Beef or lamb cut small and fried in its own fat, then stewed in a soured-cream and red-pepper gravy: the red-meat counterpart of jedlibzhe.
Lyghurlybzhe (Circassian Meat Stew)
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the meat in the fat over high heat until sealed on all sides.
- Add the onion and fry until soft.
- Pour in a cup of water, cover and simmer 40 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Stir the flour into the soured cream, then stir it into the pan.
- Add crushed garlic, red pepper, salt and black pepper.
- Simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes until thick. Serve hot with paste or maize bread.
For a lighter version, use broth instead of soured cream and finish with a little chili.
This is the recipe from the Recipes section of the Circassian app, where you can also scale it and save it to your favourites.
Kitchen words in Circassian
The words for what is in this dish, in Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian), with audio from the Circassian app’s lessons and audio course.
| English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| meat | лыly | лыlə |
| butter | тхъуцынэtkhwutsyne | тхъуtkhu |
| salt | шыгъуshyghu | щыгъуshchəghu |
| food | шхынshkhyn | шхыныshkhənə |
| delicious | IэфI'ef' | IэшIу'eshIu |
| This is delicious! | Мыр IэфIщ!Myr 'ef'shch! | Мыр IэшIу!Myr 'esh'u! |
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Lyghurlybzhe: questions
How long does it take to make Lyghurlybzhe?
About 60 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Lyghurlybzhe recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Lyghurlybzhe made of?
The ingredients are: 700 g beef or lamb, in small cubes; 2 onions, chopped; 1 cup soured cream (or broth); 4 garlic cloves; 2 tbsp butter or rendered fat; 1 tbsp wheat flour; 1 tsp red pepper; salt and black pepper.
Is Lyghurlybzhe an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as an everyday dish (Mains & Sauces).
Where does this Lyghurlybzhe recipe come from?
From the Recipes section of the Circassian app. The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
Sources
- Circassian app, Recipes section, recipe “Lyghurlybzhe (Circassian Meat Stew)” (recipe data last changed July 2026). The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
- Circassian app: audio course, Kabardian and Adyghe (the kitchen words: cheese, meat, milk, bread, tea, water, food, delicious), and the lessons’ vocabulary (chicken, salt, butter, honey).
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