15 Apr2017

Make Do Mongolian Stew

Written by 2RidetheWorld.

lisa mongolia desertThe Story Behind Mongolian make-Do Stew and 'Dirty Dining.'

In what is one of the least inhabited countries on the planet, hundreds of miles can separate nomadic villages, and food can be scarce. When you do find a small village, the foodstuffs available may often be limited to stale biscuits, out-of-date Snickers bars and chips. Shopping in a small Ger (Mongolian hut) you may find a few carrots, potatoes and onions that have all seen better days and, if you are extremely lucky, some processed sausage meat. There is absolutely nothing green apart from the few strands of grass you rode in on.

Sitting light-headed and heavy-limbed on the side of the sandy track in the Gobi Desert, I’d never felt so exhausted and wind beaten. We had ridden our motorbikes through deserts and rock fields for sixteen hours, with just a few breaks to sip on our dwindling water supply. With the sun setting quickly, we now had to erect our tent and prepare a meal.

lisa monglia cooking

After willing myself to my feet I hunted through my small motorcycle side box, in which I carry a variety of utensils and food items–spices, herbs, honey, and the processed sausage and wrinkled root vegetables I'd bought in the middle of nowhere yesterday. I knew the meat wouldn’t spoil for a few days, especially in these cold temperatures.

Still covered in dust and dirt, I sat down and started my small MSR camp stove. I had no idea what I was going to cook but this challenge has been part of the fun. My husband Simon and I have spent the last fourteen years exploring almost 100 countries on every continent on earth and I’ve prepared meals in every one, aiming to keep our bodies healthy and our taste buds entertained.

After twenty minutes of prepping, chopping, and stirring, I produced a “Make-Do Mongolian Stew,” a meal that I would have been proud to serve from my kitchen in England. I spooned the stew into our metal bowls as a freezing wind ripped at the tent flaps. It was pronounced delicious, and the idea for Dirty Dining: An Adventurer’s Cookbook was born.

mongolian stew meal

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RECIPE: Make Do Mongolian Stew

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 ingredients
  • 1 large potato or 3 to 4 small – cut into bite-sized pieces. Smaller pieces will cook faster.
  • 1 carrot— cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 1 medium onion, chopped medium fine.
  • Packet of chicken noodle soup or vegetable soup (the size that ‘makes 1 litre and serves 4’ ).
  • 1 processed sausage or 1 small tin of spam, cut up into small bite-sized pieces. You might also use bacon, diced beef or lamb, but these meats require a longer cooking time.
  • 1 small can (220g / 8 oz.) of mixed veg or corn.
  • Dash of oil (I like to use olive oil when I can as it adds more flavour).
  • A pinch of dry mixed herbs.
  • A pinch of chilli powder or dash of tabasco sauce.
  • amesan (style) cheese is preferable but in reality any cheese will do.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
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 method
  1. Fry the sausage pieces (or spam) in a little oil until browned.
  2. Remove them from the pan and leave to the side ready for last minute addition when everything else is cooked. A lightly browned sausage or spam is more appealing to eat.
  3. In the remaining oil brown the onions.
  4. Add the carrots and potato into the pan.
  5. Add a pinch of mixed herbs and stir.
  6. Add a pinch of chilli powder or dash of Tabasco for a little zing.
  7. Take the pan off the heat for a few moments whilst you Add the packet soup, stirring well so that the powder covers the vegetables evenly.
  8. Then (still off the heat) add enough water to just cover the vegetables and stir well.
  9. Place the pan back on the heat keep stirring every few seconds so that it doesn’t go lumpy.
  10. Bring to a simmer (this is where the bubbles are forming and gently rising to the surface rather than the full rolling boil).
  11. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
  12. Add more water a little at a time during cooking to ensure it doesn’t get gloopy. Remember you want this to be more ‘stewy’ than ‘soupy’.
  13. Once you are happy that the veg is cooked to your liking, Add the already-cooked sausage/spam and tin of veg/corn.
  14. Heat through for another 2 minutes before serving.
  15. Serve with bread. If no bread, then have a shot of that vodka you’ve been able to carry as that makes up for everything.

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