I regularly watch YouTube’s Country Life Vlog, which comes from the Shahdag Mountains of Azerbaijan. In addition to the perennial perplexities like how the ingredients remain in such good condition without lids and refrigeration, why jar canning rarely includes a boiling water bath, and why Aziza cooks mass quantities of everything, today’s installment raised a new question. She was making fist-sized meatballs from beef, S&P, onions, and uncooked rice. No eggs. Before simmering them in meat broth, she rubbed a thin blend of salt, water, and turmeric onto each ball. There was also turmeric in the broth. Why this extra step
And kudos to Aziza and Hormat for their patience with the two pet crows, who interfere with all their chores.
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Turmeric and salt have antibacterial properties. She may have been doing it to clean the meatballs before they went into the broth.
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Also perhaps to give the kofte a nice golden color. While its has a wonderful flavor, it’s also what makes some mustards quite yellow. Turmeric has excellent anti-inflammatory properties as well.
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She has never done that with any other solid or ground meats, nor would there have been any reason to expect them to need cleaning.
They came out the typical unattractive gray of boiled beef. The broth was dull brown and fairly clear.
That’s weird and kind of disappointing, actually. I’ve got no idea, otherwise.
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