AI-generated image
Kuyrdak
Kuyrdak (Қуырдақ): pan-fried lamb with liver, heart and kidney
Kuyrdak is the first meal cooked when a sheep is slaughtered on a Kazakh farm, made quickly from the freshest cuts and the offal: lamb meat, liver, heart and kidneys fried in a kazan with onion and potatoes. Today it is an everyday dish in Almaty and the steppe villages, eaten hot from the pan with bread and strong tea. Every part is cut to the same size so it all cooks evenly. Overcooking the liver is the most common fault; it goes in last and should be just cooked through and still soft, not grainy. Chef's tip: soak the kidneys in salted cold water for 30 minutes to remove any strong smell.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 lamb heart, 3 lamb kidneys and 9 oz lamb liver well under cold running water. Soak the kidneys in cold salted water for 30 minutes, then rinse again. Keep all offal in the fridge until cooking and use it within a day of buying.
30 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil or lamb fat in a heavy pan or kazan over a high heat. Fry 14 oz boneless lamb shoulder and the heart for 10 minutes, stirring, until browned and the juices have cooked off.
10 minStep 3: Add the kidneys and fry for 5 minutes, until they lose their pink colour.
5 minStep 4: Add 2 onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then add 1 ⅛ lb potatoes, 1 tomato if using, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and ½ tsp ground cumin. Stir, cover and cook on a medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender.
20 minStep 5: Turn the heat up, add 9 oz lamb liver and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until browned outside and just cooked inside with no pink or bloody juice when you cut a piece. Don't cook it longer or it turns hard.
5 minStep 6: Scatter over ⅓ oz fresh coriander or dill and serve straight away with bread. Cool any leftovers quickly and eat within 1 day, reheated until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuyrdak take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 45 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 gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Anhui bamboo shoots with ham
When the spring bamboo shoots push up through the hillsides of Huizhou, farmhouse kitchens braise them with chunks of the region's cured ham. The salty, deep-flavoured ham seasons the broth, and the shoots soak it up while keeping their crunch and gentle sweetness. Serve it as a side dish with rice and other plates, or as a light lunch by itself. Fresh bamboo shoots must be peeled and boiled before use, because raw shoots contain natural toxins; canned shoots are already cooked and only need rinsing. Chef's tip: taste the broth before adding any salt, as the ham often brings all the salt the dish needs.
Peking duck (home style)
Beijing's famous roast duck is a banquet showpiece, carved at the table in restaurants near Qianmen and eaten in thin wheat pancakes with sticks of cucumber, spring onion and a smear of sweet bean sauce. Restaurants use hanging ovens and inflate the skin with air; at home a scald with boiling water, a sweet vinegar glaze and a night uncovered in the fridge get you most of the way there. The prize is the lacquered, glass-crisp skin, with the meat underneath still juicy. Serve it as the centrepiece of a family feast, followed by a simple soup made from the carcass. Chef's tip: dry the duck uncovered on a rack in the fridge for at least 12 hours; a dry skin is the whole secret.
Beef and broccoli stir-fry
A quick coat of cornflour and soy keeps thin slices of beef silky, and a hot wok gives the broccoli char without overcooking it. Faster than ordering in.