flipShorba-ye gosht
Shorba-ye gosht
Why this dish? Shorba — a thick soup of meat and vegetables — was the daily meal of Tamerlane's soldiers and camps during his long military campaigns, from Anatolia to Delhi. A comforting and nourishing broth, it could be prepared with camp resources and warm the troops in the icy winter steppes.
Lamb broth slow-cooked with turnips, onions, and chickpeas, perfumed with coriander seeds and served with crumbled nan bread. A robust and invigorating camp soup.
On the road to Delhi as on the road to Ankara, my men do not march on empty stomachs. At evening, fires are lit, into the cauldron goes what we have — always mutton, turnips when the earth yields them, dried peas carried in saddlebags. The roasted coriander is what turns a soldier's broth into a meal worthy of an emir. You dip the nan in it, and the next day you take the road again. He who scorns this soup has never known the cold of the steppes.
- •Lamb neck or shoulder — a good bone-in piece (Meat and broth base)
- •Turnips — three or four (Root vegetable)
- •Onions — two (Aromatic base)
- •Dried chickpeas, soaked — a handful (Nourishing legume)
- •Coriander seeds — a generous pinch (Spice)
- •Salt — to taste (Seasoning)
- •Water — plenty (Broth)
- •Nan bread — for serving (Dipping accompaniment)
Shorba-ye gosht
Lamb broth slow-cooked with turnips, onions, and chickpeas, perfumed with coriander seeds and served with crumbled nan bread. A robust and invigorating camp soup.
Why this dish? Shorba — a thick soup of meat and vegetables — was the daily meal of Tamerlane's soldiers and camps during his long military campaigns, from Anatolia to Delhi. A comforting and nourishing broth, it could be prepared with camp resources and warm the troops in the icy winter steppes.
On the road to Delhi as on the road to Ankara, my men do not march on empty stomachs. At evening, fires are lit, into the cauldron goes what we have — always mutton, turnips when the earth yields them, dried peas carried in saddlebags. The roasted coriander is what turns a soldier's broth into a meal worthy of an emir. You dip the nan in it, and the next day you take the road again. He who scorns this soup has never known the cold of the steppes.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lamb neck or shoulder — a good bone-in piece (Meat and broth base)
- Turnips — three or four (Root vegetable)
- Onions — two (Aromatic base)
- Dried chickpeas, soaked — a handful (Nourishing legume)
- Coriander seeds — a generous pinch (Spice)
- Salt — to taste (Seasoning)
- Water — plenty (Broth)
- Nan bread — for serving (Dipping accompaniment)
Ingredients
- Lamb neck or shank — 600 g (Meat)
- Turnips — 3 medium (300 g) (Vegetable)
- Yellow onions — 2 (Aromatic)
- Dried chickpeas, soaked overnight — 150 g (Legume)
- Coriander seeds — 1 tbsp (Spice)
- Salt — to taste (Seasoning)
- Water — 2 liters (Broth)
- Fresh coriander — a small bunch (Finish)
- Flatbread like nan — for serving (Accompaniment)
Method
- Place the lamb in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam carefully.
- Add the onions cut into quarters and the drained chickpeas. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, dry-toast the coriander seeds in a pan, then coarsely crush in a mortar.
- Add the peeled turnips cut into large chunks, the crushed coriander, and salt. Continue cooking for 30 minutes until the turnips and meat are very tender.
- Remove the meat, shred or cut into pieces, and return to the broth.
- Serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander, with warm nan bread for dipping.
How it was made : Meat and legume soups are the foundation of Central Asian cuisine since antiquity. The term 'shorba' (from Arabic shurba, 'that which is drunk') attests to Persian and Arab influence on Timurid cuisine. Medieval Arabic and Persian sources mention many variants of these enriched broths. On military campaigns, the communal pot was the standard cooking method for nomadic armies.
Sources : Charles Perry, A Baghdad Cookery Book (translation of Kitab al-Tabikh by al-Baghdadi, 13th century) · Paul Buell, A Soup for the Qan: Chinese Dietary Medicine of the Mongol Era (2010)
Tamerlane · Charactorium
