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Armenian Beef Hashlama

Hearty, thick, filling, and incredibly good! Armenian beef hashlama is a well-known dish of Caucasian cuisine—simple and fragrant, loaded with meat, vegetables, and herbs. A long, slow braise makes the flavor bright and rich. Hashlama sits somewhere between a thick soup and a brothy braise.

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Armenian beef hashlama
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Armenian beef hashlama Armenian beef hashlama
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Composition / ingredients

Servings:
Translation table of volumetric measures
Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe
By weight of the composition:
Proteins 40 % 8 g
Fats 30 % 6 g
Carbohydrates 30 % 6 g
99 kcal
GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

  1. Step 1:

    Step 1

    How do you make Armenian beef hashlama? Gather the ingredients. The cut of beef doesn't matter here—it turns meltingly tender as it cooks. The classic vegetable lineup for hashlama is potatoes, onion, carrot, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant; add or drop any of them to taste. Any fresh herbs work, but cilantro makes it especially fragrant.

  2. Step 2:

    Step 2

    Halve the eggplant and cut it into slices about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Small ones can be cut into rounds.

  3. Step 3:

    Step 3

    Salt the eggplant well and let it sit for 15–20 minutes to draw out the bitterness.

  4. Step 4:

    Step 4

    Cut the onion into half-moons, or into large chunks like I did—the shape doesn't matter here, since the onion melts away completely in the finished dish.

  5. Step 5:

    Step 5

    Spread the onion across the bottom of a heavy pot—ideally a Dutch oven.

  6. Step 6:

    Step 6

    Rinse the beef, pat it dry, and cut it into large pieces. If you have bone-in beef, go ahead and use it—the hashlama will be even richer.

  7. Step 7:

    Step 7

    Layer the beef on top of the onion.

  8. Step 8:

    Step 8

    Season it with pepper and salt.

  9. Step 9:

    Step 9

    Sprinkle with dried spices to taste—today I'm using a shurpa spice blend.

  10. Step 10:

    Step 10

    Add the eggplant as the next layer, first rinsing off the juices it released.

  11. Step 11:

    Step 11

    Wash the peppers, pat them dry, and cut out the core with the seeds. Cut the peppers into large pieces.

  12. Step 12:

    Step 12

    Cut the tomatoes into wedges. You can peel them first if you like.

  13. Step 13:

    Step 13

    Layer the tomatoes and peppers on top of the eggplant.

  14. Step 14:

    Step 14

    Peel the potatoes and cut them into large wedges.

  15. Step 15:

    Step 15

    Add the potatoes as the top layer; lightly salt them if you like.

  16. Step 16:

    Step 16

    Scatter chopped fresh herbs over the top—I'm using dill and cilantro. Wash and dry them first.

  17. Step 17:

    Step 17

    Pour a cup of beer into the pot and add no other liquid. Use a light-colored, good-tasting beer. Don't worry—the alcohol cooks off during the braise, leaving only the malty note that gives the dish its flavor and aroma.

  18. Step 18:

    Step 18

    Set the pot on the stove, bring it to a boil over low heat, then turn the heat to its lowest setting. Braise the hashlama for 2–3 hours—the meat and vegetables release enough juice on their own.

  19. Step 19:

    Step 19

    After 2½ hours, my hashlama was ready—and the aroma was absolutely incredible!

  20. Step 20:

    Step 20

    Serve the dish hot! Enjoy!

  • You can swap the beef for any other meat you prefer. Just keep in mind that the cooking time, flavor, and calorie count will change. Pork and lamb are usually fattier than beef, while chicken breast or turkey are leaner. And the cooking time depends not only on the type of meat but also on the cut and how young or old it is.
  • Note that you don't always need to draw the bitterness out of eggplant—young ones, along with certain varieties, usually aren't bitter.
  • An easy way to peel tomatoes: wash them and score a shallow X in the top with a sharp knife. Drop them into boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Lift them out, cool briefly, and slip off the skins.

Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish

  • Ripe potatoes - 80  kcal/100g
  • Baked potatoes - 70  kcal/100g
  • Mashed potatoes - 380  kcal/100g
  • Boiled potatoes - 82  kcal/100g
  • Potatoes in their skins - 74  kcal/100g
  • Fried potatoes - 192  kcal/100g
  • Tomatoes - 23  kcal/100g
  • Sweet pepper - 27  kcal/100g
  • Eggplant - 24  kcal/100g
  • Light beer - 50  kcal/100g
  • Non-alcoholic beer - 33  kcal/100g
  • Strong beer - 150  kcal/100g
  • Dark beer - 74  kcal/100g
  • Beer - 50  kcal/100g
  • Ground black pepper - 255  kcal/100g
  • Onion - 41  kcal/100g
  • Dried spices - 240  kcal/100g
  • Frozen packaged soup greens - 41  kcal/100g
  • Fresh herbs - 41  kcal/100g
  • Table salt - 0  kcal/100g
  • Beef fillet (steak) - 189  kcal/100g
  • Beef fillet (roast) - 381  kcal/100g

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