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Kaleh joosh
Kashk, walnut and mint soup
Kaleh joosh (کلهجوش): kashk, walnut and fried mint soup from Azerbaijan and central Iran
Kaleh joosh is the fast, frugal soup of the Azerbaijani villages around Tabriz and of central Iran, cooked when the cupboard holds kashk, walnuts and onions. Kashk, the tangy fermented whey that gives so many Persian dishes their savoury depth, is simmered with deeply fried onions and ground walnuts, then crowned with sizzling dried mint and turmeric oil. It is eaten from a shared bowl, scooped up with torn bread rather than spoons, often on cold evenings. A common mistake is boiling the kashk hard, which can make it split and grainy; keep it at a gentle bubble. Chef's tip: taste your kashk before salting, as brands vary wildly in saltiness.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 ⅞ oz walnutscoarsely ground
- 1 cup liquid kashk
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp saltonly if needed
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp dried mint
To serve
- 4 pieces lavash, barbari or sangak bread
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp of the 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a pot over a medium heat and fry the 2 onions for 12 minutes, stirring, until deep golden and crisp at the edges. Lift out a spoonful for the top.
12 minStep 2: Add the 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 2 ⅞ oz walnuts and stir for 2 minutes until the nuts smell toasted.
2 minStep 3: Whisk the 1 cup liquid kashk with the 2 ½ cups water until smooth and pour it in. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly to a creamy soup. Taste, then add ½ tsp salt if needed and the ½ tsp black pepper.
8 minStep 4: In a small pan heat the rest of the 2 tbsp sunflower oil, take it off the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp dried mint; it should sizzle and turn dark green in seconds, not black.
1 minStep 5: Pour the soup into a wide bowl, drizzle with the mint oil and scatter the reserved onions. Tear the 4 pieces lavash, barbari or sangak bread into pieces, drop some into the soup and use the rest to scoop.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kaleh joosh take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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