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Kespe
Egg noodles in vegetable broth
Kazakh home-cut egg noodles in vegetable broth
Kespe is the plainest and most comforting of Kazakh soups: home-made egg noodles, cut thin with a knife, simmered in broth with potato, carrot and onion. The name comes from 'kesu', to cut. Grandmothers in villages around Karaganda and Pavlodar make it on winter evenings and for anyone feeling unwell, and in Kyrgyzstan the same soup goes by the same name. It is usually cooked in mutton broth; this version uses a well-browned vegetable broth. Chef's tip: dry the cut noodles for 20 minutes before cooking; they hold their shape and don't cloud the broth.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 7 oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 egg
- 3 ½ tbsp waterabout
- ¼ tsp salt
For the soup
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 oniondiced
- 1 carrotcut in thin strips
- 2 potatoesdiced
- ½ red pepperdiced
- 6 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp saltto taste
- ½ oz dill and spring onionchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Beat 1 egg with 3 ½ tbsp water and ¼ tsp salt, then work in 7 oz plain flour and knead for 5 minutes into a stiff, smooth dough. Rest 15 minutes, covered.
15 minStep 2: Roll very thin (1 mm) on a floured surface, dust well, fold into a flat roll and cut into 3 mm noodles. Shake them loose and spread on a floured tray to dry for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat and fry 1 onion, 1 carrot and ½ red pepper for 6–8 minutes, until the onion is golden and the carrot glossy.
7 minStep 4: Add 6 ¼ cups vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf and 5 black peppercorns, bring to the boil, add 2 potatoes and simmer for 12 minutes, until the potato is just tender.
12 minStep 5: Shake excess flour from the noodles and drop them in. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring once, until tender. One mistake to avoid: cooking the noodles too long, until they swell and drink the broth.
4 minStep 6: Season with 1 tsp salt, scatter with ½ oz dill and spring onion and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kespe take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 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 plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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