Buglama

Ok, so it would seem that Azeri people love their stews. I never though of it that way, but it would seem that we do! Buglama is another version of a “stew”. It is more formal (if food can be formal) and is usually served at weddings or other gatherings. To tell you the truth, I do not remember one occasion where my grandma made buglama at home.

Another beauty of Azeri kitchen is that dishes can be versatile. Buglama for example can be made with fish, chicken, lamb or beef (or I suppose tofu if you are a vegetarian). I have made this dish twice now, first time using swordfish. Was not a success. According to my husband it was too bland. Since traditionally it is made with lamb (like so many Azeri dishes), I opted for beef (because my husband does not like lamb all that much). All the while I worried about the flavor. See, the dish is just meat and vegetables and if no flavor is infused into it, it will taste…well like meat and vegetables. So I decided to remedy that by frying up the meat first. I chose some oxtail and ribs (the thick kind). After frying up the meat, I fried some onions. Then I layered the dish with vegetables and left it to stew for about an hour. I was not disappointed with the result this time.

Time: 2 hours
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1 – 2 LB oxtail and beef ribs (or you can use lamb ribs)

2 tsp salt (or to taste)

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp pepper

2 cloves of garlic, diced

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

3 tbs butter or olive oil

2 green peppers, julienned

1 large tomato sliced

1/2 cup water

Melt the butter in the dutch oven (or any deep pan). Wait for butter to really heat up, then add the meat and quickly fry on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate. Chop up the onion and add to the pan, fry for a few minutes or until the onion softens and becomes clear. Add salt and pepper. Place the meat back into the pan, mix up with the onions. Add salt, pepper, diced garlic and coriander. Layer the rest of the vegetables on top (pepper and tomato). Add half a cup of water and let it boil/stew for about an hour or until the meat is softened up. Serve with white rice and garnish with dill!