World Flavors Cookbook

Mongolia Recipes

Mongolian cuisine is shaped by its nomadic heritage and extreme climate, focusing on dairy products, meat (mutton, beef, camel), and animal fats. It is a hearty, sustaining tradition designed for life on the vast steppes.

Recipes from Mongolia

• Buuz (Steamed Meat Dumplings)

  The national dumpling of Mongolia, steamed and filled with juicy minced meat.

• Khuushuur (Fried Meat Pockets)

  Crispy fried pastries filled with seasoned minced meat, a popular street food.

• Boortsog (Fried Dough Bites)

  Sweet, golden fried dough pieces, the essential companion to Mongolian tea.

• Khorkhog (Stone-Cooked Meat)

  An ancient nomadic barbecue where meat and vegetables are cooked with red-hot stones inside a sealed container.

• Bansh (Boiled Dumplings)

  Smaller versions of buuz that are boiled in water or milk tea.

• Guriltai Shol (Noodle Soup)

  A hearty soup with hand-cut noodles and mutton, the soul of Mongolian home cooking.

• Airag (Fermented Mare's Milk)

  The traditional national beverage of Mongolia, made by fermenting mare's milk.

• Bantan (Flour Porridge)

  A creamy porridge made with tiny flour crumbs and meat.

• Tsuivan (Stir-fried Noodles)

  A robust dish of hand-cut noodles steamed over meat and vegetables then stir-fried.

• Budaatai Khuurga (Rice with Meat)

  Mongolian-style fried rice with mutton and vegetables.

• Lapsha (Flat Noodle Soup)

  A simpler noodle soup with wider, flatter noodles.

• Gambir (Fried Bread)

  Pan-fried flatbread, sometimes filled with sugar or jam.

• Ul Boov (Sole Cake)

  Traditional deep-fried cakes shaped like the sole of a shoe.

• Aaruul (Dried Curd)

  Hard, dried dairy curds that are the primary snack of the nomads.

• Byaslag (Mongolian Cheese)

  A mild, unripened cheese made from the milk of cattle, yaks, or goats.

• Tarag (Yogurt)

  Rich, homemade Mongolian yogurt.

• Suutei Tsai (Milk Tea)

  Salty milk tea, the universal drink of Mongolia.

• Boodog (Roast in the Skin)

  A spectacular barbecue where a whole goat or marmot is cooked from the inside out using hot stones.

• Shol (Mutton Soup)

  A basic but nourishing meat soup.

• Khar Shol (Black Soup)

  A rich, dark mutton broth made with fatty meat, prized for its strength.

• Banshtai Tsai (Dumpling Tea)

  Savory milk tea with small boiled dumplings inside.

• Khuruud (Dried Cheese Cubes)

  Smoky, hard cubes of dried cheese.

• Eezgii (Dried Fried Curd)

  Sweetened, toasted dairy curds with a crunchy texture.

• Shar Tos (Yellow Butter)

  Mongolian clarified butter or ghee.

• Tsagaan Idee Platter

  A decorative platter of various "White Foods" (dairy products).

• Uuts (Steamed Mutton Back)

  A whole mutton back and tail steamed until tender, the ceremonial centerpiece of the New Year.

• Veggie Khuushuur

  A modern variation of fried meat pockets filled with potatoes and cabbage.

• Mongolian Mutton Kebabs

  Skewered mutton chunks grilled over open fire.

• Mongolian Fried Rice

  Savory rice with mutton and wild leeks.

• Mongolian Beef

  Tender beef strips in a sweet and savory sauce with ginger and scallions.

• Mongolian Potato Salad

  A creamy salad with potatoes, beets, and pickles.

• Mongolian Mutton Meatballs

  Seasoned mutton meatballs served in a simple clear broth.

• Liver with Onions

  Fresh sheep liver sautéed with plenty of onions.

• Roasted Bone Marrow

  Rich, buttery marrow from roasted beef or mutton bones.

• Sweet Mutton Pastry

  A unique pastry combining meat and sweet notes, traditional to some regions.