Azu meat dish. Beef azu with pickles

Tatar beef azu: choose the best recipe from our selection - hearty, tasty and fast!

Tatar beef azu is a very tasty and satisfying traditional Tatar dish, which is usually cooked in a cauldron, but at home, an ordinary thick-walled pan is also suitable for this.

The main components of azu in Tatar are meat (beef, lamb or even horse meat) and a variety of vegetables, among which must be pickles. All this together languishes on the stove until the ingredients are saturated with the tastes and smells of each other. The result is an indescribably appetizing and fragrant second course, which the Tatar cuisine is rightly proud of.

We offer you step by step recipe with photo classic cooking azu in Tatar from beef. There is nothing complicated in it, so you will master it without difficulty. If you start right now, in an hour and a half you will have a real gastronomic delight on your table.

• beef - 500 gr
• potatoes - 5 pcs
• onion - 2 pcs
• pickled cucumbers - 3 pcs
• carrots - 2 pcs
• tomato - 4 pcs
• bay leaf - 3-4 pieces
• pepper
• vegetable oil

Thin slices cut a pound of beef and dry with a paper towel.

We cut two medium heads of onions into half rings.

We chop 2 medium carrots with medium-sized straws.

We put a frying pan on the fire, pour vegetable oil and, when it is hot, fry the beef on both sides (3-4 minutes each) until golden brown.

After that, we transfer the meat to a heated over medium heat. thick-walled pan or cauldron.

In the pan where the meat was fried, add a little oil and fry the chopped onion and then carrots. Vegetables are also sent to the pan.

We cut 3 pickled cucumbers into small strips.

Add them to meat and vegetables.

Cut 4 medium tomatoes into quarters and also put in a saucepan. Simmer everything together for about 20 minutes.

During this time, cut the potatoes into strips and fry them in a pan until half cooked.

After that, put it in the pan and simmer the dish on the fire for about 10 more minutes (focus on the readiness of meat and potatoes). At the end, salt and pepper everything to taste, turn off the fire and insist the dish for another 10 minutes.

Now we put the amazingly fragrant Tatar azu in portioned plates and serve it to the table.

Recipe 2: azu in Tatar beef (step by step)

If at least once you have tried the basics in Tatar, then, undoubtedly, you will remember the amazing taste of this simple, very tasty and at the same time practical dish for a long time. Azu is prepared from simple and affordable products, it turns out to be inexpensive and very satisfying. I propose great recipe azu from beef.

• 400 gr. beef
• 2 pcs. onion
• 2-3 tomatoes or 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2/3 cup beef broth or water
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 pickle
• 1 tsp flour
• vegetable oil
• peppercorns
• Bay leaf

For azu, young beef from the shoulder or back leg is best. Cut the meat into slices.

Heat the pan well with vegetable oil. In fact, real basics are cooked on animal fat, for example, on melted lard, but on a vegetable dish it turns out to be lighter, and the cholesterol in it does not go off scale.

Fry the meat over high heat. The beef should be browned, it is not necessary to fry until tender.

In the same oil in which the meat was fried, chopped onions are fried. The style of cutting does not play a special role, but cut into half rings looks somehow tastier))). Fry the onion over medium heat.

Add diced tomatoes to the onion tomato paste. Lightly fry.

We combine passivated vegetables and meat.

We fill meat broth or plain water. Salt, pepper to taste, you can put black peppercorns. When the contents of the pan boil, reduce the heat. Simmer the meat until tender over low heat. To reduce the evaporation of the gravy, cover the pan with a lid. Depending on the meat, stewing takes from 15 minutes to an hour.

When the beef is almost ready, add the diced pickled cucumber and crushed garlic. Do not forget to put 2-3 pieces of bay leaf. To make the gravy thicker, put a teaspoon of flour (carefully so that no lumps form).

Mix everything, simmer for another 10 minutes. and turn off the fire. To make the azu in Tatar more delicious, let it brew for at least a quarter of an hour.

Recipe 3: azu from beef stew in a slow cooker

Azu - dish Tatar cuisine where pieces of beef and vegetables are harmoniously combined. If you decide to please your home basics in Tatar, you will need cast iron pan, a cauldron or a wonderful “miracle pot” - a slow cooker that does an excellent job of preparing this dish. Well, in conditions of limited time, it will help you out quick recipe azu with stew.

