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Bulgarian · Balkan

Kavarma (pork and vegetable clay pot)

Non-vegetarian

Кавърма · Kavarma

Pork slowly stewed with leeks, onions, mushrooms and peppers in wine, then baked in individual clay pots, often with an egg cracked on top.

Kavarma (pork and vegetable clay pot) is a Bulgarian main course, ready in about 1 hour 55 minutes and made with pork shoulder and leek. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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A serving of Kavarma (pork and vegetable clay pot)
Photo: zizitop101 / Pixabay · Pixabay Content License
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 35 min
Total
1 h 55 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
623

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the pork in the oil over high heat, then add the onions (opens in a new tab) and leek (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the mushrooms (opens in a new tab) and peppers (opens in a new tab) and cook until the mushrooms colour. Stir in the paprika (opens in a new tab), then the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), savory (opens in a new tab), bay, wine, salt and pepper.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Cover and stew on low heat for 50 minutes until the pork is tender, adding a splash of water if it gets dry.

    • 50 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Pork should be tender and cooked through.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 200 °C. Divide among clay pots or one baking dish (opens in a new tab), crack an egg (opens in a new tab) on each if using, and bake 15–20 minutes until the egg is set. Scatter with parsley (opens in a new tab).

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Bulgaria · Commonly attributedThe name comes from the Turkish kavurma (fried meat); regional Bulgarian versions vary widely.More food from Bulgaria
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Stews & braises · Casseroles & bakes
Cooking method
Stewed, Oven-baked
Taste
savoury, herby, mild, rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Egg-freeWith the listed swaps: Alcohol-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Pork shoulder · Leek · Onion · Mushrooms · Red bell pepper · Tomato
Techniques
Baking · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sulphitesfrom dry white wine

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

623 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 488 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 23%
  • Carbohydrate 12%
  • Fat 65%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy623 kcal128 kcal
Protein34 g7 g
Carbohydrate18.4 g3.8 g
Net carbohydrate13.9 g2.8 g
Sugars8.9 g1.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.5 g0.9 g
Fat42.5 g8.7 g
Saturated fat12.1 g2.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol124 mg25 mg
Sodium1007 mg206 mg
Salt equivalent2.5 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1156 mg
Calcium
81 mg
Iron
3.8 mg
Magnesium
71 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
178 µg
Vitamin C
97 mg
Vitamin D
3.1 µg
Vitamin B12
1.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
83 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Clay pots (gyuveche) should go into a cold oven so they don't crack.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the stew dry out — keep a little sauce in each pot or the egg cooks on a dry base.

Serve with

  • Serve with fresh bread and a shopska salad.

Storage

  • Refrigerate (without egg) up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat in the oven, adding the egg at that point.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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