Cuisine of the peoples of the Caucasus or national Caucasian cuisine- this is a collective concept that combines Abkhazian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian Lezgin, Ossetian, and Chechen cuisine. Of course, each of them has its own dishes, but most of them are similar, such as kebab. This dish consists of medium-sized pieces of pork or lamb, marinated and then grilled. The principle of preparing the dish is the same, but the marinades differ. They come in a wide variety.
The commonality of the previously listed Caucasian cuisines is that in each of them you will find appetizers, salads, first courses in the form of thick soups, main hot courses, desserts, baked goods, and preparations for the winter. A similar pattern can be seen in the food products used. For example, the basis of many dishes is meat. The most popular is lamb, followed by goat and beef, as well as meat poultry. Pork is practically not used, which is due religious factor. The thing is that many Caucasians adhere to Islam, which precisely imposes a ban (haram) on eating pig meat. In addition, milk and dairy products are widely used. Quite popular are sour milk and drinks based on it, as well as all kinds of cheeses. By the way, cheese making for the Caucasian peoples is an integral part of their traditional cooking. Also on a traditional Caucasian table you will see a wide variety of greens, as well as local seasonal vegetables. Another similar feature is the use of wheat flour for baking flatbreads.
The peoples of the Caucasus jealously guard their traditions. For example, when you go to the Caucasus, you will often see a tandoor - a traditional roasting oven in which a wide variety of dishes are prepared. This device has served faithfully for hundreds of years, and will serve no less!
Speaking about the cuisine of the peoples of the Caucasus, we would like to note that every year it is gaining more and more popularity on a global scale. Today, millions of people have heard the following names: kharcho, pilaf, lobio, satsivi, khachapuri, lula-kebab and many others. And this is not surprising, because these dishes are not only unusual and orientally spicy, but also very tasty!
If you are interested in national Caucasian cuisine, then we suggest you get to know it better. To do this, you don’t have to go to an expensive restaurant or look for a suitable cafe. You can get acquainted with Caucasian cuisine without leaving own home. You just need to use the recipes with photos that are given here! We hope that the dishes prepared by you will turn out in the best traditions of real oriental cuisine!
Caucasian kitchen consists of cuisines of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, which have many similarities characteristic features. Traditional recipes from these countries use a lot of vegetables, herbs, seasonings, meat and always red wine. Even far from these countries, lula kebab and lobio, khachapuri and satsivi are famous.
Caucasian cuisine widely uses in its recipes different kinds meat. Most often, cooks put veal, lamb and beef in dishes. Moreover, the meat is chopped manually with a knife.
Kebab occupies a special place among the traditional dishes of the peoples of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. It is a kind of calling card of the Caucasus. There are many recipes with which you can prepare this dish. Vegetables and a variety of herbs must be served in large quantities on the table with shish kebab.
Caucasian cuisine is widely known for its thick and tasty soups. Rich broths are also familiar to many. The kharcho soup of the Georgian peoples is especially popular, as well as the Azerbaijani kyufta-bozbash and piti.
Traditionally, Caucasian cuisine is famous for its pilaf. The main ingredient in the preparation of this dish is meat. However, chefs often use berries, fish, vegetables or other products instead.
The cuisines of the peoples of the Caucasus are also notable for their desserts. The main ones are sherbet and kazinaki, Turkish delight and baklava. Ossetian pies, open pasties, meat in Tsakhton sauce and kebabs are very popular.
The diet of the peoples living in the Caucasus largely depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. The morning begins with a light meal. The daytime meal is a little denser. Spicy and fatty foods are served at the evening table. After all, it is at dinner that relatives, friends and neighbors come together.
Caucasian cuisine, whose recipes with photos will whet your appetite, will delight you with wonderful soups, kebabs, sauces and desserts. Traditional dishes of the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia will be a real highlight of your
In the Caucasus, food is treated with love and sincere respect: it is believed that Heaven sends food to people so that they can live and gain strength. Baking plays an important role in this important matter. Its exact recipes are passed down from generation to generation. Every family certainly keeps special secret, who makes baked goods such that “you’ll swallow your own tongue, I swear by my mother!” And anyone who has been to the Caucasus will confirm: being of sound mind and clear consciousness, you cannot refuse a crispy cheburek with chopped lamb inside. No one will turn away from khachapuri - a boat with a yellow egg in the middle. Only a fool would snort at the sight of nut baklava. And only a madman will say: “I don’t want to!”, seeing Caucasian pies, when baking which the rule applies: less dough, and more juicy, spicy filling.
