The national cuisine of North Ossetia was formed in ancient times - under the influence of the ancient Alanian people. Since then, her main dish has been and remains meat - mainly beef and lamb - generously seasoned with various sauces. The second place among the cult culinary masterpieces is occupied by pies with meat filling. Many traditions of culinary etiquette have also survived to this day. Pies, for example, are always served on a dish in the amount of three pieces, and on the memorial table there must be an even number of them.
There is not much space for snacks in the cuisine of North Ossetia, however, among them the main ones can be distinguished: tsaku - fried puffed corn, dzykka - made from whey, local cheese and wheat flour. Ossetian cheese itself is also an appetizer, which, according to all the rules of local cuisine, is usually cooked in a dried beef stomach. The whey fermenting in it becomes an airy and amazing tasting cheese product. The composition of national salads often includes such a healthy and easy-to-digest vegetable as radish. The easiest way to prepare them is a mixture of radish, sunflower oil and salt. It is worth mentioning a light snack - eggplant with cheese, which are especially tasty with a special sauce of milk and garlic.
The dominant first courses of any national cuisine are soups, and Ossetian is no exception. Bean soup, which is called kadura bash kartofima in the local dialect, is cooked in milk. In addition to these ingredients, there are always potatoes, onions and greens. The traditional soup of Ossetia is kharmkhuyp, cooked on the basis of lamb meat on the bone. It is noteworthy that the meat is not chopped, but served in large pieces along with the bone on a wide dish separately from the broth. Porridges are also among the first courses; in the cuisine of North Ossetia, cornmeal becomes the basis for most of them. National hominy, or shir, is corn porridge, considered a nutritious and energy-rich dish.
As mentioned above, the main food of the Ossetians is meat, while the second place is occupied by pies with various fillings. There are a lot of cooking options for meat dishes and fillings for pies, so only key national dishes will be considered below.
The most popular is cooking meat over an open fire in a cauldron. It is stewed for a long time with spices and served with a variety of sauces, mostly garlic. Among the variety of sauces, one can single out tsakhton made on the basis of sour cream, and nur tsakhton - very spicy garlic. Tsyvzydakhdon is also popular - an unusual spicy sauce made from capsicum leaves, which is poured with sour cream.Lamb prepared according to the traditions of the peoples of Ossetia is called lyvzha - this is meat stewed with potatoes and onions, seasoned with pepper, garlic and savory (a spice used both for culinary and medicinal purposes). In addition to stew, in Ossetia, its preparation in the form of barbecue is popular, and not only from the sirloin, but also from offal. In this case, the kidneys, livers and hearts of young animals are strung on wooden skewers and roasted on coals.
It is impossible not to mention those second courses that are prepared using poultry meat. Among them there are traditional dishes, without which a real table of a hospitable Ossetian cannot do. First of all, this is Ossetian chicken (tholon), which is languishing in pots along with vegetables. The main seasoning for this dish is savory. For the preparation of duck meat, the presence of garlic is characteristic. The dizzying aroma and taste of Ossetian duck with garlic will not leave indifferent even the most inveterate gourmet. It is served on wide plates, very often it is accompanied by a pie with beet tops, which is eaten instead of bread.
Chicken meat often becomes the main ingredient of another national dish of Caucasian cuisine - pilaf. Most often it is cooked on an open fire in a special dish with a thick bottom. Served with sour milk sauces containing whey or kefir.
The most famous baked delicacy in Caucasian cuisine was and remains a kind of bread substitute - churek. Its basis is corn flour, and churek is traditionally baked with cheese. Before baking, it is smeared with water so that the finished cake does not crack. You can store ready-made products for up to two weeks, they will not dry out and will not become moldy - unlike ordinary bread. The appearance of the churek on the tables of the Ossetians can also be associated with the history of the people. Due to the region of residence, the ancient highlanders ate rather poorly, and chureks were one of the main dishes eaten. Residents of the Republic of Ossetia prefer to use them while still hot - when they emit a unique aroma. The simplicity and speed of the recipe has spread this dish all over the world.
What kind of cuisine does without pancakes and fritters, which in Ossetia also belong to the national dish. The main difference between Ossetian pancakes and the rest is that wheat flour for cooking is mixed in equal proportions with corn flour, which gives the delicacy airiness and an unforgettable taste. In the local dialect, pancakes are called lauzh, pancakes - lauyzta. These dishes are served with sour milk or tsakhdon sauce, which was mentioned above.
In a separate chapter of the book of Ossetian recipes, one can single out their famous pies-flat cakes: the history of recipes is measured in centuries, which is reflected in the Caucasian folk tales. A pie with a thin layer of dough and a lot of filling is considered to be properly made. In addition to culinary, Ossetian pies also have a ritual significance, as evidenced by the serving of three pieces per serving. Three pies symbolize the sun, water and earth - the three foundations of the universe. It is noteworthy that the real recipe for such a dish does not involve the use of margarine and eggs. The main types of Ossetian pies include:
- Kartofjin
- the most popular dish found in any list of Ossetian jam recipes. The basis for it is crushed potatoes mixed with milk and flour, from which flat cakes are subsequently baked. A culinary virtuoso is the one whose potato cakes are the thinnest. Cheese comes as a filling. The old pie recipe continues to win the hearts of gourmets from all over the world.
- Only minced meat pie can compete with the popularity of potato gin - fudge
. It is the hallmark of Ossetia in the field of world culinary art. It is a pocket of thin dough with minced beef. The dish is served exclusively hot, smeared with creamy meat before use.
