This Beef Stew with Potatoes Kavardak recipe (Кавардак) is delicious beef winter stew that’s common across Russia and across former Soviet countries. Especially common in the Central Asian part of Russia and the surrounding regions. It’s roots of this recipe seem to come from this region. It’s very popular in Uzbekistan (some call it their national dish) and in Kazakhstan it’s called kuyrdak. The Soviet Union had a great way of uniting different cultural foods across their giant empire.
What Does Kavardak Mean?
The word ‘kavardak’ in Russian means ‘shambles’ or ‘mess’, which is where this meal gets its name from. It’s a mess of meat, potatoes, onions and carrots, all mixed up. Some people add tomatoes and red peppers. You really could throw anything into it. Kavardak Beef Stew is also know as Kaurdak, Kuurdak, Kuyrdak and Kavurdak. The word kuurdak came from Turkish origin, highlighting some shared common history and cultural ties with Turkey.
Kavardak is really just a classic Beef Stew with Potatoes recipe, a heart warming comfort food. This reminds me of my childhood, my mum cooking Kavardak Beef Stew with potatoes dug fresh from our garden. Kavardak usually uses chunkier carrot pieces, or you can cut into matchsticks (like for Plov). I think the smaller pieces tend to disappear and let it meat and potatoes be the focus. Of course you can make it any way you prefer.
In future, I might experiment by adding coriander and cumin seeds, but for now, here is a version of my mom’s original Kavardak Beef Stew recipe. Using lamb instead of beef is also popular and very delicious! At the end of the day, it’s a basic Beef Stew with Potatoes, a Russian Stew style, or Uzbek style, or Kazakh style… Kavardak Beef Stew is a hearty meal that will definitely hit the spot. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Kavardak Beef Stew with Potatoes (Кавардак)
A classic winter beef stew made with beef or lamb, potatoes and carrots. Common in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and across Soviet countries. Kavardak Beef Stew with Potatoes (Кавардак) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 carrots sliced into chunky pieces or sliced into match sticks
- 5 potatoes quartered or sliced into thick pieces
- 2 onions sliced in long pieces thinly
- 500 g cubed 2" chunks of beef or lamb
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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In a stock pot, heat the oil and brown the beef. Cook until the water releases and cooks away (about 10 minutes). When the water has evaporated, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
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Add the onions to the meat and sauté until softened. (about 7-8 minutes)
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Mix in the carrots to the meat mixture and sauté until softened. (about 10 minutes)
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Add the potatoes and mix in well.
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Add 2 cups of beef stock or water and 1 bay leaf. The water may not cover the potatoes, that is ok, this is not soup, but a stew. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid. Reduce and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked. Taste and season if necessary.
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Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
I started this website as a way to capture the recipes that I grew up with, and pass them onto the next generation. Being world travellers, there are foods from all over the world, but my passion is primarily the Russian foods I grew up with. 
This sounds very delicious and something my kids would love! yumm Peter!
Thanks Lynn! Can’t go wrong with meat and potatoes!!!!
yes that is so true! I love meat and potatoes and this sounds very tasty!
I hope you try to make it for your kids! I add spicy Sriracha sauce at the end for a nice kick!
Yumm that would be amazing!
Looks delicious..???????????????? I Was wondering if mutton/poultry could be used instead..
Thanks! I suppose it could, as it’s a type of stew, so it should work! 🙂
Yipeee.. Thankuu????????
Thanks for the recipe! I cannot imagine you bothered to share it at the beginning of the Australian summer! I live in Ireland and it is going to be the dish of the week for me. It is so cold here at the moment. Irish potatoes and beef are the best in the world, I think. Actually, recipe is very close to the one for Guinness stew.
Thanks Anna! We had a rainy day which required comfort food, but you are right, the recipe is in the wrong season! I started a fermented spicy sauerkraut today, as it seems cabbages are in season at the market! Irish potatoes are the best, and Guinness stew sounds amazing!
Awesome! A winter meal my family will love.
Can’t go wrong with meat and potatoes! 🙂
Exactly! Especially with my guys. Now, I love the thick & chunky carrots, the guys like the smaller pieces like you. I haven’t done them in shoestring style. I’ll need to do that, and pretty sure they’ll like it better. Thanks for the idea!
Looks very hearty. Healthy too. Is it a common dish all over Russia or just in Uzbekistan or other central Asian republics?
Russia is a very vast country, it’s more common in the central Asian republics vs further west in Ukraine and Latvian and neighbouring countries. It’s definitely great to eat when it’s -30 outside! Soul warming! 🙂