• Beef stew - 1 can
• Potatoes - 8 pcs.
• Carrots - 2 pcs.
• Onion - 2 pcs.
• Garlic - 5 tooth.
• Pickled cucumbers - 3 pcs.
• Tomato paste - 30 grams
• Olive oil
• Bay leaf - 3-4 pcs.
• ground pepper

Cut the peeled onions into medium-sized pieces.

Pour olive oil into the multicooker bowl, put the chopped onion and turn on the “Frying” program.

While the onions are frying, chop the peeled carrots into cubes.

Then put it in a slow cooker, stir and fry the vegetables for about 10 minutes.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into wedges.

Put the potato pieces to the fried onions and carrots.

Stir the vegetables and continue to cook them on the "Fry" mode for 15 minutes.

Cut pickled cucumbers into cubes about the same size as carrots.

Cut the peeled garlic cloves into thin slices.

Throw the garlic into the slow cooker with the fried potatoes.

Then add the tomato paste (if desired, it can be replaced with finely chopped fresh tomatoes).

Pour 150 ml of water into the slow cooker, pepper and salt the food, and then mix thoroughly.

Close the lid and turn on the "Extinguishing" mode for 30 minutes. In the middle of the program, open the slow cooker and put the chopped pickles into it, mix the contents of the bowl and close the lid.

After another 10 minutes, put the beef stew in the slow cooker and add 2-3 bay leaves.

Stir the food again, salt if necessary, then close the lid of the appliance and wait for the end of the program.
Before serving, sprinkle the Tatar-style azu with stew with fresh herbs. Bon Appetit!

Recipe 4, step by step: azu from beef with potatoes

Azu from beef (the recipe with the photo is presented below) is a classic Tatar dish that has long been known around the world. According to Tatar traditions, beef meat is used for cooking, but there are variations with lamb, pork, chicken, turkey and even horse meat. The meat is cut into pieces and fried, then stewed with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and pickles. It turns out quite tasty, and most importantly satisfying!

• 1 kilogram of beef pulp;
• 800 grams of potatoes;
• 300 grams of pickles;
• 300 grams of fresh tomatoes;
• 90 grams vegetable oil;
• 120 grams of tomato puree;
• 3 pieces of onion;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tablespoon flour;
• 1 bay leaf;
• ground black pepper;
• allspice;
• salt - to taste.

Prepare the meat. It should be washed and dried. Cut it into small strips. If desired, the meat can be mixed with herbs at this stage.

Heat up a frying pan, add vegetable oil and fry the tomato puree.

Take another, deep frying pan or cauldron (the whole dish will be cooked in it), pour in the oil and fry the meat until golden brown. At the end, salt and pepper to taste, add fried tomato and pour everything with clean water or broth. Everything should be stewed until half cooked under a closed lid.

Prepare other foods while the meat is cooking. Peel the pickled cucumbers from the skin, cut them into strips. Peel the onion, wash it and cut into half rings. Fry until golden brown.

You should also peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces. Fry potatoes in oil until golden brown. To reduce the fat content of the dish, potatoes can be boiled.

Heat the flour in a dry frying pan, then let it cool slightly and dilute a little with the broth in which the meat is stewed. Pour everything into the meat. Also put cucumbers in there, fried onion. Let everything simmer for 10 minutes.

After that, put in the pan fried potatoes, bay leaf and peppercorns. Simmer another fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the tomatoes and cut them into wedges or slices. If you wish, you can remove the skin. Pound the garlic in a mortar or squeeze through a garlic press. After a while, add tomatoes and garlic to the azu. Simmer another 5 minutes.

The dish is ready. It should be served hot, if desired, you can sprinkle with chopped herbs. Bon Appetit!

Recipe 5: how to cook beef azu (with photo)

Thanks to the potatoes, the dish becomes even more satisfying and does not require absolutely any addition. Azu is traditionally cooked in two dishes - a frying pan and a saucepan or in a saucepan.

Meat is pre-fried in a pan, then stewed with vegetables in a deeper container. It's spicy, spicy and enough fatty dish, I think, will be appreciated by men.

• Beef or young veal - 300 gr.,
• Carrots - 2 pcs.,
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.,
• Onion - 1 pc.,
• Potatoes - 3-4 pcs.,
• Tomato paste or sauce - 2 tbsp. spoons,
• Pickled cucumbers - 2 pcs.,
• Sunflower oil,
• Spices,
• Salt.

