Uzbek Chuchvara (Small Boiled Meat Dumplings in Broth)

About This Recipe

Uzbek Chuchvara is a real, traditional Uzbek dish, known as Small Boiled Meat Dumplings in Broth. Tiny dumplings filled with seasoned ground meat, boiled in a clear broth and served with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.\n\nChuchvara are the smaller cousin of manti, historically prepared in large batches by families and neighbors together, a communal cooking tradition still practiced for special occasions in Uzbekistan.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Uzbek home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 300 gall-purpose flour
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for dough)
• 120 mlwarm water
• 1egg(for dough)
• 300 gground beef or lamb
• 1yellow onion(very finely diced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for filling)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1.5 Lbeef or chicken broth
• 150 mlsour cream(to serve)
• 3 tbspchopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, salt, warm water and egg into a firm, smooth dough. Rest covered for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Combine ground meat, finely diced onion, salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly.

3. 3

   Roll and cut

   Roll the dough very thin and cut into small squares about 4 cm across.

4. 4

   Fill and fold

   Place a small amount of filling in the center of each square, fold into a triangle, then bring the two bottom corners together and pinch to seal into a small ring shape.

5. 5

   Cook

   Bring the broth to a simmer in a large pot, then add the dumplings in batches, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes until they float and the filling is cooked through.

6. 6

   Serve

   Ladle the dumplings and broth into bowls, and serve topped with sour cream and fresh dill.

Variations

• •

  A version with a mix of beef and lamb gives a richer flavor.

• •

  Some households add fresh cilantro to the filling for extra brightness.

• •

  Serve dry, without broth, tossed simply in butter as an alternative presentation.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions