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Lamb meat kharcho with margarine

Lamb Kharcho with Tkemali

Lamb is healthy and delicious, and this soup is a winner! A spicy first course for fans of Georgian cooking. You can make it over a campfire, swapping the pot for a camp kettle, and even do the sauté right in the kettle before starting the broth. Out in the open air, this dish tastes even better!

Ilga

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Fresh herbs

Tkemali sauce

Garlic

Rice

140

Lamb

500

Salt

Onion

120

Hot chile pepper

0.4

Tomato paste

Margarine

Khmeli-suneli

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 29 % 11 g

Fats 34 % 13 g

Carbohydrates 37 % 14 g

210 kcal

GI: 29 / 71 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

For this recipe you'll need the ingredients listed.
Step 2:

For this soup it's best to use bone-in meat for a richer broth. First, trim the fat off the lamb, since it can give the finished dish an off smell. Use one piece of meat, or cut it into 2–3 parts to speed up cooking. To cook the lamb: put it in a pot of cold water, salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and cook until the meat is tender.
Step 3:

Make the sauté. Heat margarine or vegetable oil in a skillet and add the onion (cut into half-rings) and the tomato paste.
Step 4:

Fry, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Step 5:

Add the khmeli-suneli, stir again, and cook for 2 minutes. The sauté is ready.
Step 6:

Take the cooked lamb out of the broth and cut it into serving pieces, then return the meat to the pot. Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs clear and add it to the broth. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring. Add the sauté, the tkemali, the peeled crushed garlic, and the finely chopped chile pepper, and stir everything together. Taste for salt and adjust. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is done.
Step 7:

Stir fresh chopped herbs into the finished soup when serving.

This kharcho recipe is one of the most popular among seasoned campers, and I first came across it on a tent trip along a rocky coastline. Fresh lamb was sold at the market in every nearby village, so there was no trouble cooking Georgian dishes. Needless to say, this wonderful soup turns out beautifully on a regular kitchen stove too, where it's easier to measure the ingredients precisely — but sadly, nothing can replace the smell of the sea air. Cook and taste with pleasure and good cheer!