- Olibach
- a pie with fresh cheese, which is carefully kneaded and salted. When baking this product, an incision is necessarily made in its middle - so that steam comes out and the cheese does not come out.Often, the filling of Ossetian pies includes healthy vegetables, or their leaves, among which the most traditional ones can be distinguished:
- Tsaharajin
- The filling of this cake includes chopped beet leaves and cheese. Beet leaves are the most common ingredient in Ossetian vegetable dishes.
- Khedurjin
- minced meat for the filling is prepared from boiled chopped beans and lard. When serving, the finished product is poured with sour cream.
- Nasjin
It's a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is also often found in Ossetian dishes - it is a very healthy vegetable, considered a kind of vitamin and mineral complex. Its fruits are low-calorie, rich in fiber, and beta-carotene is the champion among vitamins in it.
- Cabuscajin
- Pie with cabbage and cheese. Often served instead of bread with main courses.
The most common national sweet of the Ossetians is dzukata or brushwood. This dessert is present in almost all cuisines of Caucasian cuisine and is regarded as a sweetness by both adults and children. For the peoples of the Caucasus, brushwood is traditionally watered with honey before serving.
You can also highlight such an unusual sweetness as white halua - these are small balls of dough, which is prepared using melted butter and powdered sugar. Well, traditionally, pies with sweet fillings are served as a dessert dish, the most popular among them are cherries and apples. Apple pie, whose name in Russian cuisine sounds like charlotte, is called fatkuydzhyn in the local dialect, and baldzhin is called cherry pie.
Ossetian beer is popular not only in the vastness of the Caucasus region, but also beyond its borders. For local residents, homemade beer is not just a drink: they pray to God during its preparation. The recipe includes barley grains, wheat and cornmeal. Sometimes honey is also added there, which gives a special, somewhat spicy taste. Traditional Ossetian beer is distinguished by its dark color and rich taste; its name in local cuisine sounds like iron bagane.
The second most famous alcoholic drink of Ossetian cuisine is araka - made from corn grains and barley. In general, the people of the Republic of Ossetia are not an adherent of alcohol, they use them in moderation, but on big holidays or commemoration, araka and beer are indispensable elements of the table. The average strength of araki is 25%.
Anyone who has ever visited North Ossetia notes the hospitality and cordiality of the hosts! Due to the fact that this is a multinational republic, the cuisine here is also distinguished by a variety of dishes, which, although not distinguished by a large number, will definitely surprise you with an unforgettable taste. There is not a single person who has visited Ossetia and has not tasted traditional pies with beer!
Ossetian cuisine is probably not as rich in variety of products as the cuisines of the peoples of the South Caucasus. This is largely due to the harsh conditions in which Ossetians lived for several centuries: high mountains, the absence of many fruits and vegetables, the prevalence of cattle breeding over agriculture. These natural conditions have formed a special specific approach to both cooking and eating food. Many of the traditional Ossetian dishes are unlikely to be suitable for those who meticulously count calories, the amount of cholesterol and are afraid to gain an extra 100g. weight. Along with this, in the Ossetian cuisine you can find raisins, having tried which, then for a long time you want "at least a piece more" or even try to cook it yourself.
The material presented below is taken from a small but interesting book by Z.V.Kanukova "Traditional Ossetian Food" from the series "My Ossetia".
It is sold in bookstores in Vladikavkaz and we recommend it for reading to anyone who loves to cook.
RECIPES FOR COOKING THE MOST POPULAR DISHES OF OSSETIAN CUISINE
PEPPER LEAVES SAUCE
(Tsyvzydahdon)
Pick up products as needed
Take salted leaves of bitter capsicum, put in a gravy boat and pour sour cream or kefir. Add salt if necessary.
COOKING PEPPER LEAVES
(Tsyvzyy tsartta tsakhdzhynai)
For 1 kg of leaves - 80-100 g of salt
Cut off the leaves of bitter capsicum from the stems, sort, wash in running water or in several waters. Leave small pepper pods with leaves. Squeeze out the water, put in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Boil the leaves until soft. Then remove them from the heat, put them in a sieve or colander and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear. Let the water drain, and then put it in a large bowl to make it easier to mix with salt. Put in prepared dishes, press. Cover with a clean napkin and put a large press board on top, if in glassware, then close them with a lid.
GARLIC SAUSE
(Nurydzahdon)
1st option.
Garlic - 3-4 cloves, sour cream - 30 g, salt - to taste
Peel the garlic, salt and grind in a wooden or clay mortar until a homogeneous, thick mass. Put in a gravy boat and pour sour cream, stir well. Tsakhdon can also be cooked on kefir.
2nd option.
Garlic - 2-3 cloves, broth - 30 g, pepper, salt - to taste
Prepare garlic, as mentioned above, instead of sour cream, add low-fat broth and black pepper. Both tsakhdons are served with boiled meat dishes.
BEAN SOUP WITH SMOKED LAMB
(Khadur fazdsadzyd dzidzaima)
Beans - 200 g, smoked lamb -500 g, onions - 2 goals, fat - 30 g, pepper and salt to taste.
Sort the beans, rinse and put in a saucepan, pour cold water. Cook over low heat until half cooked. Then put a piece (or sliced) of smoked lamb into the beans and continue to cook. Put finely chopped onion. Before the end of cooking put capsicum.
Smoked meat gives its flavor, so the soup with herbs and spices is not seasoned.
BEAN SOUP WITH SMOKED BALT LAT
(Khadur stad fisy dymagima)
Sort the beans, rinse, boil in a small amount of water for 15-20 minutes, drain it and pour in a new one. Boil beans over low heat. 15-20 minutes before the readiness, cut the smoked tail fat into pieces, put in the soup and continue to cook. Finely chop the onion and put in the soup, and then - capsicum.
