Book of Days Tales

The second Saturday in September is marked as the day of the workers in the oil, gas, power, and geological industry in Turkmenistan. Given that you need power to cook, a recipe is warranted. I am going to go with a Turkmen version of shurpa – a mutton soup found throughout central Asia. Finding mutton is virtually impossible, but they all use lamb these days anyway.

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
1½ pounds stewing lamb, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup chopped onions
10 cups meat stock (preferably lamb/mutton)
1 large turnip, peeled and cut into a ½-inch dice
1 large zucchini, cut into a ½-inch dice
2 carrots, cut into a ½-inch dice
2 big green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into strips
1½ pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1½ tsp cumin
½ tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained
salt to taste
3 Tbsp white vinegar

Garnish: 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven, brown the meat in the oil over high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the onions and cook 5 or so more minutes, until the onions are softened and have taken on color. Spoon off all the fat that you can, pour in the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1½ hours. Refrigerate the soup, preferably overnight, so you can easily remove the fat.

About an hour before serving, start chopping the vegetables. Bring the skimmed soup to a boil over medium heat, then add the turnip, zucchini, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cumin, hot pepper flakes, coriander, and chickpeas. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste, then stir in the vinegar. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with lots of finely minced cilantro.