‘Red Sands’ cookbook: Recipes from lamb soup to non puju

Caroline Eden’s new book explores the vast landscape of central Asia through recipes she has encountered on her numerous travels

From the Caspian Sea to the Fergana Valley, these dishes all have a rich history behind them (Quadrille/Ola O Smit)

Autumnal soup with rice, barley and lamb

In autumn, at almost any dastarkhan in Tajikistan, you will be served a thick, warming soup full of lamb and fresh vegetables, oen so hearty that it is the main event. This is a version of the soup I ate with Mirzoshah Akobirov at his apple orchard, sunshine warming our backs as we ate, snow-capped mountains hovering in the distance.

Serves 4