Uzbek-Style Lamb Kazan Kebab with Potatoes
A traditional, versatile dish for dear guests. It is served on a large lyagan platter placed in the center of the dastarkhan table spread. Lyagan platters are usually used for festive tables, but they can also be seen at everyday family gatherings when a large family comes together. This dish is not cooked only over an open fire.
Updated : 14 August, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
1 kilograms
Lamb
8
Potato
1
Onions
1
Carrot
3
Garlic
250 milliliters
Vegetable oil
100 milliliters
Water
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground pepper mix
to taste
Dry spices
to taste
Cumin
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients. For kazan kebab, use meat from a young animal, as it will have less of the specific lamb aroma. You can also use other meat, but Eastern peoples traditionally prefer lamb. Lamb loin or saddle works best, as these are the meatiest and most tender first-grade cuts.
Step 2
Wash and dry the meat. If needed, cut it into fairly large pieces, about 2.5–3 cm / about 1–1 1/4 inches thick. This way, the meat will stay juicy and need less time to cook.
Step 3
Prepare the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and leave them whole. It is best to choose evenly shaped, medium-sized tubers of about the same size. Slice the onion into half rings and cut the carrot into fairly large sticks. The garlic cloves can be left whole or sliced.
Step 4
Heat the kazan, pour in about 1 cup of refined oil, and heat it well. Dry the potatoes thoroughly, then fry 1–2 tubers at a time so the oil does not lose temperature. Fry until golden.
Step 5
Remove the fried potatoes with a slotted spoon and immediately sprinkle them with salt while they are still hot. Fry all the potatoes this way.
Step 6
In the same way, fry all the pieces of meat in batches. Because lamb contains a relatively low amount of fat, it can quickly become dry over heat, so it is never fried too strongly - only enough to seal the surface.
Step 7
Season the hot pieces with salt, black pepper, and cumin rubbed between your hands. Both the meat and potatoes are still raw inside, of course, but frying has created a crust that will keep all the juiciness inside during further cooking.
Step 8
A lot of oil was used for frying, but you will not need that much for further cooking, so pour some of it off. Leave enough oil to cover the bottom of the kazan by 1–1.5 cm / about 1/2 inch.
Step 9
Now return the ingredients to the kazan, layering them. The first layer will be potatoes.
Step 10
Place the pieces of meat on top of the potatoes.
Step 11
Sprinkle the meat layer with the vegetables: onion, carrot, garlic cloves, and dried spices. These vegetables will not be eaten later; they are needed for the juices and aromas they will give to the lower layers. And, of course, to let everything cook well, steam needs to be created. To do this, carefully pour a little water down the sides.
Step 12
Now cover everything with a ceramic plate so the temperature is higher and less moisture evaporates, then close tightly with a lid. Set the heat below medium and slowly cook for about 1 hour or a little longer. Do not open the lid unnecessarily; check once to see whether there is enough liquid and, if needed, add just a little water. Check doneness by piercing the potatoes with a skewer.
Step 13
Serve hot, arranged on a large lyagan platter. Place the meat in the center, arrange the potatoes, tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and plenty of assorted herbs around it. Serve with Uzbek flatbreads as well.
Author note
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