Azu in Tatar, a classic recipe

Azu – this is probably the most famous a dish of Tatar cuisine. In its preparation, meat is used with the addition of vegetables.

Tatar cuisine is characterized by delicious meat dishes, which is not surprising if you remember that the ancestors of this people were nomads, and the main part of their diet was meat.

As for azu, the very name of this dish is probably very old, there is an opinion that it comes from the word “azdyk”, which is translated from Tatar as “food”. And from the Persian language, “azu” is translated as “pieces of meat.”

True a recipe for cooking azu in the Tatar style, which has reached our times is not so old. Mandatory ingredients of this dish are potatoes and pickles, and these vegetables, as you know, appeared on the territory of Europe not so long ago.

However, 200-300 years is also not a short period of time, during which the dish became popular and began to travel through the kitchens of various nations, and many additions, changes and even modernizations appeared in the recipe. Today we offer you the classic recipe of Tatar azu.

Traditional (classical) recipe of Tatar azu

According to this recipe, the dish is prepared from meat, usually beef is used, less often lamb or horse. But not chicken and certainly not pork, which Muslims do not eat.

In addition, a cauldron is used to prepare azu. In Tatar cuisine, various dishes are prepared in it, boiled, stewed and fried. A cast-iron cauldron is good because it allows you to fry and stew a large amount of various products at the same time.

In order to prepare aza according to the classic recipe the following products will be needed:

• Meat, preferably beef – 0 kg.
• Potatoes (medium size) – 6-7 pieces.
• Carrot – 1 piece.
• Onion – 2 medium.
• Pickles – 2 pieces.
• Fresh tomatoes – 2-3 pieces.
• Oil – 200
• Meat broth – 200 ml.
• Seasoning is a mixture of peppers.
• Salt.

Cut the meat into oblong slices as thick as a finger. Cut the onion into half rings. Peel the pickled cucumbers, cut them lengthwise into 2 parts and also cut them into half rings. Clean carrots, cut into strips. Boil the tomatoes with boiling water and, after removing the skin, cut them into cubes (in winter, you can use homemade tomato juice).

We heat the cauldron well and fry the meat in oil. It is recommended to do this on a fairly strong fire so that a crust appears quickly on the pieces and the meat does not have time to give juice. Then we take out the meat on a plate.

Fry the onion in the same oil that fried the meat. As soon as the onion is golden, return the meat to the cauldron, add carrots, salt and seasoning from a mixture of peppers, mix well and add tomatoes (or tomato juice) to the meat and onions.

Simmer a little over low heat, stirring constantly. It is not necessary to cover with a lid, this will allow excess moisture to evaporate. We add meat broth to the cauldron and continue to stew under the lid until the meat is fully cooked.

While the meat is stewing, cut the potatoes into cubes and fry them until half cooked. Add potatoes and pickles to the cauldron, mix well and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Sprinkle the finished aza with a mixture of finely chopped garlic, parsley and cilantro.