There are a great variety of fillings for pies: meat, cheese, chicken giblets, cottage cheese, herbs, beans, vegetables, fruits and... love. True experts and connoisseurs assure that simply mixing the ingredients is not enough. In addition to them, they say, you need to add a piece of soul to the dish, otherwise it will be worthless. Baking pies does not apply to the sleeves - they are like a certificate of quality: the better and thinner the dough is rolled out, the more experienced the housewife, and the more generous and richer the filling, the more hospitable the house.
Everything about a properly prepared Caucasian pie is perfect - both form and content. Therefore, make the dough yourself, not trusting store-bought ones, and don’t skimp on the filling - let it be the way you want: sweet, salty, spicy... A cup of tea brewed with herbs, or a glass of wine and good Caucasian toast will help to highlight the taste of a freshly baked pie, then there is a story in which sublime poetry, a fairy tale, edification, laughter at evil and stupidity are mixed (you must agree, this is a separate work of table art). In our case, this one is quite suitable: “Once upon a time, a mountain eagle flew out to hunt. He flew for a long time in search of prey, but could not choose it. The mouse was too small for such a horseman. The sheep bleated disgustingly. And the eagle didn’t look at the gopher at all - he was tired of it! While choosing, the eagle strained its wings, lost strength and returned to the nest without eating. So let's drink so that we can always choose the right option! Choose the recipe you like and know: in any case you will win, no one will be left hungry or dissatisfied. Prepare, eat and enjoy!
For 8 persons: flour - 500 g, matsoni - 250 ml, milk - 100 ml, eggs - 1 pc., butter - 50 g, vegetable oil - 75 g, dry yeast - 6 g, sugar - 1 tsp, salt - 0 .5 tsp, pork - 700 g, onion - 2 pcs., salted pork lard - 150 g, garlic - 2 cloves, red hot pepper - 0.5 tsp, ground coriander - 0.5 tsp. l., zira - 1 tsp. l., utskho-suneli - 1 tbsp. l., Georgian adjika - 1 tsp., salt
Dissolve the yeast in milk and sugar, pour the mixture into flour and salt. Add matsoni and butter, beat in the egg. Knead the dough, add vegetable oil. Place the dough in a warm place for 2 hours. Cut the meat into pieces, lard and onion into cubes, garlic into slices. Stir, salt, pepper, add spices, add adjika, leave for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into two parts, roll out. Place the filling on one layer, cover with a second layer, and pinch the edges. Bake in an oven preheated to 180-200°C for about 20 minutes.
Calorie content per serving 260 kcal
Cooking time 180 minutes
6 points
For 4 persons: kefir - 125 ml, sour cream - 160 ml, butter - 125 g, flour - 300 g, hard cheese - 250 g, feta cheese - 100 g, salt - 0.5 tsp, soda - 0.5 tsp ., sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
Mix kefir with sour cream (125 ml), add salt, sugar, soda, stir. Pour in 100 g of melted butter. Add flour, knead the dough. Leave it while you prepare the filling. Grate the cheese, add 25 g of butter, the remaining sour cream and mix. Divide the dough and filling into four parts. Form each piece of dough into a flat cake and place the filling in the center. Gather the dough from the edges to the middle, flatten the cake with your hands. Fry the khachapuri in a heated frying pan without adding oil. Fry with the lid closed. Grease the finished khachapuri with butter.
Calorie content per serving 344 kcal
Cooking time 100 minutes
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 4 points
For 4 persons: soda - 1 tsp, flour - 1 kg, salt - 1 tsp, potatoes - 800 g, eggs - 2 pcs., kefir - 500 ml, green onions - 1 pc., butter - 400 g
Sift the flour, combine with salt. Add soda to kefir and mix. Pour kefir into flour, knead the dough, leave under a towel for 20 minutes. Peel the potatoes, boil and mash them with the addition of eggs, finely chopped onion and salt. Divide the dough and filling into equal parts. Roll out the dough into layers. Place the filling on each, wrap on all sides and roll out again to form a thin flatbread with filling. Fry the flatbreads in a heated frying pan, brush with beaten egg and pour well with melted butter.
Calorie content per serving 280 kcal
Cooking time 2 hours
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 4 points
For 6 persons: flour - 250 g, dry yeast - 2 tsp, deodorized sunflower oil - 2 tsp, whole milk - 130 ml, suluguni - 300 g, sour cream - 50 g, butter - 30 g, parsley - 30 g , green onion - 30 g, sugar - 1 tsp, salt - 1 tsp.
Heat 50 ml of milk. Add yeast, granulated sugar, stir, leave for 10-15 minutes. Pour the dough into a bowl with sifted flour, add the remaining milk with salt and sunflower oil. Knead into a soft dough, cover with a towel and leave for 40 minutes. Grate the cheese. Add finely chopped herbs and sour cream. To stir thoroughly. Roll out the dough and put the filling on it. Fold the dough so that the filling is inside. Press with your hands, cover with a towel, and let stand for 3-5 minutes. Flatten the pie with your hands to form a large, thin cake. Make a cut in the form of a cross to allow hot air to escape, bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 200 °C, after completing the process, grease with butter.
Calorie content per serving 240 kcal
Cooking time 100 minutes
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 4 points
For 3 persons: flour - 400 g, salt - 1.5 tsp, sugar - 1.5 tbsp. l., dry yeast - 0.5 tsp., butter - 100 g, eggs - 4 pcs., suluguni - 400 g
Pour 300 ml of water into a deep bowl and heat slightly. Add salt, sugar, mix. Add a little flour and mix with a whisk. Add yeast and remaining flour in portions. Knead until the dough comes away from your hands. Ready dough cover with a towel and place in a warm place for 30-40 minutes. Grate the suluguni on a coarse grater and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into three equal parts, roll each into a flat cake. Place the filling on each, distributing it over the entire area, fold in the sides, shape into a boat, slightly widen the middle and add a little more filling. Brush the khachapuri with beaten egg. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 25-30 minutes. Place the egg yolks in the center of the finished khachapuri and bake for another 3-4 minutes. Then grease the khachapuri with butter.
Calorie content per serving 255 kcal
Cooking time 90 minutes
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 5 points
For 5 persons: vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l., melted butter (or butter) - 3 tbsp. l., onion - 1 pc., flour - 3.5 cups, greens (any) - 400 g, salt
Sift the flour, add a pinch of salt. While kneading the dough, gradually add the mixed vegetable oil water so that the dough does not turn out too tough. Cover the dough with a towel and leave for 30 minutes. Finely chop the onion, 1 tbsp. l. Heat the melted butter in a frying pan, put the onion in it, simmer for 7 minutes until soft. Add finely chopped greens to the onion, stir, remove from heat. Add salt to the filling and cool. Divide the dough into 15 parts, roll into thin cakes. Place a dry, thick-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Place the filling on half of each tortilla, cover with the other half and carefully press the edges. Fry the kutabs on both sides for one and a half minutes. Grease the finished kutabs with the remaining melted butter. Serve hot or warm.
Calorie content per serving 236 kcal
Cooking time 90 minutes
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 5 points
For 8 persons: flour - 500 g, sour cream - 200 g, butter - 300 g, eggs - 2 pcs., baking powder - 1 tsp, walnuts - 2.5 cups, finely ground sugar - 2.5 cups, vanillin, cardamom , cinnamon, honey - 50 g
Soften 200 g of butter, add egg, sour cream, mix, combine with flour, add baking powder. Knead soft dough and place in the refrigerator. Set aside walnut quarters (24 pcs.) for decoration, chop the rest. Add 1.5 cups of sugar and spices. Divide the chilled dough into four parts and roll out into a thin layer. Divide the filling into three parts, place the layers of dough in a greased form, alternating them with filling. Mark the top layer on portioned pieces, cutting parallel lines with a knife without cutting the bottom layer of dough. Make a few more cuts to create diamond shapes. Grease the surface with yolk mixed with 1 tbsp. l. cold water, stick a nut into each diamond. Place the mold with the preparation in the oven, preheated to 200 °C. Remove after 15 minutes, “renew” the cuts, pour in 100 g of melted butter, return to the oven for 35-40 minutes. Cook the syrup: bring water (150 ml) to a boil, add 1 glass of sugar, cook until slightly thickened, cool. Mix with a portion of honey and pour over the baked baklava.
