Tender lamb simmered not in water but in a large quantity of fresh cream with onion, until the cream's water cooks off and the fat glazes the meat: a rich, festive dish served over paste.
Shate Gheva (Lamb Boiled in Cream)
Ingredients
Method
- Pour the cream into a deep pan or cauldron and bring to a boil.
- Add the slivered onion and stir over the heat 2–3 minutes.
- Add the lamb and simmer gently 20–30 minutes.
- Season with salt and red pepper.
- Keep on gentle heat until fully cooked: as it cooks, the water in the cream boils away and the cream melts into the meat.
- Serve hot over paste, garnished with coriander, onion and dill.
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 |
| 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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Shate Gheva: questions
How long does it take to make Shate Gheva?
About 50 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Shate Gheva recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Shate Gheva made of?
The ingredients are: 1 kg tender lamb, in 20–30 g pieces; 1–1.5 litres fresh cream; 2–3 onions, finely slivered; salt and red pepper, to taste; paste, to serve; coriander, onion and dill, to garnish.
Is Shate Gheva an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as a festive dish (Mains & Sauces).
Where does this Shate Gheva 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 “Shate Gheva (Lamb Boiled in Cream)” (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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