Uzbek Tukhum Dumba Meatballs in Tomato Broth

About This Recipe

This dish takes the core flavors of dimlama, Uzbekistan's layered vegetable and meat stew, and channels them into individual meatballs simmered directly in a tangy, well-seasoned tomato broth, a format many Uzbek households use as a faster weeknight alternative to the longer, layered stew. Ground lamb, mixed with grated onion and a portion of raw rice, is a technique borrowed from the region's dolma and kofta traditions, where a small amount of rice binds the meat and helps it stay tender as it simmers. The tomato broth itself needs real body, built from ripe tomatoes cooked down with onion, garlic and a pinch of dried dill or cumin, distinctly different from a thin, watery soup base. Cooking the meatballs directly in the simmering broth, rather than browning them separately first, lets them absorb flavor from the liquid as they cook through, while also releasing a bit of their own richness back into the broth. Served with fresh flatbread for dipping and a scattering of fresh dill or cilantro, this dish captures the warm, tomato-forward, dill-scented flavor that runs through much of Uzbek home cooking, in a format that's considerably quicker to prepare than a full layered stew.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gground lamb
• 1onion(half grated for the meatballs, half sliced for the broth)
• 3 tbspuncooked short-grain rice
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 tspground cumin
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 4tomatoes(grated or finely chopped)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 3 cupswater or stock
• 0.25 cupchopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the meatballs

   Combine ground lamb, grated onion, rice, salt, pepper and cumin. Mix well and shape into 16 small meatballs.

2. 2

   Cook the broth base

   Heat oil in a wide pot. Cook sliced onion until soft, then add garlic and cook 1 minute.

3. 3

   Build the tomato broth

   Add grated tomatoes and tomato paste, cooking 8 minutes until thick and the raw tomato smell is gone. Add water or stock and bring to a simmer.

4. 4

   Cook the meatballs in the broth

   Gently lower the meatballs into the simmering broth. Cover and simmer 25 minutes until the meatballs and rice inside are fully cooked.

   Simmer gently rather than at a hard boil — a rolling boil can break the meatballs apart before the rice inside has time to cook through.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Stir in fresh dill in the last few minutes. Serve hot in bowls with flatbread for dipping.

Variations

• •

  Use ground beef instead of lamb for a milder flavor.

• •

  Add diced potato or carrot to the broth for a heartier, more stew-like version closer to dimlama.

• •

  Finish with a dollop of plain yogurt for a creamier, tangier bowl.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; the broth thickens slightly on standing, so loosen with a splash of water when reheating gently on the stove.

Frequently Asked Questions