Şurpa is a traditional Turkmen (from Turkmenistan) recipe for a classic soup of mutton rib meat, with vegetables in a tomato, bell pepper, chilli, spice and herb base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Turkmen version of: Şurpa.
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The Uzbek/Turkmen word shurpa derives from the Arabic 'shurbah', meaning gravy. The etymology of the name is also tied to the Persian words 'shor', meaning salty, brackish and bajab, meaning stew. Uzbek/Turkmen shurbah is a variation of the much more famous Turkish chorba which became famous everywhere from Central Asia to the Balkans during the Ottoman era. Though this can be and is served as a soup, şurpa stock is also the base stock for many other Turkmen soups and stews.
Ingredients:
700g mutton (or lamb) Ribs
2l of Water
1 Red Onion, sliced
3 White Onions, sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 Carrots, chopped
3 Potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
2 Red Chillies, sliced
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp Salt
1/2 tbsp ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp ground Coriander seeds
1 tsp of ground Cumin
1 tbsp of Dried Basil
7g coriander, chopped
5g Fresh Dill, chopped
5g Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp Sugar (for the onion marinade)
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp of Oil
Method:
Wash the meat, season it with salt and black pepper, and place it in a stockpot or a large saucepan. Pour in the water and bring the meat to boil over medium heat.
Once the water is boiling, drain the meat and pour the water away.
Add 2l fresh water to cover the meat, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam as it rises to the surface.
In a saucepan, fry the onions (2 white+ 1 red), garlic, and carrots with some sunflower oil until the onions turn golden brown (about 8 minutes).
Add the fried carrots and onions to the stew, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer for 90 minutes.
Whilst the stew is cooking, take the remaining white onion and marinate it with the lemon juice in a small bowl.
Next, remove the bones from the stew, separate the meat from the bone, chop it, add put it back in the stew. Continue cooking for a further 30 minutes.
Once the meat is nice and tender, add the potatoes and spices to the pot. Cook for a further 10 minutes before adding the bell peppers, chillies and tomatoes.
After 10 minutes, add the lemon-marinated onion, reduce the heat to low, and let the stew simmer for 10 minutes more.
Turn off the heat and add the parsley, cilantro, and dill before serving.
Wait for the stew to cool down slightly, then serve accompanied by bread. You can also strain the soup, serving the meat and vegetables as a main dish and reserving the stock as the base for other Turkmen soups and stews.
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