Uzbek Cuisine

Uzbek Spaghetti

October 29th, 2006 by Ambar

Chaka

2 cups of plain yogurt, drained in a dampened cheesecloth for 30 minutes

4 to 6 cloves garlic minced

pinch of salt

Mix yogurt, garlic, and salt. Store 2 to 3 days covered in refrigerator.

This soup took me a long time to make but it was worth it. It is perfect for the winter and goes nice with pita bread. It is similar to moshkitchiri, an Uzbek soup.

1 cup navy beans or red kidney beans

1 cup mung beans or split green peas

Soup Herbs: 1 leek, 1 stalk celery, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 cup long grain rice

1lb ground beef or lamb

black pepper and 1tsp red pepper

dash of cinnamon

1/2 cut fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 fresh tomatoes (or 1 large can of tomatoes)

1 1/2 cups chaka

Wash navy beans in large soup pot, cover with cold water and soak overnight (or cheat and just use canned beans) Cover mung beans with boiling water and let soak to expand for one or two hours. Ass other beans to the soup pot and add water an inch above them. Ass soup herbs and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Mash beans lightly. Add Rice and only enough water to cook the mixture. Simmer 20 minutes. (soup will be thick). In a bowl, mix ground meat, cinnamon, pepper and mint. Knead, shape into balls.n a pan heat oil and saute onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Then add meatballs, cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes and enough water to half cover the meatballs. Cook until sauce thickens. To serve, spoon bean-rice mixture into bowl and top with meat ball sauce. Garnish with mint leaves and chaka.

Patlijan Karni Yarek - Armenian Eggplant

1lb ground beef or lamb
2 onions finely sliced
1 small green pepper chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp all spice
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup plum tomatoes with juice (or canned whole tomatoes)
3 or 4 sprigs parsley
1 large eggplant
4 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste diluted in 1/2 cup water
1 fresh tomato

Heat a heavy pan and mash the meat into the pan until the color changes. Stir in onions and green pepper and stir. Sprinkle in a little salt, pepper, allspice, garlic, tomatoes, and 1/2 parsley. Stir and cook 20 minutes. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise, again in half, and again to make 8 pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt and invert over a rack for 50 minutes. Then rinse eggplants and pat dry. Set in a baking dish, brush on butter and heat in an oven 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until light brown.

Take out of oven, slash eggplant slices across the center to make a cavity for the filling. Divide the filling among the eggplant slices. Set in a baking dish, pour diluted tomato paste over the pieces. Dot each eggplant piece with a tomato slice. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

If you have extra filling, put it in a tortilla and give it to your kids who don’t exactly like eggplant.

From- The New York Ethnic Food Market Guide and Cookbook by Vlima Liacouras Chantiles

THIS IS REALLY GOOD!!!

Persian Meat and Vegetables
1 can black eyed peas, drain half of juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 lbs stew meat
1 onion minced
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
scallions
1 large leek
1 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup coriander
1 package frozen spinach

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in pot, then saute meat and onion until onion softens and meat browns. Add salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and then add enough water to cover meat. Cover pot and simmer for about 35 minutes. In a another pan, heat 1 or 2 teaspoons oil and saute scallions, leeks, and parsley, coriander and spinach. Saute until cooked about ten minutes. When meat is tender stir in black eyed peas and the vegetable sauce (the leeks etc) Simmer 20 minutes until all flavors blend. Garnish with parsley and serve warm over rice.

From: The New York Ethnic Food Market Guide and Cookbook by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles

Georgian Cheesebread (Khachapuri)

Put two cups unbleached white flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl. Put 12 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and place with flour and salt. Beat one egg and 1/4 cup plain yoghourt and add to the flour mixture. Form into a ball and chill for one hour. Grate 1 1/4 pounds of Muenster and Havarti cheeses. Add a beaten egg to the grated cheese. Preheat the oven at 350 deg. F., and grease a large baking sheet. On a floured board roll the dough to a rectangle about 12 x 17 inches. Spread the cheese mixture on half the dough and then fold the other half over to enclose it, sealing the edges. Transfer to the baking sheet, and bake for 50 mins. or until brown.