International Cuisine

Exploring the world through food.

Kazakhstan Chai (Tea)

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Kazakhstan Chai or tea is served at every meal.  It is the ultimate form of hospitality that has very distinct rituals.  Typically the glass would only be filled up halfway to ensure that it remains hot. This recipe is basic black tea spiced up with some cardamon and fennel seeds.  The fennel adds a unique flavor to Kazakh chai that I think you will love, I know we did. Enjoy!

Kazakh Chai

Kazakhstan Chai (Tea)
 
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Recipe type: Drinks
Cuisine: Kazakhstan
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 teaspoons loose black tea
  • 3 cardamon pods
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1½ cups milk
  • sugar or honey to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine the water, tea, cardamon, fennel seeds in a saucepan bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the milk and continue to simmer for a couple more minutes
  3. Strain the tea into cups
  4. Add sugar or honey to taste

 

 

Kazakh Shalgam (Radish Salad)

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Kzakh shalgam or radish salad was served as a side dish with the Beshbarmak.  This simple to make salad is light and refreshing and would be wonderful as a side dish for any occasion.  Made with the Daikon radish, the long white kind has a wonderful kick to it.   Sweet red bell peppers, onions, carrots and garlic are added for both delicious texture and flavor.  I grated the radish and carrots for a fun presentation that looks like noodles.  The dressing is sweet and hot with a kick of cayenne. Enjoy!

Kazakh Shalgam (Radish Salad)
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Kazakhstan
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 daikon radish grated into thin strips
  • 1 carrot grated into thin strips
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
  • 1 white onion, cut thinly
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • For the dressing
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne or more if you like it hot
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix all the salad ingredients together.
  2. In a small bowl put in all the dressing ingredients and whisk together
  3. Pour dressing over salad and toss
  4. Serve cold or room temperature

Kazakh Shalgam

 

Kazakh Shorpa (Broth)

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Kazakh shorpa or broth is always served alongside Beshbarmak.  It is typically  served in Chinese style bowls called kese and enjoyed alongside the noodles and meat.  Usually this broth is made from horse or mutton, we made the Beshbarmak with beef so our broth was a beef broth, garnished with some chives and parsley. The flavor due to the slow cooking of the beef and added onions makes for a delicious shorpa.  Enjoy!

Kazakh shorpa

Kazakh Shorpa (Broth)
 
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Recipe type: soup
Cuisine: Kazakhstan
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Broth from Beshbarmak
  • See recipe at https://www.internationalcuisine.com/kazakh-beshbarmak/
  • chives for garnish
  • parsley for garnish
Instructions
  1. Put the broth from the Beshbarmak into a small bowl
  2. Garnish with chives and parsley
  3. serve alongside beshbamak

 

Kazakh Beshbarmak (Boiled meat with noodles)

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Kazakh Beshbarmak basically means “five fingers” in Kazakhstan.  It is probably the most popular dish in the land. The name five fingers is what is required to enjoy it, all five of them.  Typically this dish is made with either horse meat or mutton.  Beef is sometimes used but the others are much more common.  In fact horse meat is so common in Kazakhstan that Olympians had to beg the Olympic committee to allow them to bring it the games so that they could maintain their normal diet. Needless to say, you can certainly enjoy this dish made with beef or lamb and be authentic.  This dish is almost always served on a large platter to be enjoyed by guests on a Darsakstan (either a low table or clear cloth over a rug, on the floor) .  Be sure to use all five fingers, it is a real treat and fun to do.  This is also almost always served with a bowl of the broth on the side called shorpa.  See https://www.internationalcuisine.com/kazakh-shorpa/ for the the proper way to serve it.  Also if you don’t have the time to make the noodles from scratch, you can use lasagna noodles as a fine substitute.  A delicious main dish from Kazakhstan… Enjoy!

Kazakh Beshbarmak

Kazakh Beshbarmak (Boiled meat with noodles)
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Kazakhstan
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2½ lbs. lamb or beef with bone
  • 1 large onion peeled and sliced into rings (divided)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ground pepper
  • Water to cover
  • For the noodles:
  • 2 eggs,
  • ¾ to 1 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • plain flour - about 600 grams
  • or you can use lasagna noodles as a quick and easy alternative to making the noodles from scratch.
Instructions
  1. Put your meat and ½ the onion in a deep enough dish to cover it with cold water leaving enough space on the top so that it doesn't boil over.
  2. Bring to the boil, constantly removing the foam, Reduce heat to simmer when it starts to boil. Cover it.
  3. Let it cook for about 2½ hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare your noodle dough.
  5. In a bowl mix the sifted flour (300-400 g), the eggs (whisk the eggs before you add into flour), add salt and pour water until a dough is formed.
  6. Knead pastry, adding flour or water as needed.
  7. Knead the dough well, wrap in plastic wrap and leave for 20-30 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle the work top with sifted flour and divide your dough into a few small balls
  9. Then keeping the worktop lightly covered with flour roll each piece of pastry into a fairly thin layer.
  10. Keep sprinkling with flour so that it doesn't stick to your hands or work surface.
  11. Cut into squares (10x10cm). Leave them on a worktop lightly covered with flour. The pieces should not touch or they will stick together. By the time you are ready to cook the noodles it should be dry a bit.
  12. minutes before your meat is ready, add the other half of the onion (cut in ring shapes), salt and pepper to taste, into your stock.
  13. Remove the meat and bones, separate as you will only serve the tender cooked meat.
  14. Bring the stock to a boil for about 7 or so minutes.
  15. Now cook the noodles in batches in the same stock for about 7-8 minutes. Sieve them out on to the big plate leaving the space in the center for meat. Then add your meat chopped in bite size pieces and put it in the center of the dish. Pour some broth over the meat.
  16. Sprinkle some chives and parsley to garnish over the top.
  17. Strain the broth and serve in bowls as shorpa alongside the platter of Beshbarmak
  18. Beshbarmak is served.

 

Kazakh Baursak (Fried Dough)

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Kazakh baursak is served often with tea, either as a appetizer or dessert.  Fried dough is loved in nearly every nation on earth and Kazakhstan is no exception.  They can be made as either triangles or spheres.  Sometimes they will spread them all around the Darstakan (low table or covering) to show an abundance of food.  We made ours in spheres and then sprinkled them with sugar.  Fried dough is best enjoyed right out of the fryer and with a cup of Kazakh chai,   YUM!

Kazakh Baursak

Kazakh Baursak (Fried Dough)
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Kazakhstan
Serves: 12 pieces
Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon yeast
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar Plus additional for sprinkling
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl to form dough.
  2. Knead the dough on a floured surface, then return to mixing bowl.
  3. Cover with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes. Heat oil in deep skillet over high heat.
  4. Pull off a Tablespoon-size piece of the dough and roll into a ball.
  5. Press down slightly, then drop carefully into oil and fry until golden brown.
  6. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the dough is gone.
  7. Optional: sprinkle with sugar or honey
  8. Serve with Kazakh chai for a delicious treat