The Real Life Cooking Strategy Guide Blog: Medieval Mongol Empire aka The Greater Mongol State

Mongolian Nomad Yurt (tent/home) at Gurvanshaikhan Mountains in Gobi Gurvanshahian National Park courtesy of Adagio

Breakfast
Kefir aka Исгэлэн Тараг
Arvain Guril (fried and malted barley flour porridge and sweet cream)
Preparation Time 20 Minutes.
No marinating required.

Some Mongolians often eat porridge for breakfast, but if they are planning to leave very early on a long cold journey, they traditionally eat a full dinner for breakfast. Some Mongolians however, prefer to have a generous helping of stew for breakfast everyday. For them, porridge seems like just a snack.

Ingredients and Shopping List:
Kefir:
1 bottle of Kefir (Available at Health food Store).
Arvain Guril:
1 teaspoon of Oil or any kind. Butter probably tastes the best, and is better for you than a lot of oils. Coconut oil is an excellent choice, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
1 cup of Grape Nuts (ground down to a 1/2 cup of malted barley malt powder).
1 cup of Water
Sweet Cream to Taste
Sugar to Taste (Stevia is so much healthier than sugar).

Equipment:
Microwave
Wax paper to cover microwaving food
1 microwavable bowl

Instructions:

Crush Grape Nuts into a powder. You can use a mortar and pestle, the smooth side of a meat tenderizing hammer with Grape Nuts wrapped in a paper towel, a blender, a coffee grinder, or the back of a knife handle with the Grape Nuts in the bowl.

Add oil and water. Mix well.

Cover with wax paper and microwave for about 1 minute.

Add Sweet Cream and sweetener.

Get Kefir.

Eat.

Note: The brain food in this meal is the kefir.

Lunch
Süütei Tsai aka Сүүтэй Цай (salted tea with milk)
Chanasan Makh aka Чанасан Мах (Lamb Chops, liver and stuff, and Carrots)
Preparation Time 15 minutes to 3 hours (if using crock pot method).
No marinating traditionally required.

This is the kind of dinner that Mongolians eat for breakfast if they are going on a long cold journey.

Süütei Tsai and Chanasan Makh, Courtesy of Tamorlan (Jens courtesy)

Ingredients and Shopping List:
Süütei Tsai:
1/2 cup of Tea or any kind. Regular tea is more traditional.
1/2 cup of Milk
Salt to taste
Chanasan Makh:
Raw Lamb Chops or any smaller cut of lamb; not a whole leg of lamb (leg of lamb is too large and expensive).
1 piece of Raw Chicken, Beef, or Calf Liver (The Mongolians use sheep liver, stomach, and heart, but you probably won't be able to buy that anywhere near your home.)
1/2 cup of Raw Chicken Gizzards and Hearts (optional)
1 can of Carrots
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
Catchup or hot sauce to taste. (-- a modern addition).

Equipment:
1 coffee cup
1 sauce pan or crock pot

Instructions:

Open the can of carrots and pour off the water. If you have a crock pot you can use fresh carrots. If you use fresh carrots, wash and clean them. Then skin them if you like them skinned. Use a vegetable skinner or knife. If you are using a crock pot, put the meat, and vegetables in the crock pot. Put in enough water to barely cover the meat and vegetables. Add salt. Put on lid. Cook on high for about three hours.

Put lamb meat, liver, and optional gizzards and heart, and carrots in the sauce pan. Cover them with water. Add salt and boil for about 15 - 30 minutes til done.

Make a 1/2 cup of tea. Add 1/2 cup of milk. Add salt

Take cooked meat and carrots out of the pan or crock pot and put them on a plate.

Get Süütei Tsai

Eat.

Note: The brain food in this meal is the liver and hearts.

Note: Like yogurt, kefir is one of the healthiest drinks in the world. It has been a part of the Mongolian diet for millenniums.

Note: Many lamb meat cuts are very fat. The leaner cuts are the arm, the lion, the shank half of the leg, and of course the leg of lamb.

Note: Mongolians usually eat mutton, not lamb, but it is difficult to buy mutton in many parts of the world. Mutton is an adult sheep, and lamb is a baby sheep. They also eat goat and marmot (a large squirrel-like animal that looks like a beaver without the big teeth).

Dinner
Budaatai Huurga aka Будаатай Хуурга (any kind of meat and rice boiled in Süütei Tsai)
Preparation Time 15 minutes, if meat is already cooked.
No marinating traditionally required.

Ingredients:
1 quart of Tea of any kind. Regular tea is more traditional.
1 quart of Milk
2 cups of Microwaveable Rice
2 cups of per-shredded coleslaw without the dressing (from the produce section of the grocery store).
3 tablespoon of Powdered Ranch Dressing Mix
Salt to Taste
Any kind of canned or raw meat. Lamb or a meat like ground up jerky is more traditional and beef is a favorite.

Equipment:
Microwave
One 4 quart microwavable bowl
One microwavable plate

Instructions:

If meat is raw, cook first. Set Aside.

Put coleslaw mix on a plate, cover with wax paper or microwave-safe lid, and microwave for about 3 minutes. Set Aside

Make one quart of tea. Put one quart of water in 4 quart microwave bowl. Microwave for about 3 minutes. Put tea bags in and let them steep for about 10 minutes until the tea is nice and dark.

Add one quart of milk.

Add powdered ranch dressing and salt. Stir.

Add veggies.

Add Meat.

Cover with wax paper of microwave-safe lid and microwave again for about 4 - 6 minutes, until warm enough to eat.

Salt to Taste.

You can drink water or kefir with this meal.

Eat.

Note: The brain food is this meal is lean meat (if it was used) or kefir (if it was drank).