In this article, we will tell you what khash is and how to cook it properly at home. It will be about the old, which is widespread and very popular in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia.

What is hash?

This is a traditional Armenian soup made from animal waste - tripe, tails and legs. Usually it is made from veal or beef, but it is found from lamb, pork and even chicken. The cooking season for this dish is also very important. For example, in the summer, a rare housewife will start cooking khash, but in the cold season this dish is very popular. It is believed that this soup should be eaten early in the morning in order to gain strength for the day at work. They also say that khash saves from the consequences of a stormy feast and allows you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms. It is worth mentioning that the indigenous people eat with their hands, scooping up the thick pita bread. However, foreign tourists can use a spoon, and this action will not cause condemnation from the hosts. Quite often, local vodka is served with the soup, and, despite the early time, it is not accepted to refuse it. Now that we have told you what khash is, you can proceed to the recipes for its preparation.

Preparation of ingredients

Since this dish uses products that are rarely seen on our table, we want to talk about them in more detail:

• Legs - only the front legs are taken for the soup, since the back legs have a persistent unpleasant odor (for all obvious reasons). Next, the semi-finished product should be scraped off, properly rinsed and soaked for two hours. In the homeland of khash, the hostesses put their legs in a net and placed them in a mountain stream for a day. Then they should be scraped off again, washed and boiled in a non-oxidizable dish.
• Tripe - this ingredient is also peeled, washed and boiled in water several times until the unpleasant odor disappears. Note that a well-dressed scar is rare. Therefore, there is always a risk of spoiling the whole dish with the "unique" amber.
• Tails - some connoisseurs use them instead of tripe to give khash the meaty flavor and the desired fat content.

Beef khash

No matter how difficult it may seem, you can cook an unusual soup at home. Just read the instructions on how to make khash carefully and follow them:

• Divide the beef legs (one and a half kilograms) by the joints. Try not to use an ax for this purpose, otherwise the broth will turn out to be too greasy. Do not forget to also scrape off any traces of burning that remain after singing your feet.
• In the same way, cut the beef tail at the joints.
• Place food in a saucepan, cover with water and cook over medium heat for one hour. After that, the broth should be drained, the legs and tail should be rinsed under running water, and the pan should be washed.
• Add water to the food again and simmer for seven or eight hours.
• In the morning, remove the tail and legs from the pan, and add half a liter of water to the broth.
• Cut all the meat off the bones and mince it.
• Chop the garlic (three or four cloves per serving), cilantro and parsley.

Season the finished dish with salt, pepper and pour into plates. Serve with chopped meat, herbs and cold vodka. Don't forget to cut into thin pita bread, which you can also make at home. To do this, you just need to knead the dough from water, flour and salt, and then bake the cakes in a dry frying pan.

Lamb khash

As you can see, this exotic Caucasian soup takes a long time to cook. However, the result will exceed all your expectations. To make Armenian khash from lamb, you will need:

• Rinse the lamb neck (one and a half kilograms) thoroughly, make deep cuts to the bone and put on the stove to cook. Drain the boiling water, add new water and bring it to a boil again. Repeat the procedure several times.
• While the broth is boiling over low heat, form a bag of cheesecloth and dip the parsley root, bay leaf and peppercorns into it. Dip the spices into the saucepan.
• Cook the meat for three or four hours, then remove from the broth and cut into small pieces.
• Grind the garlic and salt in a mortar at the rate of three cloves per serving.

Khash soup is ready. Now it can be served with chopped herbs and thin pita bread.

Beef leg khash

This time we offer you to cook Armenian soup in a strong broth according to the original recipe. How to make khash? Read the description below:

• Singe two kilograms of beef legs, and then brush with a stiff brush. After that, they should be cut into several parts. If you've never done this before, ask for help from a butcher in a shop or market.
• Place the legs in a saucepan, fill them with water and leave them alone for one day. Remember to change the water every three hours.
• Rinse the prepared legs again under running water and put them in a large saucepan. Pour water so that it rises 15-20 cm above the product.
• Place the cookware on high heat, bring the liquid to a boil and remove the foam. After that, reduce the heat and cook the khash for about seven or eight hours.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the bones, let them cool, and then cut off all the meat. Cut large pieces into several pieces.
• Strain the broth through a sieve, return the meat to it and put again Salt to taste.
• Chop two heads of garlic, finely chop the basil and parsley, grate one radish. Place all prepared foods in one plate.
• Cut the lavash into squares and dry.

Pour the khash soup into plates, serve prepared herbs, spices and lavash sheets to it.

Khash in Baku

As you know, in each area they cook in their own way. Similarly, Armenian hash can be done in several ways. Read the recipe for Baku soup below:

• Peel and wash the beef hooves thoroughly with a knife, then place them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cook the legs over the fire for at least two hours.
• Add two peeled onions, salt to the saucepan and cook for another hour and a half.
• Remove the hooves, separate the meat from the bone, and strain the broth.
• Chop the pieces of meat finely, return to the pot and bring the soup to a boil.
• Peel the head of garlic, chop and place in a saucepan.

Khash is a simple dish, so it remains to mix it, pour it into plates and decorate with fresh herbs.

Khash in Tbilisi

Here is another recipe for this popular Armenian dish. To prepare it correctly, you should take into account some features. The recipe for the soup is as follows:

• Scrape the legs of lamb or beef thoroughly, divide by the joints and place in boiling water.
• Send the treated scars there too.
• As soon as the water boils, it should be drained and boiled water (10-12 glasses) poured instead.
• Boil the food until the broth thickens and the meat begins to come off the bones. All this time, watch the soup and remove the foam that appears on it with a slotted spoon.
• Put chopped meat, finely chopped fresh herbs and chopped garlic mixed with a little salt in a separate dish.

There is another way to cook khash in Tbilisi:

• Place the prepared ingredients in a suitable bowl and cover with milk.
• Place the lid on the pot and let it rest for five or six hours.
• When the specified time has passed, drain the milk, and fill the food with water and simmer for a quarter of an hour.
• Drain the broth into the sink, pour the water back into the pot and repeat the procedure several times.
• At the end, pour boiling water over the ingredients and cook until cooked for five or six hours.
• Remove the legs and the tripe, strain the broth, and finely chop the resulting meat.

Khash is a dish that has come to us from time immemorial, therefore, according to tradition, it should be eaten with your hands. Therefore, do not forget to serve lavash with it, cut into large squares and slightly dried in a dry frying pan.

Conclusion

We told you in detail what khash is and how you can cook it. Therefore, you can easily make it at home if you use our recipes.