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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
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Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (8)
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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).
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