Azerbaijan · Soups
Dushbara
A classic Azerbaijani soup of tiny meat-filled dumplings simmered in a clear lamb broth. The dumplings are famously small, and the soup is served with crushed garlic and vinegar, dried mint, and cilantro for a sharp, tangy finish.
90 min 420 kcal 5 serves Advanced🌍Azerbaijan★★★★★4.8
Ingredients
ServingsMetric
- 300 gflour
- 1 wholeegg
- 250 gground lamb
- 100 gonion
- 2500 mllamb broth
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 3 tbspwhite wine vinegar
- 1 tspdried mint
- 3 tbspfresh cilantro
- ¼ tspturmeric
- 1 tbspbutter
- 1.5 tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper
- 120 mlwater
Method
- Make the dough: mix the flour and 0.5 teaspoon of the salt, add the egg and water, and knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Make the filling: combine the ground lamb, grated onion, half the cilantro, the black pepper, and 0.5 teaspoon salt; mix vigorously for a minute until tacky.
- Roll the dough out as thin as possible and cut into small squares, about 2.5 cm. Work in batches so the dough does not dry out.
- Place a tiny amount of filling (about half a teaspoon) on each square, fold into a triangle, seal the edges, then bring the two corners together and pinch, so the dumplings are very small.
- Bring the lamb broth to a boil with the turmeric and the remaining salt. Drop in the dushbara in batches and simmer 7 to 10 minutes, until they float and the filling is cooked.
- Stir the butter into the broth. Crush the garlic and mix it with the vinegar in a small bowl to serve alongside.
- Ladle into bowls, scatter with dried mint and the rest of the cilantro, and serve hot with the garlic-vinegar sauce to add to taste.
FAQ
Very small: by tradition, eight to ten should fit in a tablespoon. It is a mark of the cook's skill; large ones are just ordinary dumplings, not dushbara.
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