Cut the beef flesh into cubes or thin strips. Cut the meat across the grain. And to make the pieces themselves even, use slightly frozen meat. Fresh meat from a store or bazaar should be put in the freezer for a few minutes. And vice versa, taking the meat out of the freezer, let it thaw.

Prepare the vegetable component for the basics in Tatar. cut into cubes fresh tomatoes.

Onions also chop into cubes, but smaller sizes.

Cut pickled cucumbers into thin strips. If you do not have pickles, you can replace them with pickled ones.

Peel carrots and potatoes. Grate carrots on a medium grater.

Cut potatoes into chunks.

Put the beef pieces into the pan with hot oil.

Stirring the meat with a spatula, fry it for 2-3 minutes. We fry on a big fire. It is necessary that the meat is browned only on the outside.

After that, add carrots and onions to it.

Simmer another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the stewed beef with onions and carrots to a saucepan or pan. Add cucumbers and tomatoes.

Mix vegetables with meat.

Add tomato paste, spices and salt. Salt is added carefully, taking into account pickles.

Pour in a small amount of water. The water should cover half of the meat and vegetables.

Cover the saucepan with azu and put on a small fire. While the azu is languishing, fry the potato cubes in a pan until golden brown.

Put the fried potatoes in a saucepan with azu.

After adding the potatoes, boil it for another 10 minutes.

It is important that the potatoes are not overcooked, and the dish itself does not end up looking like porridge. Before removing the pan from the heat, be sure to check if the spicy and salty Tatar azu with potatoes and pickles is enough. This delicious and fragrant dish of Tatar cuisine is served in deep plates, hot and sprinkled with finely chopped herbs. Good appetite. I would be glad if you liked this Tatar basics recipe and will come in handy in the future.

Recipe 6: Azu with Beef Carrots (Step by Step Photos)

• Beef 450 g
• Carrot 1 pc.
• Onion 2 pcs.
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Pickled cucumbers 4 pcs.
• Garlic 5-6 cloves
• Tomatoes 2 pcs.
• Greens 1 bunch
• Salt to taste
• Spices to taste

Cut the meat into medium pieces, about 1 centimeter thick.

Fry it over high heat in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Now you need to peel the onion and cut it into thin half rings.

Fry until golden brown and add to meat.

Cut the cucumbers and add to the rest of the ingredients. Rub the tomatoes on a grater, squeezing the juice.

Add vegetables to the rest of the ingredients and stir. Then add a little water or broth is best, cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.

When you're done stewing vegetables with meat, add fried potatoes and garlic to them. Then add salt and spices to taste.

Recipe 7: Tatar Beef Azu in Tomato Sauce

Beef is a noble meat in itself, and therefore the approach to its preparation is special. Unlike turkey meat, for example, beef takes a very long time to cook, making it soft and juicy is not an easy task. By this recipe the meat is juicy, soft, and just melts in your mouth!

• Beef 600 g
• Tomato 2 pcs
• Onion 1 pc
• Sour cream 3 tbsp. l.
• Tomato paste 3 tbsp. l.
• Salt 2 tsp (+ spices to taste)
• Greens 1 bunch.

Cut the beef into large pieces.

Fry the meat over high heat olive oil constantly stirring.

When the beef turns white and starts the juice, make the fire on medium, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

In a separate frying pan, saute the chopped onion for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and sour cream to it, mix and simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

We spread the onion with beef sauce, mix, cover and simmer for about an hour, periodically adding boiled hot water and stirring.

After 40 minutes, add coarsely chopped tomatoes to the meat and simmer for 10 minutes.

1. The recipe for making beef azu begins with a marinade that needs to be made for meat. To do this, wash, dry and cut the meat into small pieces and put in a deep bowl. Add mustard, grape vinegar, soy sauce, as well as suneli hops and a little vegetable oil. Mix everything thoroughly and refrigerate for 1-1.5 hours.

2. In the meantime, you can do vegetables. Peel the onion and carrot, cut into small pieces. Dry the pickled cucumbers and also cut.

3. When the meat is saturated with marinade, put a frying pan on the fire and heat the vegetable oil in it. Place meat in hot oil and fry until golden brown.

4. Gently remove the fried meat from the pan and send it to a saucepan with a thick bottom. In the oil in which the meat was fried, fry the vegetables. First send the onion and bring it to a golden color. Add carrots and fry for about 5-7 minutes. Next, send the cucumber to the pan and fry for another 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the tomato paste with sugar and put in a pan. Mix everything thoroughly and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.

