North Cyprus Cousine - Main Dishes

Bumbar (Cypriot Sausage)

Its a sausage made with lamb mince and rice.

ngredients

3 thin intestines (with no hole)
700 gr minced beef
1 large onion -grated
160 gr rice -washed and drained
750 ml (3/4 litre) water
2-3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons parsley -finely chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes -peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
100 ml cooking oil
Vinegar
Lemon juice

How to clean the instestines

Wash all the three pieces under cold water. To clean the inside, take one piece and hold one of the ends with one hand, then with the other hand start turning inside out. Fill the intestine with water, so that it runs out like a long sausage. The fatty outside is now in. Do all the three pieces in the same way.

Wash them again with cold water than rub in some flour, so that all the thick mucuous is rubbled out of them. then wash again. Lastly, clean with lemon juice and vinegar.

For the filling

Grate one large onion, chop the tomatoes and parsley. Wash and drain the rice. Add all into the minced beef, together with tomato paste, 2 tablespoons salt, and 3/4 litre of water. Mix all the ingredients well.

Preparation

Turn all the intestine inside out in the same way. Then with a special funnel which has a large mouth (made for this purpose) fill the intestine with the prepared filling and tie the ends with a thick string.

Put all the stuffed intestines into a large cooking pot. Fill with cold water just to cover all. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to boil and simmer 30-45 minutes.

In the middle of the cooking time, make holes on each intestine with a skewer, so that all the air escapes. When cooked, take them out of the water and drain.

Keep 3/4 litre of the hot cooking water separately. The rest can be used in making soups or in cooking. Then fry the bumbars (intestines) until brown all over, without damaging them. After frying, take them out and serve warm.

References
Albrecht, M. (1994), Turkish Cypriot and Mediterranean Cookery, Havellia Publishing, London.
Salaman, R., (1991), The Cooking of Greece and Turkey, Sainsbury Cookbooks, London.