Calorie content per serving 338 kcal
Cooking time 80 minutes
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 8 points
For 6 persons: flour - 300 g, pressed yeast - 10 g, kefir - 350 ml, sugar - 5 g, margarine - 30 g, beans - 100 g, lamb tail fat - 50 g, onion - 50 g, butter - 100 g, salt , pepper
Sift the flour, pour it on the table in a heap, pour in kefir, add softened margarine, salt, yeast, sugar. Knead the dough and place in a warm place for 2-3 hours. Rinse the soaked beans, cook until fully cooked, add salt, and drain in a colander. Pass through a meat grinder, add finely chopped fat tail fat and finely chopped onion. Salt, pepper, mix. Divide the finished dough into two parts, roll into flat cakes 0.5-1 cm thick. Place the filling in the middle of one flat cake, level it so that 3-4 cm remains to the edges, cover with the second flat cake. Fold the edges of the cakes towards the middle and pinch. Place the pie in a slightly heated frying pan, greased and sprinkled with flour. Make a cut in the middle and place in the oven, preheated to 210-230 °C. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve brushed with oil.
Calorie content per serving 160 kcal
Cooking time 4 hours
Difficulty level on a 10-point scale 6 points
Photo: Istock.com/Gettyimages.ru
Caucasian kitchen– the concept is quite arbitrary. The Caucasus Mountains region is home to a large number of peoples whose cuisine has many common features. Caucasian cuisine is, first of all, meat, vegetables, herbs, spices and red wine. The names of many dishes of Caucasian cuisine are well known even to those who have never been to the Caucasus, since this national food is simply adored in Russia.
In general, the dishes are characterized by elegance of taste, satiety and a special ritual of preparing and eating food with the obligatory abundance of herbs, spices, and delicious drinks; they are united by the collective name of the traditional dishes of the peoples inhabiting the Caucasian region.
Nature has generously endowed this region with fertile arable land, plenty of sun, noble mountains with an abundance of fragrant herbs, fragrant gardens and vineyards. Therefore, Caucasian cuisine is a real national treasure, unlike others, because it combines the secrets of various dishes.
All dishes are very appetizing, juicy, filling, with their own unique flavors and original recipes. This includes the well-known kebab, delicious pilaf, satsivi, shurpa, dolma, khinkali, kebabs, khachapuri - the list goes on and on. And of course, one cannot help but pay attention to the unimaginable an abundance of various sauces, seasonings and famous aromatic wines. Magical unique recipes They give us people who are well versed in food and know how to cook it. Colorful culinary ideas are loved and in demand far beyond the Caucasus.
In this review, we have selected five famous Caucasian dishes and collected their classic recipes.
In order to start cooking real and tasty kebab, you must first choose the right meat. What kind of meat should you buy? Some people only like lamb, others do not eat pork, and still others eat any meat. For good shish kebab Pork is excellent, not very fatty, only fresh and not frozen. Which part of pork to use? best result? Take the neck.
Ingredients for marinating - based on 3-4 kilograms. Main secret marinating shish kebab is not about what ingredients to put there, but in what sequence.
Ingredients:
- Salt (about 4-5 tsp)
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Coriander is also known as cilantro. 15-20 peas. They need to be crushed in a mortar, first lightly fried. If the coriander is already ground: a little more than half a teaspoon
- Basil - the same amount as ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon
- Thyme - also known as Thyme per kilogram - one or two pinches
- Zira. A very specific seasoning, a little less than half a teaspoon will be enough. Zira has a very specific taste, so be careful in its quantity
- Bay leaf, a couple of pieces
- Red pepper, paprika. Ground, sweet. You can have a teaspoon without a “slide”. It will give a little of the desired aroma and beautiful colour when frying. Want to add some spice? One clove of crushed garlic, add hot capsicum, but be careful, the taste of the meat can be greatly interrupted, you need everything in moderation
- Onions – 5-6 bulbs
- Sunflower oil – 5-6 tablespoons
Mix everything, add half a lemon. The meat should be marinated for several hours, then fry the kebab on the grill.
Ossetians have been baking their traditional pies with various fillings for thousands of years. The shape of the pies is usually round, about 30-35 cm in diameter.
The name of the pies may vary depending on the type of filling :
- Walibakh, ch(b)iri, habizdzhyn (singular) – pies with cheese
- Kartofdzhyn – pies with potatoes and cheese
- Tsaharajyn – pies with chopped beet leaves and cheese
- Kabuskajin – pies with shredded cabbage and cheese
- Fydzhyn - pies with minced meat (usually beef)
- Davonjin – pies with chopped wild garlic leaves and cheese
- Nashjyn – pies with chopped pumpkin and cheese (available without)
- Kh(b)adurjyn – bean pies
In different regions of Ossetia there may be other variations of the filling.
Ossetian pie
Ingredients:
For the test:
- Wheat flour - 500 g
- Sugar - 50 g
- Salt - 60 g
- Yeast (preferably live) - 50 g
- Water - 1.5 l
For filling:
- Beef (brisket) - 450 g
- Bulb onions - 2 medium onions
- Garlic - 3–5 cloves
Ossetian pie
Preparation:
- Prepare the dough- mix one and a half liters warm water, yeast, salt and sugar. Let sit for 10–12 minutes
- Mix flour and dough so that the dough is elastic enough and not too hard. At the end, add a little sunflower oil so that the dough does not stick to your hands.
- Pass the meat through a meat grinder, do the same with garlic and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste
- Lay out the dough on the table, roll it out a little and put the filling in the middle. Then close the top with the edges of the dough. Then roll out to a thickness of two and a half centimeters. Place the pie in cast iron frying pan or shape (approximately 32 centimeters in diameter). Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300 degrees. When serving, brush the pie a small amount butter
To prepare real khinkali, you need to follow several rules. Firstly, it is advisable not to mince the meat, but to chop it finely: minced meat will release more natural juice when cooked, and this is the most valuable part of the dish. In addition, the minced meat should not be dry; you need to add a little water to it and mix thoroughly. Kneading the dough for khinkali by hand is difficult, as it should turn out dense and elastic, so if you have a dough mixer, it is better to use it.
The more folds on the tail, the better quality the khinkali is considered: ideally there should be 19 folds, but often there are about 10. The number does not affect the taste, but speaks about the professionalism of the cook.
You need to eat khinkali with your hands: take it by the tail, turn it over, bite a small hole and first drink the juice, and then take a bite.
Ingredients:
Ground meat:
- Veal - 1 kg
- Onion - 200 gr
- Chili pepper - 10–12 g
- Salt - 10–15 g
- Black pepper - 3–4 g
- Fresh cilantro - 5 g
- Water - 100 gr
Dough:
- Flour - 2 kg
- Water - 650 ml
- Sunflower oil - 20–30 g
- Salt - 20 gr
Preparation:
Dough. Pour flour, salt into a deep container and start kneading, gradually adding water and sunflower oil. After the mass becomes homogeneous and elastic, form it into a ball, cover with cling film and leave for 20 minutes.
Ground meat. Finely chop the meat. Chop the onion into small cubes, finely chop the chili and chop the cilantro. In a deep container, mix meat, onion, chili, cilantro, mint, salt and pepper. Add water and mix thoroughly (the consistency should be liquid but homogeneous).
Roll out the dough into a sausage with a diameter of about four centimeters and cut it into pieces of three to four centimeters. Form each piece into a ball, and then, sprinkle with flour, roll out into a thin flat cake three millimeters thick. You need to roll out the same ball at least ten times to make the dough more elastic.
Put about 50 gr. minced meat into the middle of a thin flatbread and, lifting the edges of the dough up, roll them in a circle like an accordion: pinch the dough with one hand and collect the folds with the other. Press the resulting tail and cut off the excess top with a knife. Stretch the khinkali slightly so that after cooking, the juice from the meat inside remains at the bottom.
Salted in a saucepan swirl boiling water into a funnel using a spoon, lower the khinkali into its center, scroll once (so that the khinkali certainly do not stick to each other) and leave to cook for seven to nine minutes.
(kebab in Persian means “fried meat”) - an oblong cutlet fried on a skewer.
Traditional lula kebab prepared from lamb and onions. In this case, the lamb should be quite fatty, and you will need a lot of onions. Unlike cutlets, lula kebab does not contain any eggs or bread. Only spices are added to the meat and onions: pepper, basil, cilantro, garlic.
For cooking lula kebab The lamb must be passed through a meat grinder and minced with your hands for a very long time, throwing it forcefully onto the table. The minced meat should become viscous so that it sticks to the skewers and does not fall apart on the grill. It is very important to knead the minced meat well - it also determines how tender the meat will be.
To prevent minced meat made without bread and eggs from falling apart when frying, it must first be beaten, that is, forcefully hit the entire mass of minced meat on the table for 8–10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- Lamb – 1 kg
- Onions – 4 pcs.
- Fat tail fat – 100 g
- Basil – 1 tsp.
Cooking method:
- Peel the onion, grind with half the lard in a meat grinder
- Wash the lamb, cut into pieces and also grind in a meat grinder. Add the mixture of onions and lard, mince everything together again
- Season the minced meat with seasonings and basil. Knead for 7–8 minutes. Then beat thoroughly, cover with cling film and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Form sausages 12–14 cm long from the minced meat and thread them onto skewers. Fry over coals or in a hot frying pan, turning constantly, for 20 minutes. Plum sauce goes very well with lula kebabs.
Khachapuri
Adjarian khachapuri recipe
Ingredients:
- flour - 500 gr
- salt - 1/4 tsp.
- warm milk - 1 tbsp.
- sugar - 1 tsp.
- chicken egg - 8 pcs.
- vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.
- dry yeast - 1 sachet
- grated cheese (Adyghe or Suluguni) - 250-350 gr
- butter - 100 gr
Preparation:
- Dough. Pour milk into a bowl, add salt, sugar, 1 egg, flour and yeast and mix well. Knead until you get a smooth and elastic dough
- Grease a pan with oil, transfer the dough into it and roll it in oil, then cover with foil and place in a warm place for an hour. After an hour, knead the dough and put it back in a warm place for half an hour.
- After half an hour, knead the dough and divide it into 6 equal parts according to the number of future khachapuri. We flatten the dough with our hands to form soft oval cakes, we tighten the edges of these cakes so that the dough in the middle is thinner. Place grated cheese in the middle, fold the edges and forming boats. Beat 1 egg and brush the edges with it
- Place the khachapuri in an oven preheated to 200°C for 25-30 minutes. Then we take out the khachapuri and beat an egg into the middle of each. Keep the khachapuri with the egg in the oven, so that the white is baked and the yolk remains liquid (don’t miss this moment!!!), and we get it. Serve khachapuri hot, placing a piece of butter on top of each
Bon Appetit everyone!!!
This is delicious.
Caucasian cuisine is bright and unusual. These are, first of all, meat, herbs, cheese and spices, which make very tasty things.
Dagestan
Previously, lamb was used to prepare Avar khinkal, but now beef is used more often.
Ingredients:
300 g beef
5 fresh tomatoes
salt, pepper, bay leaf
bulb onions
1 head of garlic
1 tsp soda
vegetable oil
Adviсe:
Serve meat, dough, garlic sauce and broth separately
The lid must be tightly closed when cooking the dough.
Recipe:
Boil large pieces of meat.
Roll out the wheat dough mixed with kefir into a layer 6 mm thick, cut into diamonds or squares and throw into the boiling broth left over from the meat. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
As soon as the dough is ready, immediately remove it, remembering to pierce each piece with a fork or toothpick.
For the sauce, mix sour cream or peeled tomatoes stewed in broth with garlic.
Chechnya
Chepalgash
Chepalgash is thin flatbread with cottage cheese. Despite the stereotype about kebabs, the basis of North Caucasian cuisine is flour products, cereals and cheese, that is, simple, cheap and high-calorie food.
Ingredients:
100 g wheat flour
100 g kefir
0.2 g baking soda
For filling:
75 g cottage cheese
several bunches of green onions
20 g butter
Adviсe:
Cook in a dry frying pan
Recipe:
Knead the wheat dough with kefir, divide into pieces weighing about 200 grams in the form of balls and roll out thinly. Place a couple of tablespoons of homemade cottage cheese filling, green onions, eggs and salt in the middle. Bring the edges together and pinch, roll out the cake to a thickness of less than a centimeter.
Fry on both sides in a frying pan (the first side with a lid, the second without a lid). Dip the finished cakes into hot water, stack them on top of each other, thickly coating each layer with butter.
Cut the entire mound like a cake into 6 pieces. Eat before it gets cold.
Ossetia
In Ossetia, during holidays you often find pies with meat, beet tops, potatoes, and cabbage. Tsakharadzhin contains beets and cheese; it is a very tasty and satisfying pie.
