Yuvalama (Antep yuvalaması)
Overview
Yuvalama is a rich yogurt soup from Gaziantep, filled with hundreds of tiny balls made from ground rice and lean minced lamb. The mixture is kneaded until smooth and rolled between the fingers into balls smaller than a chickpea. Pieces of lamb are boiled to make a broth, and the balls and cooked chickpeas are simmered in it. Strained yogurt is whisked with an egg to keep it from splitting, then stirred in slowly until the soup is thick and creamy. It is finished with dried mint sizzled in clarified butter. The soup is tangy and filling, and it is often eaten as a main course.
History
Yuvalama is one of the most celebrated dishes of Gaziantep and is registered as a geographical indication under the name Antep yuvarlaması. It is traditionally cooked for the evening before Ramadan Bayramı, and making the tiny balls is a shared family task that can take hours. Families often prepare it together, and it is served at weddings and special guests' tables.
Main ingredients
Rice and mince balls, lamb on the bone, chickpeas, strained yogurt, egg, dried mint. The soup is built on lamb broth with yogurt and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Chickpea soups · Lamb soups · Yogurt soups · Rice soups · Egg soups · Mint soups · More soups from Türkiye
Recipe
Method
- 11 h
Boil the lamb in 2 l water for 1 hour to make a broth.
- 2
Knead the rice and mince with salt and roll into tiny balls.
- 320 min
Simmer the balls and chickpeas in the broth for 20 minutes.
- 4
Whisk the yogurt with the egg, temper with hot broth, stir in and cook gently, then serve with mint butter.
- ✓
Serve. About 3 h from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