This soup can also be prepared with potatoes, then the potatoes are put into the soup before the lard is added, then the beans are also reduced.
SOUP WITH FLOUR Dumplings
(Khaltamadzhyn kharmkhuypp)
1st option. Egg - 2 pcs., flour - 2 tbsp. spoons, salt - to taste
In a bowl, grind the eggs with flour until the mass becomes thicker than sour cream. salt,
take the resulting mass with a teaspoon, dipping it in cold water, and lowering it into the broth or milk prepared in advance. Cook for 10 minutes in a covered saucepan over low heat.
The whole cooking process is the same as indicated above, with the only difference being that mashed parsley or cilantro (to taste) is added to the dumplings when kneading.
Dumplings can be seasoned with all broths.
BOILED LAMB
(Fisy fid kuydyr fikhey)
Wash the leg of lamb, put it in a pot of boiling water and cook, removing the foam with a slotted spoon. Add peeled, coarsely chopped roots (parsley, celery), onions, bay leaves, black peppercorns, salt and continue to cook until tender.
Before serving, put the meat on a dish, sprinkle with salt, parsley and dill on top. Separately, serve tsakhdon from garlic or hot pepper leaves on sour cream or kefir.
LAMB STEW
(Fisy fidy lyvze)
Peel the pulp from the hind leg and the kidney part of the lamb from the films, wash, cut into pieces of approximately the same shape and size and put in a saucepan. Salt, chop the onion and sprinkle the meat with it, cover and put on low heat. Cook until the liquid has evaporated. Then fry in your own fat. If the meat is not fatty, add fat.
When the meat is soft, add a little broth or hot water. Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes and put on the meat. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender. Then pour in the tomato puree, diluted with broth. After 5-10 minutes, add ground black pepper or finely chopped hot pepper, savory, mashed garlic. When serving, send chopped parsley, dill.
SHASHLIK FROM YOUNG LAMB
(Fysy fydey fisoneg)
Separate the parts of the hind leg, the kidney part of the young lamb from the bones, wash, cut into equal pieces, salt, sprinkle with black pepper, mix. Then string the meat on a skewer and fry with moderately hot charcoal until tender. Rotate the skewer for even browning.
The barbecue can be served on a skewer or on a dish, decorated with onion rings and lemon.
LAMB LYVZHA
(Fisy fydey lyvze)
Meat - 500 g, potatoes - 400 g, onion - 100 g, salt, herbs, pepper - to taste
Cut fatty lamb into small pieces, salt and put in a saucepan, pour cold water so that the water covers the meat, cover and cook until tender. Peel the potatoes, cut and put into the meat. Then chop the onions, sprinkle them on top of the potatoes, cover with a lid and cook until tender. Make sure the potatoes don't overcook and that the liquid covers them. Season with bitter capsicum and push aside the plate. The dish must be juicy.
OFFALS FRIED ON A PAN
(Huylfydzaumate tebeyy fisoneggondgey)
Clean the liver, lungs, heart from films, rinse thoroughly, cut into equal pieces and put in a deep frying pan, adding a little broth or water. Salt, cover and simmer over low heat so that the offal does not immediately begin to fry, but stew for 10-15 minutes. When the liquid boils away, add chopped lamb fat. Fry until golden brown. Chop the onion, put in the offal and continue to fry until tender, stirring from time to time. Sprinkle with ground black pepper.
Serve hot.
SHASHLIK WRAPPED IN FAT FILM
(Ehsyrfembal)
Lamb lungs, liver, heart process, peel, wash with cold water and cut into equal pieces, salt, sprinkle with black pepper, put on a skewer and fry over hot charcoal until cooked, rotating the skewer. Then remove the shish kebab from the skewer onto a plate and wrap each piece individually in lamb fat film, cut into quadrangles. Thread again on a skewer, lightly salt and fry in the same way over the coals until golden brown.
The table is served hot.
Note. Offal before wrapping in a fatty film can be boiled.
CHICKEN WITH SOUR CREAM SAUCE
(Karchy lyvze ehsyry sertime)
Chicken - 1 piece, potatoes - 300 g, sour cream - 300 g, onion - 2-3 heads, flour - 40 g, garlic - 5 cloves, salt, savory, pepper - to taste
Singe the chicken carcass, chop off the neck and legs. Gut carefully, being careful not to crush the gallbladder. Rinse the carcass well in cold water, put in a saucepan and boil in a small amount of water so that the water only covers the carcass. During this time, peel the potatoes. Take the chicken out of the broth and put the potatoes chopped with garlic there, boil (very little broth should remain). Then chop the chicken into pieces, dip in the broth with potatoes and let it boil.
Put finely chopped onion, flour, diluted in sour cream, and simmer. Shortly before readiness, add ground black pepper, savory, put crushed garlic and push the stove on board for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with herbs.
CORN MILK SOUP
Corn grits - 150 g, whole milk - 3 parts, water -1 part, lard - 20 g per serving
Rinse corn grits in several waters. Let the water drain. Pour into boiling water and cook until done. 5-7 minutes before readiness, add whole milk and let it boil, salt. When serving, put a piece of butter or melted fat tail fat.
HOMINY
Corn flour - 200 g, wheat -50 g, whey - 400 g, melted butter -50 g, sugar - 30 g
Pour whey (not very acidic) into a cast-iron saucepan (cauldron), put on low heat and let it boil, add salt.
Sift the finely ground cornmeal and pour it into the whey in small portions, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or paddle. Continue to cook on low heat until a homogeneous elastic viscous mass of slightly creamy color is obtained. 5-7 minutes before removing from heat, add a little sifted wheat flour and cook until fully cooked. Put hot on plates, wetting a spoon in melted hot oil, smooth the surface, giving it a rounded shape. Make a well in the middle and pour melted butter into it, sprinkle with sugar.
Serve hot.
COOKING OSSETIAN CHEESE
(Iron tsikht)
Strain the whole milk through a fine sieve or gauze into a clean saucepan and heat it over low heat to room temperature, 20-22 degrees, then pour in the starter (ahsaen, prepared in advance) and mix thoroughly so that it is evenly distributed in the milk, otherwise the milk will not curdle completely (ahsaen can be replaced with pepsin dissolved in cold water).
Put the saucepan with fermented milk in a warm place until completely curdled, then stir the curdled milk well with a spoon, let the cheese settle to the bottom of the saucepan until the whey on the surface is greenish-transparent. After that, carefully collect the cheese with your hands (or on a sieve), squeeze out the whey so that the surface of the cheese becomes elastic, and lower it into the whey. Cheese for the Ossetian pie is taken one or two days old.
Cheese starter preparation
Lamb or beef stomach is washed very well, sprinkled with plenty of salt, rolled up and left for one day so that the salt is absorbed into it. Then straighten and hang to dry over the stove. When the stomach is dry, leaven (ahsen) can be made. To do this, pour a little warmed whey into a ceramic jug and lower a part of the dried stomach, add a little salt and leave for another day. When the whey becomes cloudy and bubbles appear on the surface, it is ready for sourdough.
CHEESE DZYKKA
(Tsykhty dzykka)
Sour cream - 500 g, cheese - 400 g, wheat flour -150 g, salt - to taste
Pour fresh sour cream into a saucepan (preferably in a cast iron) and cook on medium
fire 15-20 minutes from the moment of boiling, stirring occasionally, salt.
Squeeze fresh cheese from the remaining whey, knead well until a homogeneous elastic mass and put in boiling sour cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spoon or wooden paddle. When the cheese is melted, without ceasing to stir, carefully, in small portions, pour in the sifted wheat flour so that there are no lumps. Cook until a copious amount of oil comes out. The mass should take on a slightly creamy color.
When the dzykka is ready, it will easily fall behind the spoon and the sides of the pan.
It is usually served hot, but can also be served cold.
DZYKKA FROM SOUR CREAM
(Ehsyry sertey zykka)
Sour cream-300 g, corn flour -50 g, wheat flour - 20 g, salt - to taste
Pour fresh sour cream into a saucepan or - 32 -
cauldron and over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, cook for 30-35 minutes, add salt. Stirring all the time, pour in small portions of corn flour, you can replace it with semolina). Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add a little wheat flour in the same way. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring, until the oil comes out. The mass will take on a slightly creamy color and will easily lag behind the walls of the pan.
SOUR CREAM DZYKKA WITH EGG
(Ehsyry sertey zykka aeichytimae)
Sour cream - 300 g, flour - 70 g, eggs - 2 pcs., salt - to taste
Pour fresh sour cream into a saucepan or cauldron and over low heat, stirring with a spoon, cook for 30-35 minutes, salt. Pour the flour carefully so that there are no lumps, and continue to cook over low heat, stirring until the mass is released
oil and will not take on a slightly creamy color. Beat the egg and pour into the zykka, mix well, cook for another 1-2 minutes.
(Kepyty misyn)
Boiled or pasteurized milk is heated to a temperature of 25-30 ° and pour milk fungi pre-soaked in warm water into it. Dishes for sourdough should be enameled or glass.
When after 8-10 hours the milk is fermented, pour the finished kefir into jars and put in a cool place.
PIE WITH FRESH CHEESE
(Wahelibaeh)
1st option.
Dough for one pie: flour - 300 g, kefir - 2 cups, sugar -5 g, margarine -30g, yeast -5g
Minced meat: fresh cheese - 300 g, butter - 30 g, salt - to taste.
Sift wheat flour of the first or highest grade, make a depression in the middle and pour fresh kefir into it, put softened margarine, salt, baking soda or yeast, sugar and knead soft dough. Put in a warm place and cover. If the dough is yeast, then leave to proof for 2-3 hours, until it suits. With soda - for 30-40 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare minced meat for pies. One-day-aged cheese made from fresh whole milk, squeeze out the remaining whey, knead thoroughly so that the mass of cheese becomes oily, equally elastic, salt, mix well and divide into parts (according to the number of pies).
Divide the finished dough into parts and roll each part into cakes 0.5-1 cm thick. Put pre-prepared minced meat from fresh Ossetian cheese in the middle of the cake, smooth the cheese on the surface of the cake 3-4 cm from the edge of the cake, then, taking the ends le pawns, gradually pull them to the middle and connect. Flatten the surface of the cake with palm pressure, turn over to the other side, and smooth the surface in the same way. The operation is repeated 2-3 times until the cake is rounded and evenly thick. Place on a warm, lightly greased skillet. On the top side of the pie in the middle, make a cut in the dough so that during baking the vapors do not accumulate and tear the pie. Bake in the oven.
Serve hot, brushed and drizzled with butter or melted butter. The pie can be served whole or cut into 4 or 8 triangular pieces.
2nd option.
The cooking process is the same as walibakh, with the difference that the minced meat is taken two to three times more, and it is larger in volume.
SALT CHEESE PIE
(Waelibaeh tsehdzhyn tsikhtimae)
Dough: flour - 300 g, whey - 2 cups, sugar - 5 g, yeast - 5 g, margarine - 30 g, salt - to taste. Minced meat: pickled cheese - 200 g, sour cream - 50 g, melted butter - 30 g
Sift wheat flour, make a depression in it, put soda or yeast, pour in warm milk or whey, softened margarine, sugar and salt, knead soft dough, cover with a clean towel and leave to proof.
Grate hard pickled cheese on a fine grater, knead with your hands so that there are no unwashed lumps of cheese left, add water or sour cream to soften it, mix again. Divide the finished dough into equal parts, depending on how many pies the dough was kneaded.
Roll out each part separately on a cake, put minced meat - cheese in the middle and level it on the surface of the cake, retreating from the edge by 3-4 cm. Gradually pull the ends of the cake to the middle and connect. Then smooth the surface of the cake with the pressure of the palm of your hand, turn it over and level it again, giving the cake a rounded shape and even thickness. Place the pie in a slightly warmed and greased skillet. Make an incision in the middle of the pie on the top side. Bake and serve just like a fresh cheese pie.
PIE WITH CABBAGE AND FRESH CHEESE
(Qabuskadzhyn)
Cabbage - 300 g, pickled cheese - 70 g, vegetable oil - 60 g, butter - 30 g, pepper and salt - to taste
Preparation of minced meat: peel white cabbage from sluggish, green leaves, rinse, finely chop and put in a pan with fat, simmer over low heat until soft. Then remove from heat and cool to 18-20 degrees Celsius. Separately, knead fresh cheese well, put in cabbage, mix thoroughly with light movements of the fingers, salt to taste. You can add savory.
The method of preparing the dough, baking, form and serving are the same as for waalibakh.
POTATO PIE
(Kartofjin)
Potatoes - 300 g, fresh cheese - 100 g, sour cream, milk - 50 g, butter or ghee - 40 g, salt - to taste
Preparation of minced meat: wash the potato tubers, put in a saucepan, add water and cook until tender. Then drain the water, peel and mash until smooth. Separately, knead fresh cheese and put in potatoes, add whole milk or sour cream, salt and mix. You can add savory.
The method of preparing the dough, the form, baking and serving are the same as for waalbach, but more butter or ghee is served at the table.
POTATO PIE WITH SALT CHEESE
(Kartofdzhyn tsehdzhyn tsikhtime)
Potatoes - 300 g, pickled cheese -100 g, butter - 40 g, sour cream or milk, salt - as needed
Minced meat preparation.
Wash potato tubers, boil, peel and mash until smooth. Grate salted cheese and add to puree, pour in sour cream or milk, if necessary, add salt, mix. The pie is then cooked like walibah.
PUMPKIN PIE
(Nasjin)
Pumpkin - 200 g, cheese - 50-70 g, black pepper, savory - to taste
Minced meat preparation.
Wash the pumpkin, cut it into pieces, remove seeds, fibers, peel, grate, add finely chopped onion, freshly washed cheese, ground black pepper, savory and salt to taste.
The method of preparing the dough, the form, baking and serving are the same as for walibakh, with the difference that when serving nasgin to the table, the butter can be replaced with melted tail fat.
PIE WITH PUMPKIN AND FAT LAT
(Nasjin stad fisy dymaegime)
Pumpkin - 300 g, cheese - 50 g, fat tail fat - 50 g, pepper, salt, savory - to taste
Prepare the pumpkin as mentioned above, then put grated salted cheese, ground black pepper, seasoned fat tail fat into finely chopped pieces, salt (if the cheese is not very salty). Mix everything well. This stuffing can be without cheese. Prepare the dough as above.
PIE WITH CHEREMSH LEAVES AND CHEESE
(Dawonjin)
Green wild garlic leaves - 300 g, fresh cheese -150 g, butter - 40 g, salt - to taste
Preparation of minced meat: sorted and washed in several waters or under running water, finely chop the wild garlic leaves across, sprinkle with salt and rinse, add the previously prepared grated fresh cheese and mix.
The method of preparing the dough, the shape, baking and serving is the same as for waalbach, only with a lot of butter.
BEET LEAF AND FRESH CHEESE PIE
(Tseheradzhyn)
1st option.
Beetroot leaves - 300g, fresh cheese -150g, green onion. -100 g, green dill - 60 g, butter or ghee - 35 g, sour cream - 50 g, salt - to taste
Minced meat preparation.
Sort the beet leaves, rinse in cold running water, cut off the stems, and cut the leaves across very finely into strips. Add finely chopped green onion, dill and mix lightly. Wash fresh cheese separately, put in chopped beet leaves and mix with light finger movements, add sour cream. Salt contributes to a large release of juice, so you need to salt the minced meat before wrapping it in the dough.
2nd option.
The preparation of minced meat is the same as above, only seasoned internal lamb fat (50 g) is added to the minced meat.
The method of preparing the dough, form, baking, serving are the same as for walibakh, with the difference that sour cream is served separately to taste in both versions.
BEAN PIE
(Khaedurjin)
Beans - 100 g, lard - 50 g, onions - 50 g, salt and pepper - to taste
Minced meat preparation.
Sort the beans, wash in cold water. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Boil until cooked, salt and cook for another 3-5 minutes, then put in a colander and let the broth drain. While hot, mash the beans until smooth. Finely chop the aged fat tail and internal fat (fiu), onions, sprinkle with black pepper, mix everything thoroughly. If the minced meat is very dry, then you can add milk or sour cream.
Dough preparation, shape, baking and serving are the same.
PIE WITH MEAT
(Fidjin)
Dough: flour - 230 g, eggs - 1 pc, milk or water 1.5 cups. Minced meat: meat - 320 g, onion - 30 g, garlic - 3-4 dollars, pepper, salt - to taste
Dough: sift wheat flour of the first or highest grade, make a depression in the middle, pour in warm water or milk, beat in an egg, soda, salt on the tip of a knife and knead not very steep dough. Let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes. Wash again before cutting. Divide into two unequal parts, given that the cake for the bottom layer should be larger and thicker. Roll out the bottom cake to a thickness of 0.5 cm and place on a greased pan so that it covers the edges of the pan.
Then lay the minced meat evenly over the entire pan, roll out the second upper cake with a thickness of 0.2-0.3 cm. Make curly cuts in the middle of the upper cake. (The cuts can be made easier and more beautiful if the cake is folded in four). Then cover the pan with a rolling pin and run along the edges of the pan, cutting off the dough from the edges of the pan. Pinch the edges so that the juice does not leak out during baking.
Minced meat: beef meat of the first or second grade, fatty, clean from tendons, films and chop very finely with a billhook or hatchet (or pass through a large meat grinder grate). Add finely chopped onion, garlic, ground with salt, ground black pepper or red bitter, salt to the meat, pour in broth or water 30-35 percent by weight of the meat. If the meat is very fatty, then less liquid is needed. Mix it all up well.
Bake in oven or oven.
Fidjin is a very juicy pie, therefore, when serving, the top cake should be separated from the edges and cut into pieces, covering the minced meat with them. Serve with a fork.
LAUGHTER PIE
(Fiujin)
Dough: flour - 200 g, baking soda - 5 g (or yeast - 2 g), salt - to taste. Minced meat: cured lard -100 t
Sift wheat flour and knead the dough with soda or yeast. Leave to proof. Cut the cured inner fat into small pieces.
Divide the dough into parts, roll it out and put minced meat in the middle of the cake, gradually pulling up the ends of the cake, connect them in the middle of the pie, level it, giving the pie the same rounded shape and thickness. Make a cut in the middle. Bake in the oven.
When serving, grease with melted butter or melted tail fat. Serve hot.
PIE WITH CHEESE AND GREEN ONIONS
(Khazdyndzdzhyn)
Dough: flour -150 g, kefir -1 glass, soda - on the tip of a knife.
Minced meat: leek 100 g, fresh cheese -800 g, salt - to taste
Knead the dough on kefir and soda, let it rest for 25-35 minutes. During this time, sort, peel, rinse the green onion feathers and finely chop. Separately, rinse fresh cheese until smooth and put in onions, salt, mix.
Roll out the dough into rounded cakes, put minced meat in the middle and the ends of the cake, gradually tightening, connect in the middle of the pie. Flatten with palm pressure, turn over and flatten again.
Make a cut in the middle. Bake in the oven. Drizzle with melted butter or butter when serving.
PIE WITH MALT FILLING
(Lakami)
Sift wheat flour, make a well in the middle, beat eggs into it, put salt, pour in warm milk or water, knead a stiff dough, let stand for 20-25 minutes. Divide into pieces and roll out cakes. Put the minced meat made from malt flour in the middle of the oval-shaped cake, flatten it over one half of the cake, cover with the other half and connect the ends of the cake, pinch, giving it the shape of a crescent. Bake in the oven.
Serve with melted butter.
Preparation of malt and minced meat from it: sort wheat or corn grains, soak in room water so that the water is 3-4 cm above the grain level
and leave to swell for 24 hours. Then drain the water, put the grains in a box or trough, lightly press, cover tightly to create heat. Sprouted grains (malt) are separated from each other and dried by air drying or on a stove. After drying, grind the malt.
For minced meat, sift the malt flour and knead a thick, slightly crumbly mass in milk or water so that it can be wrapped in dough.
CORN CHUREK
(Kerdzyn)
Pour the sifted cornmeal with salted boiling water and mix thoroughly, sprinkle with cold water and knead again with your hands until a homogeneous soft elastic mass is obtained. Divide the dough into the desired parts, give them a rounded flattened shape. Lubricate with water on all sides (otherwise the cardzyn may crack). Bake in a hot oven. Churek is delicious hot.
Served with cheese, milk, cattle and all dishes instead of bread
(Dzuakatae)
4 yolks, 1 egg, sugar - 7 g, salt - to taste, vodka or alcohol - 50 g, flour - how much it will take. For frying: melted butter - 300 g
Sift wheat flour of the highest grade and make a recess, drive one egg, 4 yolks into it, then add alcohol or vodka, sugar, salt. Knead a very stiff dough. Divide it into equal parts, roll each part as thin as possible, cut into ribbons and make different shapes out of them.
In a shallow pan, preferably with a thick bottom, put ghee, heat it up and lower the dzuakata into it in such an amount that they do not touch each other, do not deform, and the fat does not stop boiling. Ready zuakata carefully (they are very fragile) put on a dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
WHITE HALUA
(Urs helua)
Melted butter - 1 cup, powdered sugar or sand - 1 cup, flour - how much will take
Grind melted butter with icing sugar or sand until white so that the sugar crystals are not felt between the fingers. Then add flour in small portions and knead not very steep dough. Wash the dough well with your hands. Divide the finished dough into small balls, give them a conical shape and place on a baking sheet. Bake over medium heat in an oven until slightly creamy.
OSSETIAN BEER
(Iron bags)
For 10 liters of water - 5 kg of malt, hops -50 g, tsyrv (brewer's yeast) - 100 g, sugar -100 g
Pour malt flour into water heated to 30 degrees, stirring with a wooden paddle so that there are no lumps left, bring to a boil, put malt flour sifted and fried to a dark brown color in it, let it boil for 5-6 minutes (do not digest - liquid flowing down with a veil, should be transparent).
By this time, prepare a clean basket woven from small twigs, line the inside with cleanly washed and boiled wheat straw. Place the basket in a clean large trough with a hole and strain the malt broth so that the liquid flows through the hole into the cauldron. Transfer part of the malt grounds from the boiler with a ladle into a basket with straw and spread a thin layer over it. Then, stirring the contents of the boiler, gradually transfer all the thick into the basket in small portions.
Clean the cauldron where the malt was brewed and pour the strained broth into it. Put on a strong fire and cook for 1-1.5 hours from the moment of boiling. Put the hops into the cauldron with the beer broth and continue to boil for another 1 hour or a little more. Then remove from heat and cool to 20-25 degrees Celsius. Pour into a bowl prepared for fermentation. Take out the hops.
Prepare the sourdough (tsyrv) in advance. To do this, dilute the brewer's yeast with strained broth, put sugar and let it go well. After that, put them in a chilled broth and mix thoroughly. Cover with heat and put on fermentation.
When fermentation begins, you need to remove the risen foam (tsyrv) and cover back. At the end of fermentation, strain through a hair sieve and transfer to a cool place. The beer is ready.
Note. Beer is tastier if the malt for it is prepared in the following proportion: corn - 1 part, barley or wheat - 1: 1.5.
BRAGA - DENSE KVASS
(Makhsymae - bezzjin kuymel)
Corn flour -4 kg, water 10 l, sugar -0.5 kg, yeast - 30 g
Pour medium grinding cornmeal with warm water (22-25 degrees). Cover with heat and leave for fermentation for 2-3 days in a warm place. At the end of fermentation, pour into a saucepan and put to boil for 1 hour from the moment of boiling, stir occasionally, preventing it from burning to the bottom. Then remove from heat, cool to 20-22 degrees Celsius and ferment with brewer's yeast, add a little sugar. Cover warmly and put in a warm place.
In the process of rapid fermentation, strain through a hair sieve. Close tightly and store in a cool place. The drink is ready.
LIQUID Kvass
(Tenaeg kuymael)
1st option
Pour pomace from kvass makhsym with warm water, put sugar and yeast. Cover, leave to ferment. Then strain through a fine sieve. Cover tightly and put in a cool place.
2nd option
Liquid kvass can be made from cornmeal. Then the flour is taken 2 times less than for makhsym kvass, the rest of the process is the same.
Liquid kvass is a pleasant sweet and sour drink.
Tsakhton sauce is a vivid example of the taste preferences of the Caucasus. They cook it in Georgia and Ossetia, they cook it in different ways, but the name does not change. The national cuisines of the Middle East are characterized by the use of spicy sauces for meat dishes. However, this recipe exists in two versions: spicy and spicy.
There is a dish in Caucasian cuisine with a similar name, zekhton salad, in the recipe of which there are the same ingredients as in the sauce, with the exception of a large amount of hot pepper. It is served with pita bread or as a separate snack. The original sauce may contain hot peppers and garlic, which give the dish the necessary spiciness. Fans of very spicy dishes, when preparing zakhton sauce, resort to tricks - they do not remove seeds from hot peppers.
Sour cream is used to dress the sauce, but in the real Caucasian version, either katyk is used for dressing. Try to cook the classic Georgian tsakhton recipe and its Ossetian version.
This gastronomic delight contains a large amount of garlic, hot peppers and walnuts. If you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you can give up hot peppers. To prepare Georgian sauce you will need:
Cooking process:
When preparing the sauce, Georgian housewives add cumin, coriander, herbs to it; sprinkle suneli hops, make it from a tomato. You are guided by your own taste.
In Ossetian sauce, tsakhton can be garlicky or peppery. Let's cook both options, especially since they do not require long preparations and a large set of different products. For the sauce with pepper leaves, we need to take:
Cooking:
For the garlic version of the zakhton we take:
Cooking:
If you notice, then the Vosetian version of the gravy does not include walnuts, and this is its main difference from the Georgian version.
By the way, sometimes Caucasians cook zakhton with tomatoes, rightly believing that nuts and garlic lack tomato sourness.
Having tried tsakhton sauce, many housewives will think about stocking up on such a tasty addition to dishes for the future. Immediately make a reservation that winter harvesting in the classic form is impossible. Sour cream quickly deteriorates, and even in the refrigerator, ready-made sauce can be stored for only 2-3 days. However, there is a way out. You can pickle peppers, which will serve as the basis for the sauce.
Take an arbitrary amount of hot pepper, preferably green and with leaves. Blanch the fruits for a minute, squeeze. Then put in a saucepan, cover with cold water and boil for 5 minutes, salt. Transfer to a jar, roll up the lid, store in the refrigerator. You can use a jar with a screw cap.
The traditions of Caucasian cuisine dictate what sauce should be served with meat. Moreover, you need to cook it in such quantity that you can eat it all at once. Left in the refrigerator, it quickly loses its taste and aroma.
Experienced chefs advise using gravy for soaking meat. This means that it is great for marinating barbecue. Meat marinated in tsakhton acquires a special taste and delicious tenderness. To get the perfect marinade, the sauce should be diluted with curdled milk or tan.
Use of dry seasonings and spices is allowed. However, the greens must be fresh.
The main feature of the tsakhton is that all the proportions prescribed in the recipe can be ignored. Take the ingredients by eye, achieving the perfect combination for you. This is what most Georgian and Ossetian women do. The versatility of taste with the same products is a hallmark of the famous Caucasian sauce.
Sauce Tsakhton is a very tasty Ossetian sauce, which is usually prepared on the basis of fermented milk products. Tsakhton sauce is one of the most popular sauces in Caucasian cuisine. But, as is often the case, the recipe for the sauce may differ among different peoples, and very strongly. In the original, it is cooked on matsoni. Greens in this sauce are usually cut with a special knife, which cuts it very finely.
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
This simple zakhton sauce recipe will allow you to prepare a quick addition to meat. The best sauce, in my opinion, goes well with chicken and beef dishes. Complements, emphasizes the taste and gives a pleasant sharpness even to the usual dishes. Bring variety to your family lunches and dinners!
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Tsakhton - moderately spicy sour-milk sauce for meat. There are various variations of its preparation, and today we will consider one of them. We take sour cream as a basis, add fresh herbs, garlic and hot peppers. And to enhance the aroma and taste, we use the hop-suneli seasoning.
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Sauce Recipe:
This gastronomic delight contains a large amount of garlic, hot peppers and walnuts. If you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you can give up hot peppers. To prepare Georgian sauce you will need:
Ingredients:
Cooking process:
When preparing the sauce, Georgian housewives add cumin, coriander, herbs to it; sprinkle suneli hops, make it from a tomato. You are guided by your own taste.
In Ossetian sauce, tsakhton can be garlicky or peppery. Let's cook both options, especially since they do not require long preparations and a large set of different products. For the sauce with pepper leaves, we need to take:
Ingredients:
Cooking:
Ingredients:
Cooking:
Amazing flavorful sauce. Great for meat, vegetables and fish.
Abkhaz adjika can be replaced with Adjika in Georgian.
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
For the pepper sauce:
For garlic sauce:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
Ingredients:
Cooking method:
All culinary specialists of the world agree that almost any second dish is made special, tasty and memorable by the sauce. A great many of them have been invented: for meat, for fish, for poultry. There are spicy, there are sweet and sour - for every taste and preference. But if you like spicy, you should definitely try tsakhton sauce. Its recipe belongs to being prepared both in Georgia and in Ossetia. There are several options for it, and each hostess considers her own to be right. So if you are prone to culinary creativity, choose any tsakhton - the cooking recipe will become basic, and you will add it to your liking and get a unique sauce that can become your calling card.
Separately, we note that the Caucasian "accompaniment" to meat is traditionally made spicy. However, there are some versions of zakhton that can be called rather spicy. And if your stomach does not accept spicy, you can choose a milder option. And one more thing: according to the rules, to fill the tsakhton sauce, the recipe requires matsoni, katyk, in extreme cases - yogurt. But not everyone likes the sour taste, so sour cream is indicated in the recipes instead of these liquids.
All products are taken by eye: the sauce must match your ideas about taste. Hot pepper is chopped as finely as possible. If you like very hot sauces, leave out the seeds. Just so that they do not fall on the tooth, grind them in a mortar. The garlic is peeled and pressed through a press. More greens are taken, in the original it should be cilantro, but if its smell is too pronounced for you, take parsley. The beam is chopped, all the blanks are connected and poured with sour cream. A ready-made tsakhton recipe recommends seasoning utskho-suneli and salt, knead well and leave for a quarter of an hour warm to saturate with aromas.
Some people manage only with dry spices and sour cream, calling the sauce tsakhton. In our opinion, this is not very correct: at least greens must be present in the sauce.
The main difference from the Ossetian version is the presence of nuts in the sauce. In some versions, even hot pepper is absent, so such a tzathon is also suitable for ulcers. Nuts and garlic are taken in equal proportions, spicy greens - in double quantity. All this is passed through a blender until smooth and diluted with sour cream to the desired consistency. From spices in tsakhton, the recipe advises putting cumin, salt and coriander, but does not prohibit flavoring the sauce and other seasonings that, in your opinion, are suitable. If you did not grind hot peppers into the mass, you can add a little spiciness with ground pepper. Red will fit in more harmoniously here.
Not everyone likes to mess around with fresh hot pepper - after it it stings for a long time, there are also irritations if the skin is tender. However, this is not a reason to abandon the idea of \u200b\u200bcooking tsakhton. The recipe below will help you avoid trouble and enjoy Caucasian sauce. Go to the market and buy "grandmothers" salted hot peppers. Just before you give money, try the products (if allowed): sometimes these peppers have a musty aftertaste, but we don’t need this.
Pickled peppers are either chopped or passed through a meat grinder/blender/food processor. If you like extra hot sauces, you don't even have to clean out the seeds, just cut off the tails. A large amount of fresh herbs is also crumbled (or ground) here, sour cream is poured in - and after 15 minutes you can water the meat with tsakhton. Or just spread it on bread.
If you like the sauce, you can prepare it for cold times. There are two options here: either pickle peppers, or make a fresh base, which is called tsyvzy-tsakhton or chivdzosa. For her, young pods of very hot pepper are taken - the one that is red when mature. You should find them green, preferably with leaves. Stems are not needed here. Peppers with leaves are blanched for no longer than one minute. Then they are well wrung out until the water stops dripping, put into a saucepan, where fresh cold water is poured. Peppers are boiled for about five minutes, washed again, squeezed (this time not very carefully) and salted. The blank is very tightly folded into a jar with a screw cap and placed in the refrigerator. At the right time, tsyvzy-tsakhton is poured with sour cream, where greens are chopped and seasonings are mixed.
Ready sauce, that is, already with added sour cream, should be eaten immediately. The maximum is the next day. If it is stored longer, it becomes less tasty and fragrant. By the way, it is still very tasty to soak meat in it. Shish kebab after such pickling turns out to be especially tender and fragrant. Only it is better to breed tsakhton for marinade with tan or yogurt - then the meat will be ready for cooking faster. Join the Caucasian culinary traditions - gourmets recommend!