Jizza (Fried fat of lamb's tail)

"Jizza" is favorite snack of Uzbek men. It is crunchy, tasty and very nourishing. High in calorie "jizza" helps to stay strong in cold winter days. It is also good if you have sore throat. While making "jizza" you will see how heated fat will give transparent oil, use this oil to cook different dishes and for greasing breads before cooking. You can also use "jizza" itself as filling for breads. I will later post a recipe of "Jizzali non" which means bread with "jizza".
Ingredients:
300 gr of Lamb's tail fat
Salt to taste (optional)
Heavy crock pot
Cut fat in small squares. Don't cut very big squares, it will take more time to melt them and your oil will just burn.





Heat the crock pot and then put all the fat in it.

Put the heat on medium. You will see how fat will start to melt.

When fat will shrink thrice in size and will become brown, "jizza" is ready! Take it out from oil and sprinkle a little salt on it.

Enjoy "jizza" with some bread and surely drink hot green tea. Avoid drinking cold water or soda!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Qatlama patir non (Layered bread)

This kind of bread is mostly prepared in Samarkand. Whenever you visit Samarkand you can find "Qatlama patir non" and "Samarqand noni" and enjoy these wonderful and tasty breads. You can also prepare them at home. Today I am posting recipe of "Qatlama patir non" which has many layers. If possible surely use fat of lamb's tail, it will give special flavor to the bread. I will put another post on how to melt lamb's tail fat and make "jizza". You will get 2 big "Qatlama patir non" from this recipe.
Ingredients:
500 ml of luke warm water
1 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp of sugar
1.5 tbsp of dried yeast
24 tbsp of melted lamb's tail fat or butter (12 tbsp for each bread)
Plain flour as needed
Make medium soft dough from water, salt, sugar, yeast and flour. Cover it and let it rise for 2 hours. Then knead the dough for 5 min and roll it out very very thinly, it must be transparent.


Grease it with oil. use 12 tbsp of oil for each bread. After greasing cut out equal strips and begin to roll first one.

After you finished rolling out the first strip, put it on top of the second strip and again roll it. Repeat with the rest of all strips.





Then put it on flat side and flatten with hands.

Flatten it well and punch it with special stamp "chakich" or a fork.

Bake in on a 230 degrees in preheated oven until golden.

You can see the layers in picture. Mmmm, it's so yummy!!! Surely try it and you will say a big thanks to me:) Enjoy with pleasure!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Horazmcha pahlama

This kind of "pahlama" is prepared in Khorezm region, if you visit this town somehow, you can find it in every restaurant. But you can make it yourself at home, it will take some time, but it is delicious. It is very nourishing, you will be full with a half of one "pahlama".  You will get 4 "pahlama"s from this recipe.
Ingredients:
100 gr of water
1/4 tsp of salt
Plain flour as needed
1.5 cup of walnuts
1/2 cups of sugar
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp of butter
4 tbsp of honey
Make simple dough from water, salt and flour, it must be soft but not very sticky. Cover it and leave for 40 min. While the dough is resting prepare the filling. Ground your walnuts and toast them in heated pan without any oil until this great smell will occur:) then take from the heat and mix it with sugar. Set aside.
Take the dough, knead it well for 5 min, then divide in 32 equal pieces, cover with cotton towel and again leave for 30 min.

Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet. Start rolling out the dough pieces, roll one piece and put on baking sheet, spread 1 tsp of filling on top. Then roll out second piece and put on top. Again spread 1 tsp of filling and again put another rolled piece on top, repeat until you get 8 layers.


After you finished with all "pahalama"s, grease them well with an egg yolk. Cut the middle with a sharp knife.

Bake "pahlama"s in preheated oven  for 20 min, then take out and pour 1 tbsp of butter in each and put back in the oven and bake until golden color. Take out and pour heated honey, 1 tbsp for each "pahlama".
Mmmm, yummy! Serve with a hot tea and enjoy!!!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Unli holva

In Uzbek cuisine you can find different types of "Holva"s. I love all of them. This one is soft and tender with a crunchy nuts in it. It is a little bit complicated making "Halva"s, but once you understand how to make it will be easy for you.
Ingredients:
250 gr plain flour
150 gr butter
100 gr of nuts (any nuts you like)
150 gr sugar
75 ml water
70 ml of milk

Toast nuts until golden color, then chop them out. Set aside.







