Inspired by yesterday’s post (and by spending a great time in a Russian restaurant the other day), I’ve decided to share with you the recipe of one of my favourite Russian dishes - борщ.
Please pay attention that the letter T disappears from the word borscht when you speak Russian - that’s one of many words which confuse people, because they are almost the same in both languages but still are different.
As I mentioned yesterday, борщ is originally a Ukrainian dish, but I keep referring to it as Russian, because it became so popular in Russia that we consider it our national food.
There are many ways to make борщ (and I think my dad’s recipe is by far the best), and here I will write the most popular way:
Beef ribs (or other meat on the bone): 700-800 gr
Beetroot: 1 large
Carrot: 1 medium
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
Cabbage: ½ of medium head
Potato: 6 large pieces
Lemon: ½ of fruit
Put the meat in the saucepan, add 2.5 litres of water, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer the meat for 1.5 hours.
Meanwhile cut potato in cubes and chop the cabbage. Put the potato cubes after 1.5 hours of simmering the meat and continue simmering.
Whilst the potato is being prepared, cook the зажа́рка in the frying pan: to do this - chop the onion in small cubes, grate the carrot and the beetroot (largest hole), add olive oil and fry it all; as soon as veggies become tender add tomato paste, mix it all and switch off the hob in 2 minutes. Squeeze the lemon in this mixture and mix again.
By this time, the potato in the saucepan should be ready. Put the chopped cabbage in the soup 7 minutes before turning off the hob, in 3 minutes add the зажа́рка. Mix well everything in the saucepan and switch off the hob about 4 minutes after зажа́рка is added.
If you are vegetarian, dislike any of ingredients or want to add something yours - feel free to change the recipe, it is quite flexible.
The best way to serve it - is with смета́на (sour cream) and чёрный хлеб (rye bread).
Прия́тного аппети́та!
If you want to learn Russian with me - in Glasgow or by Skype,
Feel welcome to contact me.
Daria