Chalop

Ingredients

Base

• 500 gsuzma, strained sour milk
• or 500 g thick Greek yoghurt
• 1 litrevery cold water
• ice cubes
• 2 teaspoonssalt

Vegetables

• 3cucumbers, finely diced
• 6radishes, finely diced
• 4spring onions, sliced
• 1green pepper, finely diced, optional

Herbs

• a large handful of dill, chopped
• a large handful of coriander, chopped
• a handful of parsley, chopped
• a handful of mint, chopped
• a handful of basil, chopped

To serve

• black pepper
• flatbread
• deep bowls

Directions

1. Line a sieve with muslin over a bowl. Put plain live yoghurt into it. Add a good pinch of salt and stir it in. Cover it and refrigerate it overnight. What is left is thick and tangy.
2. Use whatever soft green herbs you have. Preparing the vegetables takes the longest. Peel the cucumbers if the skin is thick. Leave the skin on if they are young and thin. Trim the radishes and dice them small. Slice the spring onions thinly. Preparing the herbs takes a sharp knife.
3. Wash the herbs in plenty of cold water. Shake them dry very thoroughly. Wet herbs water the soup down. Pick the leaves from the tough stems. Chop them all finely with a sharp knife.
4. Chop them just before you make the soup. Put the suzma in a large bowl. Add the salt and beat it smooth. Now add the cold water gradually. Whisk it in a little at a time. Adding water too fast leaves lumps. Add more water if you want it thinner.
5. Add all the diced vegetables to the base. Add all of the chopped fresh herbs. Stir it all together thoroughly. Season it well with black pepper.
6. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. It should taste sour, salty and strongly herbal. Cover it and refrigerate it for an hour. It must be genuinely cold when served.
7. Ladle it out into deep cold bowls. Drop a few ice cubes into each bowl. Serve flatbread alongside the soup. It keeps a day refrigerated at most.

Technique

• Suzma is soured milk strained through cloth until thick, and is a staple across Central Asia.
• The Ferghana Valley gets extremely hot in summer, and cold sour soups are eaten when the heat kills the appetite.

Substitutions

• Thick Greek yoghurt, or plain yoghurt strained overnight, stands in for suzma.
• Any combination of soft green herbs works, with dill and coriander the most important.

Variations

• Some households add boiled potato or egg to make it more substantial.
• A version made with kefir rather than suzma is thinner and lighter.
• Okroshka in Russia and dogramach in Turkmenistan are related cold soups.

History

Summer soup of the Ferghana Valley, eaten cold when the heat kills the appetite.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chalop?

Chalop is a soup & stew from Uzbekistan: cold soup of suzma, herbs, radish and cucumber in iced water. Summer soup of the Ferghana Valley, eaten cold when the heat kills the appetite.

How long does Chalop take to make?

Chalop takes 20 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chalop?

Yes, within limits. Thick Greek yoghurt, or plain yoghurt strained overnight, stands in for suzma. Any combination of soft green herbs works, with dill and coriander the most important.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chalop?

Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. It should taste sour, salty and strongly herbal. Cover it and refrigerate it for an hour. It must be genuinely cold when served.