Kesme is a national Kyrgyz noodle soup made from lamb with spices. Kesme (Kyrgyz: Cesme, [kesmé]) or kesme (Kazakh: kespe, [ki̯ɘspi̯ɘ]), Azerbaijan: Əriştə, Persian: رشته, Turkish: erişte or kesme); refers to a traditional Central Asian noodle dish made by the Kyrgyz or the Kazakhs. The word itself is a nominalisation of the verb to cut or to slice, referring to the slicing of the dough involved in preparing the noodles. The term may refer to the noodles themselves, or the prepared dish made with them. Kesme is primarily a home-made dish, and not often found at restaurants or cafés.
Reshte are Persian style noodles used in soups, mixed with rice in pilaf or made into desserts like faloodeh.
Reshteh (Persian: رشته), from the Persian word for thread or string, refers to a very fine noodle, similar to capellini (angel hair pasta). However, it generally means a fresh (as opposed to dry) ribbon shaped egg noodle. Traditionally the noodle would be a homemade and cut item. Reshteh was the only word used to denote noodles in Arab cookbooks of the 13th and 14th centuries. Special symbolism is given to dishes that contain noodles when a decision of importance or change is to occur; the noodles or “reins” of one’s life are to be taken in hand. A traditional dish in Iran is reshteh polow or pilaf, which is served during the Persian new year with the noodles representing the threads of life and family intertwined. Noodles are used for special occasion dishes in giving thanks and for journeys especially to Mecca. Typical preparation is for the noodles to broken into parts, fried or grilled brown and then added to rice.
The reshteh used currently in the Iranian cuisine is actually a thicker type of noodle, used in reshteh polow and also a type of ash, called Ash Reshteh.
In Turkey, kesme is known as “Erişte”, and eaten generally in winter. It is made from flour, egg, water, salt and milk. These ingredients are worked into a dough, which is rolled out, cut, and dried in the sun or an oven after dried for a day.
Ingredients:
Special relish is given to the dish by radish and garlic.
- 600 g lamb.
- 50 g tomato-paste.
- 200 g radish.
- 100 g onion.
- 50 g fat tail.
- 25 g garlic.
- 500 g bones.
- 150 g flour.
- 2 eggs.
- Spices.
- Salt.
Method:
- Cut lamb meat and fat-tail into stripes and fry with tomato paste until done.
- Julienne onion and blanched radish and stew in oil.
- Combine lamb with vegetables, add some broth and stew until soft and tender.
- Make dough from flour, eggs and water, roll thinly and cut into stripes.
- Pour in the rest of broth, add noodles and cook for 5 minutes, then dress with ground garlic and spices.
- Serve in a large bowl.