Fry flour in a pan over a medium heat stirring constantly until very light golden and until nutty smell will occurs. (In this stage put your syrup on a heat and let it boil until it is ready, this is how you check it: take one bowl of cold water and put half a tsp of syrup in to it, if it will easily turn to a soft ball in your hands then it is ready, don't over boil the syrup or your "Unli halva" will be sandy and not sticky, if you do over boiled the syrup, then add in more milk at the end). Add in melted butter and continue frying over low heat until all the flour will absorb the butter. Stir constantly. Then gradually add in syrup (you have to cool it until 90 degrees, the temperature of flour mix and syrup must be same)and stir very vigorously. Add in nuts in this stage. Stir together over very very low heat and fry for 2 min. Then take from the heat, and add in heated milk and again stir. It must be sticky. Put ready "Unli holva" in a pan folded with a food wrapper or with a foil and put in to the fridge for 2 hours.

Take out , carefully cut out diamond shapes and serve with hot tea, enjoy this Uzbek sweet:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Pushti chuchvara (Pink chuchvara)

I don't know actually if someone cooks this kind of "chuchvara", but I tried today make something creative:) As regular "chuchvara" is Uzbek meal, this is also going to be an Uzbek "pushti chuchvara" which means pink dumplings. I use beetroot juice for the color but if you wish you can use food color also. I disappointed a little when while boiling my "chuchvara"s give their color to the water and become light pink, but still they are pretty:)You will get around 120 "chuchvara" from this recipe, you can keep them in a freezer for two weeks and just put them in boiling water if you want to cook. Serve about 12-15 "chuchvara" for a person.
Ingredients:
140 gr beetroot juice
1 egg
1 tbsp of salt
Plain flour as needed
100 gr of minced meat
160 gr of chicken breasts (minced)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
60 gr of butter
Salt to taste (about one and half tsp)
1 tsp of ground coriander
Sour cream and some dried or fresh greens for sprinkling
Warm up the juice of beetroot. Add in 1 egg and slightly beat with a spoon, then add in salt, mix well and gradually start adding flour until you form medium hard dough. Cover it and set aside for 15 min.
Prepare the filling, melt the butter, fry onions until golden then mix it with both of meat, salt and coriander.
Roll out the dough thinly and cut 2x2 inch squares, put some filling to each square, fold it and pinch the edges, then pinch corner to corner. Pinch 4 "chuchvara" at a time keeping other squares covered or they will just dry up and then you will not be able to pinch them.



Pinch all of your "chuchvara" and place them on a towel.



Cook them in a boiling water for 10 - 15 min. Take out, top with sour cream and sprinkle with some dried or fresh chopped greens. Or serve it with it's soup adding 1 tbsp of sour cream in it and enjoy:) I hope you will enjoy my invention:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Horazmcha johori shorva (Khorezm Corn soup)

This soup is silky,very tasty and useful. It is mostly prepared in Khorezm region. If you want to make it more thick then add in not two but 4 tbsp of corn flour.
Ingredients:
500 gr of chicken
2 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 small turnips, peeled
1 capsicum, chopped
3 corns ears (soft one)
2 tbsp of corn flour
Put chicken in 2 liters of cold water, put on a hight heat and bring to boil, scoop out all the scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for an hour under half closed lid. Then add in onions, carrot, turnip and capsicum. Continue to simmer for 30 min. Husk the corn ears and remove the silk, then using sharp knife slice straight down, make sure you are not cutting the cob. Cut out all the kernels and add in to the soup. Cook for another 30 minutes. Stir 3 tbsp of corn flour with 100 ml of cold water. Take out chicken from the soup. Pour corn mixture in to the soup and stirring bring to boil. Add in salt and simmer for 20 min. Serve chicken separately. Pour some soup in to the bowl, sprinkle with some greens and enjoy this delicious soup!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Qush tili

