Mastava is another favorite Uzbek soup of mine made from rice, beef, and tons of vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and red bell peppers. It’s warm, comforting, and very easy to make. We like to serve it with plain kefir and lots of herbs, but if you don’t have kefir, sour cream or plain greek yogurt would work just as well.

I love how pretty all the colors look here. Even though mastava has warm and comforting flavors, it’s such a vibrant dish to look at. Hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola oil work well)
• 1 lb finely diced beef (I use chuck roast)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2-3 finely diced potatoes
• 1 cup white rice, washed and soaked
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• dried whole chili (optional)
• 10 cups water

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for a few minutes until translucent.
2. Add in the beef and cook until brown. If any liquid emerges, make sure to continue cooking until the liquid evaporates and the beef is well-seared. Proper browning is key to developing flavor.
3. Add in the diced carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and season with salt, cumin, and paprika. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables soften, then add in the tomato paste. Cook for a minute or two until darkened in color.
4. Pour the water into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. If using the dried chili, add it in this stage. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for 40 minutes.
5. Add in the potatoes and rice and cook for another 20 minutes until rice is cooked through and potatoes are tender.
6. Ladle the mastava into bowls and serve with kefir, fresh chopped cilantro, and cayenne. Enjoy!

For a more detailed video tutorial, watch my TikTok here: