For the stuffing:
650 gm pumpkin
200 gm onion
50 gm lamb fat
10 gm salt
15 gm coriander
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the dough until you get a strong, smooth mix.

Fold over and cover tightly with cling film. Rest for 30 mins.

Uncover and roll out into a long tube (approx. 8cm). Cut out discs of about 35 gm each and pass through a flour covered surface. Roll each individual disc until 4mm thick and about the palm of your hand in size. Keep in a plastic bag to prevent drying out.

For the stuffing, cut pumpkin, fat and onion into 3mm cubes. Chop the coriander thinly and mix all together in a bowl with salt.

Place 50 gm of the stuffing in the centre of each of the rolled discs. Work the dough around the stuffing till covered. Leave a small hole on the top of the manti so it will cook better.

Steam for 30 minutes and serve with a bit of melted butter on the top, chopped chives and a side of sour cream.
Somboro
Prep Time: 2 hrs 20 mins (including rest time)
Cook Time: 10 mins
Serves: 1

Ingredients
200 gm lamb leg
1 gm salt
1 gm pepper
10 ml soy sauce
100 gm white onion
80 ml sunflower oil
1 gm sesame seeds
3 gm coriander leaves
1 lime wedge
Method
Cut the lamb into thin 20 gm strips and marinate it for 2 hours with 6 ml of soy sauce and 25 gm sliced white onion. Keep in the chiller.

Cut the remaining onion into a similar size as the lamb. Pass a skewer through each piece of lamb. Heat the oil to 180°C and fry the onion and the lamb separately.

In a different pan, combine the lamb skewers and the onion, add salt, pepper, remaining soy sauce and sauté together.

Serve in a small bowl with sesame seeds on top, coriander leaves and the lime wedge on the side.
Osh Prasdnichny
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 2 hrs
Serves: 5

Ingredients
650 gm lazar or basmati rice
50 gm chickpeas
250 ml sunflower oil
750 gm lamb leg, boneless
250 gm white onion, sliced
850 gm yellow or baby carrot, batonnet cut
150 ml water
3 gm cumin seeds
12 gm salt
50 gm yellow raisins
5 quail eggs
For the salad:
500 gm tomato
350 gm red onion
25 ml olive oil
5 gm salt
1 gm pepper
1 gm basil

Method
In a heavy bottom pot or kazan (traditional Uzbek iron cast pot), soak the rice in cool water for an hour and the chickpeas the night before.

Heat oil in a big pot till it begins to smoke, then cook the lamb leg in it till brown. Remove lamb and add the onion. Repeat the process for the carrot. Finally, add the lamb and onions. After 5 minutes, add water, cumin and salt. Check the seasoning, then add rice. Add the raisins and the chickpeas. Cover and reduce the fire to medium heat. Hard boil the quail eggs in the meanwhile, then peel and halve.

Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid, give it a quick mix in the same pot, making sure all is cooked al dente.

Serve on a big sharing platter with the halved quail eggs around the rice.

For the salad, slice tomato and onion. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped basil. Serve on the side of the rice.