The most common dish of Asian (Tatar) cuisine is azu. This tasty, satisfying and fragrant dish gained popularity due to the fact that it was included in the menu of any self-respecting Soviet-era canteen. It is prepared from fatty meat, in the original horse meat or lamb, and vegetables.

The name "azu" comes from the Tatar "azdyk" and is translated as "food". In Persian, this word means "pieces of meat." Azu is considered old recipe, but even classic recipe, which includes potatoes and tomatoes, is significantly different from what was prepared in antiquity, because these vegetables came to Asia not so long ago.

Azu in Tatar style with pickles - a classic photo recipe with a step by step description

Each of the peoples who accepted this delicious dish to the list of his favorite foods, enriched his version of the basics with new interesting notes. Here is one version of the classic Tatar lamb azu.

Your mark:

Cooking time: 2 hours 0 minutes

Quantity: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Fat tail fat:
• Lamb (pulp):
• Onion:
• Tkemali sauce:
• Salted cucumbers:
• Fresh Tomatoes:
• Tomato juice:
• Bay leaf:
• Fennel:
• cilantro:
• Spicy pepper:
• "Hmeli-suneli":
• Dry mix of spices "Adjika":

Cooking instructions

It is better to start by cutting the lamb pulp into thin strips.



in multitude modern recipes vegetable oil is used as the fat component.

In vintage cookbooks more often they suggest using ghee or fat tail fat for this purpose. A piece of this specific fat must be cut into cubes small enough for frying.



Cracklings, into which pieces of fat have turned, must be carefully caught. The fat rendered from them should be enough to fry the rest of the ingredients of the future azu.



Put the lamb into the resulting liquid fat.



It needs to be well fried. A beautiful golden brown crust should form on the meat.



Now it's time to add the onion to the lamb. It can be cut into relatively wide rings or half rings.



They also need to be well fried.



While the onions are browning, it's time to work on the tomatoes. To make the hard skin easier to peel off, they must be scalded. To do this, briefly they need to be lowered into boiling water. Remove quickly and let cool. After that, the exfoliated skin is removed very easily.



It's better to cut cucumbers small cubes.



Pieces must be sent to a cauldron with meat. Drain the juice that formed when they were cut there.



Peeled tomatoes should be laid out on meat and cucumbers.



To make the sauce in the finished azu juicier, you should add a little tomato juice to fresh tomatoes.



The spicy sourness characteristic of this dish can be enhanced. To do this, moving away from the generally accepted cooking traditions, you can put a little sour Georgian sauce tkemali.



Now, in order for the dish to acquire the necessary juiciness, it is necessary to add water. Add bay leaves, and fresh, finely chopped greens. It can be not only fennel and cilantro. The flavors of parsley, celery and dill are suitable for this dish.



Now it's time to add dry spices and put hot peppers. They complete the flavor of an almost finished dish.



After a few minutes of boiling, azu is ready in Tatar style. You can serve it with boiled potatoes and fragrant leaves of fresh arugula.

Azu recipe in Tatar style with potatoes

IN classic version For frying beef and vegetables, you will need a fairly large amount of vegetable oil. It also provides for the simultaneous laying of all vegetables, and potatoes are not fried at all.

Therefore, we will manage with only three tablespoons of oil. Additionally, you can remove the fat from the stew, thereby making a tasty and fragrant dish even easier.

• 1 can of quality beef stew;
• 0.5-0.7 kg of potatoes;
• 1 carrot and onion;
• 1 pickled cucumber;
• 2 medium, ripe tomatoes (can be replaced with 100 g of tomato paste);
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 3 garlic cloves;
• 1 hot pepper;
• salt.

Cooking steps azu with beef stew and potatoes:

1. Wash and peel potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots.
2. We cut the potatoes into medium-sized slices, finely chop the carrots, onions, peppers and pickles.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the stew and chopped garlic, add bay leaf to them.
4. In a thick-walled stewpan or cauldron, we lay all the vegetables, except for potatoes. We simmer them for a quarter of an hour, and when the moisture boils away, lightly fry until brown on the onions and carrots.
5. Now you can add 250 ml cold water and grated tomatoes or tomato paste. After 5 minutes, you can lay the potatoes.
6. When the potatoes are ready, add the garlic stew mixture. Stir and taste for salt, adding more if needed.
7. When the azu is ready, let it brew a little, gain taste and aroma

Another version of the basics in Tatar with potatoes is below in the video recipe.

