Basma in a cauldron
Description
The dish is prepared without unnecessary complications. Ideally, lamb, beef, or veal should be used to make basma. That's if you're following the unshakable canons of Eastern cuisine. But if you eat pork, chicken, or turkey, you can certainly use these meats as well. I assure you, it will be just as delicious. As for spices, add them to taste and according to availability. Cumin, coriander, and ground black pepper work well. My selection of vegetables is the most traditional, but I've seen recipes online for basma with fresh cucumbers, zucchini, or apples. So feel free to choose vegetables to your liking, just remember that potatoes, onions, carrots, and tomatoes are essential. If you like pork fat, instead of sunflower oil, add about 100 grams of fat along with the meat. During cooking, a lot of broth will form in the cauldron. When serving, you can pour the broth into a separate bowl and place the meat and vegetables in another, but I prefer everything mixed together in one bowl. The dish is now ready to be served.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Wash the meat and cut it into pieces.
- 2
Step 2
Peel the onion, wash it, and slice into half-rings.
- 3
Step 3
Place the meat and onion into a cauldron or a heavy-bottomed pot. Sprinkle with a little salt and basil.
- 4
Step 4
Peel the carrots, wash and slice into rounds.
- 5
Step 5
Clean and wash the bell pepper, then cut it into strips. Those who like spicy food can add chili pepper.
- 6
Step 6
The next layer is tomatoes. But I blended them in a blender.
- 7
Step 7
Peel the potatoes, wash and slice them. Add to the pot. Season the dish with a little salt again.
- 8
Step 8
Peel the pumpkin, wash it, and cut it into cubes.
- 9
Step 9
Wash the eggplant and cut it into pieces of arbitrary size.
- 10
Step 10
Shred the white cabbage and place it as the top layer. Add garlic.
- 11
Step 11
Wash the dill and parsley, then place them on top of the cabbage.
- 12
Step 12
Cover the meat and vegetables with cabbage leaves. Cover the pot with a lid and place a weight on top. This can be a jar of water or simply something heavy. Thanks to this process, the vegetables will release a lot of juice.
- 13
Step 13
Bring the meat with vegetables to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Basmа should gently simmer for 1.2–1.5 hours. Remove cabbage leaves and herbs from the finished dish.
- 14
Step 14
The basma is ready. Transfer the dish to a plate and serve hot with fresh bread.