Mastava (Rice and Lamb Soup)

Method

1. 1

   Prep the vegetables: dice the carrots, cube the potatoes, and finely chop the onion.

2. 2

   Brown the lamb in a hot pot until deeply colored on all sides, then add the onion and soften it.

3. 3

   Stir in the tomato paste and fry 2 minutes until it darkens and smells toasty.

   💡 Fry the paste hard enough to lose its raw, tinny edge but watch it — it scorches fast once the moisture is gone.

4. 4

   Add the carrots, potatoes and 1.5 liters of water; bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

5. 5

   Stir in the rice and cook 15 minutes more, until the grains bloom open and the soup thickens slightly.

6. 6

   Taste and season with salt.

7. 7

   Ladle into bowls and top each with a spoonful of cold yogurt and a scatter of dill.

   💡 The yogurt goes in the bowl, never the pot — it must arrive cold against the hot soup.