How to cook aza in Tatar from pork?

In this version of the recipe, we suggest using instead traditional lamb pork. You will need a standard set of vegetables (onions, garlic, pickles, tomatoes or pasta from them), as well as spices and herbs, which we crush the dish before serving. The number of ingredients can be taken the same as in the classic recipe.

1. First, wash the pork and cut into strips.
2. Fry the meat pieces on both sides for a couple of minutes.
3. Add chopped onion to the meat, pickled cucumbers cut into strips, grated tomato or 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste, chopped garlic.
4. Bring the meat with vegetables to a boil, taste for salt, add salt to taste if necessary, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 7-10 minutes.
5. Serve on the table, sprinkled with greens.

Another of the variations of your favorite dish involves cooking it with beef and potatoes. The result is extremely rich and fragrant.

• meat (beef) -0.5-0.6 kg;
• potatoes - 0.5 kg;
• a few pickled cucumbers;
• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• 20 g of tomato paste or 1 fresh tomato;
• 1 st. l. flour;
• salt, red, black pepper, herbs.

Cooking order:

1. We put a thick-walled saucepan (frying pan) on the fire, pour oil in the bliss and heat it up.
2. Cut the beef into strips 1 cm thick. Fry until golden brown, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.
3. Pour the meat hot water so that it is barely covered.
4. Simmer the meat under the lid until it becomes soft for about an hour.
5. If there is still liquid left, remove the lid and boil it completely.
6. We add flour, peeled and chopped onion to the meat, mix thoroughly and fry until the onion is transparent.
7. Add tomato paste or grated fresh tomato, simmer for a few minutes. We do the same with the pickled cucumber, cut into strips.
8. Separately, fry the potatoes cut into cubes.
9. When the potatoes are ready, add them to the meat, simmer for another 5 minutes, then add salt and spices. You can turn off the azu after about 5 minutes.
10. Adding to already ready meal garlic and finely chopped herbs. Mix thoroughly and let it brew for at least a quarter of an hour before serving.

This version of azu will be a great dish for a family lunch or dinner, the preparation of which does not take much time and effort.

• 2 half chicken fillet;
• potatoes - 1 kg;
• 3-4 pickles;
• 2-3 medium, ripe tomatoes (100 g of paste);
• salt, sugar, pepper.

How to cook chicken azu?

1. Fry the peeled potatoes cut into strips until crispy.
2. We cut the washed fillet into cubes, fry it in a saucepan in vegetable oil.
3. Add to the meat, 1 tsp. sugar, grated tomatoes or pasta diluted in a glass of water.
4. Add the cooked potatoes to the meat. We do the same with sliced ​​cucumbers.
5. Simmer until fully cooked.
6. Season with spices and salt.
7. In order for the taste of azu to become complete, it must be allowed to infuse for a quarter of an hour.

How to cook azu in a slow cooker?

Multicooker on modern kitchen has become an indispensable kitchen assistant that simplifies the process of preparing many dishes. Azu in Tatar is no exception.

1. Take the ingredients from any recipe you like in our article.
2. Fry the chopped meat in the “Baking” mode for about 20 minutes.
3. Add finely chopped onions and carrots to the meat. Cook on the same mode for another 6 minutes.
4. Now you can pour the diluted tomato paste, garlic and other seasonings. We turn on the "Extinguishing" for half an hour.
5. Add potatoes and pickles to vegetables and meat. Simmer another 1.5 hours.

Azu recipe in pots

Required Ingredients:

• meat (chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, pork) - 0.5 kg;
• 10 medium potatoes;
• 3-5 pickles;
• 3 onions;
• 1 carrot;
• 0.15 kg of hard cheese;
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes (100g paste)
• 3 tbsp. ketchup and mayonnaise;
• bay leaf, salt, pepper, spices, allspice.

Stages azu in ceramic pots:

1. Fry the meat cut into cubes in a pan for 5 minutes. We add a little and pepper it.
2. At the bottom of each pot we smooth out chopped or grated cucumbers, on them - meat, a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup, bay leaves, a couple of fragrant peppercorns and a little dried dill.
3. In a frying pan, we make frying of onion cut into half rings and grated carrots. We season them with spices and, after readiness, we send them to pots.
4. Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes, fry in a pan over high heat, sprinkle with pepper and arrange in pots.
5. Fill the pots with tomato dressing, send to the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the finished dish with cheese and herbs.

