Mastava: Uzbek Rice Soup with Beef and Tomato
A thick soup of finely diced meat, vegetables and rice, finished with yoghurt and basil. A filling lunch ready in 1 hour 20 minutes.
Mastava is sometimes described as plov in soup form, and the ingredients are almost the same: meat, carrots, onion and rice. Here, though, everything simmers in the kazan with water to make a thick, satisfying soup.
How mastava differs from shurpa
Unlike shurpa, the meat and vegetables for mastava are fried first. Tomatoes and tomato paste give it a rich red colour, while the rice thickens the soup and turns it into a proper meal.
Which rice to use
- Short-grain rice breaks down nicely and thickens the soup.
- Devzira or long-grain rice also work, but the mastava will be looser.
- Always rinse the rice to remove excess starch.
Nutrition
Per serving (≈ 450 g). Approximate values.
How to make it
5 steps · start a timer right inside a step
Brown the meat
Heat the oil in a kazan and fry the finely diced meat for 8–10 minutes until browned. In mastava the meat is cut small so there is a piece in every spoonful.
Vegetables and tomato
Dice the onion, carrots and pepper, add them to the meat and fry for five minutes. Stir in the grated tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for three minutes more, until the base is thick and red.
Water and potatoes
Pour in the boiling water and add the salt and cumin. Once it returns to the boil, add the diced potatoes and cook over medium heat for 15–20 minutes.
Add the rice
Rinse the rice well and add it to the soup. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is completely soft. Mastava should be fairly thick; add a splash of boiling water if it gets too stiff.
Serve with yoghurt
Ladle the mastava into bowls, add a spoonful of katyk or yoghurt to each and scatter with chopped basil, coriander and black pepper.
Cook’s tips
- 1In summer, use two extra tomatoes instead of tomato paste.
- 2A pinch of dried mint freshens the flavour.
- 3For a quick version, use minced meat instead of diced.
- 4Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds before grinding them to release essential oils that cut through the richness of the beef broth.
Serving & storage: Ladle the soup into deep bowls and top with a generous spoonful of cold katyk and fresh chopped herbs. It stores in the refrigerator for up to three days and thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water when reheating on the stove.
Why add yoghurt?
Katyk is an essential part of mastava. Its gentle tang balances the hot, thick soup. If you cannot find it, use strained yoghurt or sour cream.
Reheating
In the fridge the rice keeps absorbing liquid and the mastava thickens. Add a splash of boiling water before reheating.
The takeaway
Mastava is quick to make from simple ingredients yet very filling. Dice the meat small, fry the base well and do not forget the yoghurt.
