Beshbarmak (Kazakh Boiled Lamb & Flat Noodles)

About This Recipe

Beshbarmak (meaning 'five fingers' in Kazakh) is the national dish of Kazakhstan and a symbol of Kazakh hospitality and nomadic pastoral culture. It is the dish served to honoured guests, at weddings and celebrations, and its preparation follows a ceremony: the most honoured guest receives the sheep's head; the ears go to children who should listen well; the eyes to those who should be observant. The dish is traditionally eaten with the hands (hence 'five fingers'). It consists of wide, flat hand-made noodles (the best approximation is pappardelle) topped with boiled lamb and a silky onion sauce (tuzdyk) poured generously over everything. The cooking broth (sorpa) is served alongside in small bowls as a digestif. It is the purest expression of Central Asian nomadic cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbone-in lamb shoulder(cut into large pieces)
• 2 largeonions(1 whole for broth, 1 sliced for tuzdyk)
• 2bay leaves
• 8black peppercorns
• 300 gpappardelle or wide flat noodles
• 2 tbspbutter
• 1 tspblack pepper
• salt(to taste)
• 2 tbspdill(chopped, to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil lamb

   Place lamb in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, skim thoroughly. Add whole onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer 1.5–2 hours until very tender. Remove lamb, shred or slice off the bone.

2. 2

   Cook noodles

   Cook noodles in the lamb broth until tender. Remove with tongs and toss with a little butter.

3. 3

   Make tuzdyk (onion sauce)

   Fry sliced onion in butter over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add black pepper and 3–4 ladles of the strained lamb broth. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly reduced.

   The tuzdyk is the soul of beshbarmak — a generous amount is essential.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Pile noodles on a large communal plate. Arrange lamb pieces over the noodles. Pour the tuzdyk generously over everything. Garnish with dill.

5. 5

   Serve sorpa

   Ladle the remaining strained lamb broth into small bowls or cups to serve alongside as sorpa (digestif broth).

Variations

• •

  In northern Kazakhstan, horse meat (beshbarmak ot zhyly eti) is the most prestigious version.

• •

  Beef is used when lamb is unavailable — equally traditional in some Kazakh families.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Lamb and broth keep 4 days refrigerated. Cook noodles fresh each time.

Frequently Asked Questions