The main component of the most popular Tatar dish is meat. IN original recipe beef, horse meat or lamb were used. In modern versions, you can see almost any meat, with the only caveat that the pieces should be selected fatter, only this way you get a tasty and satisfying basics.

Vegetables are next in importance in the composition of the dish: potatoes, pickled cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, garlic and any others that you wanted to put in a cauldron with azu.

The taste of a dish is greatly affected by how well it is cooked. tomato dressing. The ideal option is grated fresh tomatoes, but in winter they are replaced with pasta. Dilute the dressing with broth or water. But with the second option, it will significantly lose its taste.

The dish is prepared in any thick-walled metal or ceramic dish. Each of the azu ingredients is roasted individually before being combined.

Since pickles are part of the dish, all other spices and spices are added after them.

The dish is served hot in deep bowls with unleavened cakes seasoned with garlic and herbs.

We are waiting for your comments and ratings - this is very important for us!

As you can see, a lot of ingredients are required to prepare a Tatar beef azu recipe, but all of them can be easily obtained. This quantity is for 2 servings for adults. In total, such a dish can be prepared in two hours, of which 30 minutes you will spend on preparation, and everything else on the preparation itself. Such a beef azu - a recipe with gravy , which means it will be very tasty served with different side dishes, such as potatoes. Only in this case, you do not need to add potatoes to the stew itself.

How to cook azu from beef, a recipe with a photo step by step:

The first thing to do is prepare the meat. To do this, rinse it under cold running water and remove all unnecessary: ​​bones and films. Next, you need to dry the meat on a paper towel and start cutting it. It is necessary that the meat be cut into oblong-shaped pieces, approximately 1 centimeter thick, that is, large straws. By the way, if you cut the meat in the same way, but twice as thick, it will be a classic cut for beef stroganoff.

Melt the third part in a pan butter then put the meat in the pan. You need to fry it for several minutes until it appears golden crust. The main thing is to stir constantly. The meat will immediately release a lot of juice, which will evaporate quickly enough. The fire should be moderately strong.

Peel the onion, wash it and cut into strips. It must be added to the meat and continue to fry it all together. It is necessary that the meat with onions is fried, and not stewed, so do not reduce the fire. Saute until the onion is translucent and softened. At this stage, if you wish, you can add hot pepper pods.

Carrots need to be peeled. Carrots can be chopped in two ways: cut into small pieces, or grate on a coarse grater. Add it to the meat with onions, and fry until the carrots are soft.

Now it's time for the pickles. Cut them into small pieces, plates, or grate - as you like. You can use both pickled and pickled cucumbers, but some prefer the first option, explaining this by the fact that such cucumbers have a more pronounced taste.

Now cut the washed tomatoes into slices, you do not need to peel the skin and seeds. Add the tomatoes along with the cucumbers to the meat in the pan. If you are making this dish when tomatoes are not in season, you can use a little tomato paste.

Mix all the ingredients in a pan well, then pour some water into it, cover with a lid and reduce the heat. On a small fire, you now need to simmer the dish for 30 minutes.

Take the garlic, peel it, chop it well and rub it thoroughly with coarse salt. After this mixture should be added to the meat with vegetables and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and enjoying a pleasant aroma.

To rationally use the time while vegetables and meat are stewed, prepare potatoes. To do this, cut the peeled fruits into small pieces, as you like - cubes, or large straws. Then fry the potatoes in enough of the remaining butter until golden and crispy. Potatoes must be completely cooked.

But in the afternoon or late morning you can treat yourself to a plate of this delicious Azu, the recipe of which you now know. And let the dish be prepared for a long time and require a lot of processes - the result is worth it!

One of the dishes of Tatar cuisine, which has become familiar far beyond the borders of its homeland, is azu. Who hasn't heard of this cooking masterpiece, will be right if you decide to try it. And it’s better to taste the basics not in a restaurant, but at home with your family. Of course, you first need to get acquainted with the main tricks in preparing the Tatar hit. And they are not so few.

Description of the dish

Azu are fried small pieces of meat that are stewed with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cucumber slices, with the addition of a fairly spicy sauce. From meat lamb, beef or young horse meat are preferred.

Actually, the translation of the word "azu" from the Persian language will mean "small pieces of meat in spicy sauce».

Modern variations of the dish have deviated exclusively from the Tatar recipe, often using chicken instead of beef or lamb. Giblets and even squid are used as the main ingredient. Mushrooms, vegetables are often added to the azu, and almost always this dish is replete with spices.

