Maushawa/ Afghanistan
This soup took me a long time to make but it was worth it. It is perfect for the winter and goes nice with pita bread. It is similar to moshkitchiri, an Uzbek soup.
1 cup navy beans or red kidney beans
1 cup mung beans or split green peas
Soup Herbs: 1 leek, 1 stalk celery, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup long grain rice
1lb ground beef or lamb
black pepper and 1tsp red pepper
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cut fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 fresh tomatoes (or 1 large can of tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups chaka
Wash navy beans in large soup pot, cover with cold water and soak overnight (or cheat and just use canned beans) Cover mung beans with boiling water and let soak to expand for one or two hours. Ass other beans to the soup pot and add water an inch above them. Ass soup herbs and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Mash beans lightly. Add Rice and only enough water to cook the mixture. Simmer 20 minutes. (soup will be thick). In a bowl, mix ground meat, cinnamon, pepper and mint. Knead, shape into balls.n a pan heat oil and saute onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Then add meatballs, cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes and enough water to half cover the meatballs. Cook until sauce thickens. To serve, spoon bean-rice mixture into bowl and top with meat ball sauce. Garnish with mint leaves and chaka.
