Dushbara – ah, my heart LEAPS within my breast even thinking about them, Citizens!
Imagine the tiniest ravioli swimming in a saffron and herb-laced soup, each bite bracing with the tang of vinegar and garlic. When I say tiny – I mean TINY. As in 10 of these fitting into 1 tablespoon kind of tiny!
Citizens! Truly, this recipe is as good as it gets, IMHO. 🙂
If you notice a distinct similarity to the Jewish kreplach (ravioli), you are not mistaken. There still remains a small native Jewish community in Azerbaijan – “the land of flames” – so called because it has been a major source of oil (which frequently caught fire, thus the name) since ancient times.
The northern reaches of Azerbaijan were also part of what used to be the ancient Jewish kingdom of Khazaria – the first (and only) Jewish kingdom in the diaspora! Bet you didn’t know there was such a place did you?
There was indeed – read all about it!
In memory of that ancient and tolerant land, the following dushbara recipe is presented for your enjoyment. I will set you on the true path of this mighty recipe – it is involved but your labor WILL be rewarded, I promise!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
PrintThe Hirshon Azerbaijani Dushbara in Saffron Broth
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the Dough:
- 2–3 cups flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup water
- ***
- Stock:
- 8 cups best-quality lamb or beef stock
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- a few saffron threads crushed in broth, or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- salt
- ***
- Dushbara Filling:
- 1/2 pound mutton (ideally) or lamb
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves or mint
- pepper
- salt
- ***
- Condiment:
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Simmer broth with onion, carrot, parsley, herbs and salt for 90 minutes. Make a saffron infusion by crushing the saffron threads in some broth, then add to the stock – use enough to turn the stock an appetizing shade of yellow. Mix well, then strain the broth into a glass or non-reactive bowl and reserve.
- Prepare a filling from the listed ingredients, grinding all together thoroughly in a food processor.
- Dust the surface with some flour. Mix the dough ingredients together and transfer the dough onto that surface. Pat the dough ball slightly and sprinkle some flour on top. Now, using a rolling pin begin rolling, sprinkling the dough with flour and spreading it with your hands with every other rolling.
- Flip the dough over from time to time and sprinking the surface with flour to prevent sticking. Once the dough has somewhat flattened, wrap the near edge of the dough around the rolling pin, and begin rolling the dough away from you, pressing down with the rolling pin to ensure thinning.
- Once you reach the other end, unroll the dough. As you roll back and forth, gently slide your hands away from the center towards the edges of the rolling pin, thinning out the dough. With each roll, rotate the dough one-quarter turn to keep it in an even circle. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and spread with your hands, before each rolling. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and make it roll easier.
- Homemade dushbara are very small – you want AT LEAST 4-5 of them (ideal is 10!) to fit into in a tablespoon. It’s impossible to try to cheat by making fewer dumplings that are larger. If the dumplings are too thick, they won’t cook and will remain raw in the middle. My recommendation – make these with several family members and friends helping out and reward all participants with the completed dushbara!
- Continue rolling the dough until you obtain a 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) thick circle, about 22 inches (55 cm) in diameter.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into small 3/4-inch (1.9 cm) squares, by first cutting it into parallel strips, then cutting the strips across. Work as fast as you can from this point onto prevent the dough from drying out. Using your fingers, place a pinch of filling into the middle of each square.
- Now, seal the edges using either of the following methods: 1) Bring two opposite corners of a square together and seal the edges to make a triangle. Bring the two ends of the longest side of the triangle together and press them together to seal. 2) Fold the square into a rectangle and seal the edges. Bring the two ends of the longer sealed side of the rectangle together and seal. Arrange the dumplings on the floured tray, apart from each other to prevent them from sticking together.
- Cook as many dushbara in the saffron broth as it can comfortably hold for 5 minutes, after which they will they come to the surface – serve immediately. When serving, sprinkle the soup and dushbara with coriander or mint.
- Should there be any leftover dushbara, boil them separately and serve the traditional way – with a dipping sauce of white wine vinegar mixed with shredded garlic. This same sauce can and should be added to the soup to taste.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
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