"Dymdama in Kyrgyz"

Dymdama

Dymdama is a mixture of vegetables that are stewed in a special way. It has many names - dymlyama, dumlyama, domlyama. There are similar dishes - khashlama, basma.

The vegetables are partially steamed, while the lower layers cook in their own juice. It is very tasty and healthy. Traditionally, it is made with lamb with fat tail. However, it can be made with any meat. The amount of vegetables can vary depending on the size of the pot. The vegetables used for dymdama include cabbage, potatoes, carrots, eggplant, bell pepper, onion, celery, and many others. It is preferable to cook it in a kazan (a type of pot).


Ingredients:

500-600 g of lamb, can be with bone
4 potatoes
1 carrot
1 bell pepper (for those who enjoy spicy, a hot pepper pod can be used)
1 eggplant
100 g cabbage
2 tomatoes
1 head of garlic (or two small ones)
2 onions
dry cumin
coriander
spices to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
a little butter (preferably clarified)
salt
pepper
various herbs

For beginners, it is better to prepare the ingredients in advance: cut the meat into larger pieces, slice the onion into large rings; if the potatoes are medium-sized, they can be left whole or cut beautifully along (this visually stimulates appetite), cut the eggplants into large circles, and the carrots either lengthwise or crosswise, depending on how the potatoes are cut; if you have a kazan and a fire, you can leave them whole; divide the cabbage into 8-12 parts, if the pot is not very large, you can cut it smaller, cut the tomatoes into quarters, and it is preferable to cut the bell pepper into wedges.

Heat the vegetable oil until it almost smokes and sauté part of the onion until its juices evaporate, do not add the meat yet, then throw in the meat into the sizzling oil. The amount of vegetable oil directly depends on the fat content of the meat. The fattier the meat, the less oil is needed. Fry until lightly browned and then add the remaining onion and minced garlic, you can add salt and a bit of butter (clarified is better). Add black pepper and cumin.

Turn off or reduce the heat. The process of layering the vegetables begins: bell pepper, sliced tomatoes, eggplant, garlic. Then comes the layer of potatoes. A very important nuance: each layer is sprinkled with salt and ground pepper, the tomatoes should not touch the potatoes (the acidic environment is not conducive to cooking potatoes). On top, place basil. Salt again and add black pepper and cumin. The final layer is cabbage. Cover everything with cabbage so that everything cooks in steam underneath.

No water or broth is needed. The vegetables will release juice. The upper layers will steam, while the lower layers will simmer in their own juice.

Tightly cover the kazan with a lid and place it on a very low heat. Cooking time is about 1 hour. The larger the ingredients, the longer the simmering time.

After cooking, take a large ceramic dish, first remove the potatoes from the kazan and arrange them around the edge. Place everything else in the center. The meat can be placed on top of the vegetables for a nicer appearance. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Don't forget to add all the juice that remains at the bottom of the kazan. That’s where all the flavor is.

You can also add quince and celery stalks - these should also be cut quite large and layered between the meat and cabbage. Lamb can be replaced with beef.

Bon Appétit!

Main Dishes of Kyrgyzstan