Nutritionists advise to treat yourself to the basics rather than regularly enjoy the dish, after all, it is quite fatty, and excess cholesterol does not add health. But by the arrival of guests or in another pleasant occasion, doing the basics is not only possible, but necessary.

Azu with beef stew (video)

Product selection rules

The main product in basics, of course, is meat. Choose it exactly as you do this procedure for any other meat dish. If in classic recipes recommend beef, and you prefer turkey, do not be afraid to disobey culinary advisers. In fact, the recipes have long moved away from their origins, assimilated, and many of them only benefited from this.

Pickled cucumber - a spicy component of the dish, take a strong and crispy cucumber, which does not turn into porridge when stewed.

When it comes to tomatoes, many people really prefer peeled tomatoes as the main vegetable component of azu. It is easier for someone to replace everything with tomato paste. Both the first and second options are acceptable.

As seasonings, it will be sufficient to use only pepper, salt, garlic and bay leaf. But the variety of spices now makes it possible to experiment in this matter, add various herbs, spice mixtures.

cooking options

Let's focus on popular and easy-to-prepare recipes.

Recipe 1: Tatar Azu with Cucumbers and Garlic

Products

• beef (or other meat) - 700 g
• 6 potatoes
• 3 pickles (small)
• 4 tomatoes + 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 onion
• 150 g broth
• Bay leaf
• salt, garlic, pepper

Cooking

• Cut the meat across the grain into small cubes.
• With tomatoes, dipping them briefly in hot water, remove the peel and also cut into cubes.
• Onions are cut into half rings, and cucumbers - either into cubes or straws (as you are used to).
• In a well-heated frying pan, the meat is fried until golden brown, spices can be added.
• Separately fried onions add to the meat.
• Pour the broth over everything so that the meat is covered with liquid.
• Tomatoes are laid out on top, and all this is stewed for about half an hour.
• After that, lavrushka, salt, tomato paste, cucumbers are added. Stir, simmer for 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, potatoes are fried until tender.
• Greens and garlic are finely chopped and poured onto the finished dish in a plate.
• A couple of minutes before the end of cooking, you can try if the dish is sour. Sometimes this happens due to tomatoes. Then you can just add a little bit of sugar to the azu.

This recipe is close to the classic azu with pickles.

Recipe 2: Azu with Pickles and Mushrooms

Also an interesting and uncomplicated recipe, good for beginners.

Products

• 400-500 g of meat (preferably beef)
• 200-300 g mushrooms (mushrooms are also suitable)
• tomato sauce - 5 tbsp. spoons
• onion
• 2 small pickles
• salt / spices
• cilantro
• frying oil

Cooking

• We cut the meat in the usual way, the pieces should be small.
• Cut the champignon into thin slices, and the onion into small half rings.
• We put the meat in a well-heated frying pan, fry it in oil for several minutes, until the pieces become golden.
• After that, sprinkle the meat with flour, shake the pan gently and mix everything well.
• At this point, add the onion, it should soften. Watering tomato sauce, mix, after which mushrooms and cucumbers are added.
• Next - salt, seasonings.
• We cover everything with a lid, it remains to wait 20 minutes, and the azu will be stewed.

You can change something in any recipe, but it’s better to leave the base as in the traditional Tatar basics, and it’s better to add cucumbers every time. But if the mushrooms are also salty, then you can stop at only one salty ingredient.

So that there are no mistakes with the first experience of preparing azu, arm yourself with the following tips:

1. Remember that beef is fried for a long time, so after manipulating the meat in a pan without a lid, simmer the pieces under the lid until cooked (even if the time is beyond the time specified in the recipe).
2. Use fresh garlic, you do not need to add it when stewing, it is better to sprinkle the already prepared dish with finely chopped vegetables.
3. It is recommended to use not ketchup, namely tomato paste.
4. Experiment with Provence or Italian herb sets.

How to cook Azu (video)

Submission rules

• The standard option is a dish sprinkled with herbs. It can be parsley, cilantro, dill or onion. Often, rice is chosen as a side dish to the basics.
• In some families, sliced ​​\u200b\u200b fresh vegetables or a plate with pickles.
• Azu is such a self-sufficient dish that no special garnish is required. But, in order to soften its sharpness, level the taste, it is better to serve it at the first tasting. fresh cucumbers, tomatoes or boiled potatoes in the skin.

Successful culinary debuts!