Ingredients:
2 chicken eggs
400 g wheat flour
150 g suluguni cheese
150 g Ossetian cheese
80 g beet tops
30 ml vegetable oil
5 g sugar
5 g salt
10 g dry yeast
water
Adviсe:
After oiling at the end, cover with a towel and let stand for 5 minutes.
Recipe:
Knead the yeast dough with milk, salt and melted butter. Cover and leave in a warm place for an hour.
Make the filling with fresh young cheese and chopped beet tops without stems. For fat content, you can add ghee or sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.
Make a cake out of the dough, slightly less than a centimeter thick. Place the filling in the middle. Pull the ends of the dough towards the middle and pinch. Turn over, carefully level the surface of the cake, and make a cut in the middle for steam.
Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes. Then grease with oil.
Ingushetia
Birch
Meat in Ingushetia is usually served with a special sauce. Here is his recipe.
Ingredients:
meat broth
several potatoes
bunch of greenery
salt pepper
1 onion
1 carrot
butter
Recipe:
Boil the potatoes in meat broth, mash thoroughly, adding raw eggs in the process.
Mix with the broth so that the puree dissolves in it.
Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat, add finely chopped green onions and other greens to taste.
Salt, pepper, simmer for 10–15 minutes. Add fried onions and carrots stewed in butter.
Adygea
Giedlibrze
Except Adyghe cheese, which everyone knows about, gedlibze is worth trying. This is chicken stewed in sour cream or cream.
Ingredients:
5 pieces. chicken drumsticks
2-3 tbsp. sour cream
1 onion
1.5 tbsp. flour
salt, paprika, pepper mixture to taste
Recipe:
Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry separately until golden brown.
Place everything together in a saucepan, sprinkle with paprika. Pour some water, add salt, simmer for 15 minutes.
Add sauce made from sour cream, flour and water, simmer for about half an hour until cooked.
Azerbaijan
Dovga
Dovga is one of the popular and favorite dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine. The good thing about this dish is that it tastes great both hot and cold.
Ingredients for a 2 liter cylinder of homemade matsoni:
2 sour cream 200 g each
1 large bunch of cilantro, dill, spinach, tops, mint
1 small head of garlic
0.5 tbsp. round rice
0.5 tbsp. boiled chickpeas
Adviсe:
It is better to use homemade matsoni, you can buy it at the market
When cooking, stir the dovga continuously until it boils, otherwise the matsoni will curdle.
It is better to stir with a wooden spoon.
Recipe:
Wash all the greens well in advance, chop finely and dry. Boil the rice separately. Pour the matsoni and sour cream into the pan and stir well. Beat in 2 eggs. Add boiled rice along with water.
Place the pan over high heat and, stirring continuously, bring to a boil.
When the matsoni boils, put the herbs and finely chopped garlic into the pan, stirring constantly.
Bring to a boil again.
Add boiled peas. Do not cover with a lid for the first couple of hours.
Armenia
Ishkhan in wine
Until now, Ishkhan, or Sevan trout, is considered the main culinary masterpiece of Armenia. It is gutted with a spoon through the gills, without ripping open the belly. The tender fish is then stuffed with tarragon and poached in wine.
Ingredients:
1kg trout
1 bunch of tarragon
300 g cherry plum
1 onion
dry white wine
Recipe:
Remove the gills from the Sevan trout and use a spoon to remove the entrails. Rinse the cavity thoroughly and stuff it with a chopped mixture of cherry plum, pomegranate, onion and tarragon.
You need to simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes in white wine at the rate of 1 glass per 1 kilogram of dish, avoiding contact of the fish with the bottom of the pan. To do this, it can be placed on stones or wooden sticks.
Georgia
Chkmeruli
Very delicious recipe chicken from national cuisine Georgia.
Ingredients:
500 ml cream
bunch of cilantro
bunch of parsley
a few cloves of garlic
salt, pepper, khmeli-suneli
Recipe:
Cut the chicken along the breast, remove excess fat, tail and wing tips, and lightly pound.
Rub with salt, pepper and grease with vegetable oil. Place in a hot frying pan under pressure, fry on both sides until golden brown.
Pour in a sauce made from cream, chopped garlic, cilantro, parsley and suneli hops. Close the lid and simmer in the oven for about 20 minutes.