"Qush tili" is our very old recipe of crunchy snack. It is prepared for our holidays. Especially it is cooked for "Navruz" and "Hayit". I remember how my mum used to cook "Qush tili" for this kind of celebrations. She spent a whole day in the kitchen before holidays cooking this kind of meals :O Usually I also cook a lot before holidays, that's our culture!
Ingredients:
3 eggs
4 tbsp of sugar
Half a tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking powder (optional)
Plain flour as needed
1 liter of oil for frying
Beat up all of the eggs very well with a hand mixer. Take a spoon, and take some of egg mixture, if it is easy to take it, then it is ready. It mustn't trickle down.

Then add in sugar, baking powder and salt and beat for 1 min. Put the mixer aside. Carefully start to add flour into the egg mixture, stirring it with hands. Add flour until you form soft dough. Knead it about 5 min then cover and let it rest for 20 min. After, take the dough, divide in two and roll out each piece. You can roll out the dough not dividing it into two pieces, but I found it easy to roll out smaller pieces. After you finished rolling out the dough, cut it with a special figure knife in to the diamond shapes. As thin you roll out the dough the crispier would be your "Qush tili", if you want it to be a little bit softer, then the dough can be thicker. But not thick!

Heat up the oil in deep frying pan. Start to fry "Qush tili" putting 10-15 pieces each time (depending of the size of your frying pan) and fry until slightly golden color. Take out from the oil and put on a paper towel. After you finished frying all of the "Qush tili" sprinkle them with sugar powder and enjoy with a hot cup of green tea:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Hamir dolma (Dough rolls with meat and rice)

"Hamir dolma" is one other kind of dolma's in Uzbek cuisine. It is relatively new meal. Make sure that you roll out the dough very thinly as it will be more tender to bite. If the dough is thick then it will be hard to bite it:)
Ingredients:
For dough:
1 egg
1 tsp of salt
70 ml of water
Plain flour as needed
For filling:
300 gr of minced meat
2 onions,peeled and finely chopped
70 gr of short grained rice
40 gr of butter
Salt to taste
1 tsp of ground coriander
Half a tsp of ground pepper
Sour cream for topping
Make the medium hard dough from egg, salt, water and flour. Cover it and let it rest.
Put rice in cold water (about 350 ml) and cook until half ready. Drain all the water. Set aside. Melt the butter and fry onions until golden color, add in salt and spices to the onion. Take out and blend fried onions in food processor. Now mix minced meat, fried and mashed onions and rice together.
Rol out the dough and cut 4x4 inch squares. Put 1 tbsp of filling and roll tightly.


Place all "Hamir dolma"s in to the greased sheets of steamer. Place sheets on to the boiling water and cook for 45 min. Then take from the heat, serve topping with sour cream. Sometimes you can top it with fried tomatoes and onions, if you like. You can change toppings according to your taste. Just don't forget enjoy this meal:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Pompoqcha somsa (Samsa with yeasty dough)

"Pompoqcha somsa" is soft and tender than other kind of samsas. It's dough is soft to bite and excellent for children as they will surely enjoy it.
Ingredients:
300 ml of milk
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of sugar
1.5 tbsp of dried yeast
30 gr of butter
Plain flour
300 gr of minced meat
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of ground pepper
Salt to taste
1 egg yolk
Pepper or sesame seeds for sprinkling
Warm up the milk and add in butter, stir until butter will dissolve in milk. Add in salt, sugar and yeast. Mix well, then gradually add in flour until you form a dough. Cover it and set aside to warm place for rising, approximately for 1.5 hour.
Prepare the filling, mix meat, onion, salt, spices and stir all ingredients well.
Preheat the oven. Divide the dough to 20-25 equal pieces. You can make them bigger or smaller if you want, that's your choice. I make them in medium size. Roll out each piece to round shape (they must not be thin, roll out approximately half centimeter), put 1 tbsp of filling and pinch the edges. Brush "Pompoqcha somsa"s with an egg yolk, sprinkle some pepper or sesame seeds and bake until golden color. Take out from the oven and enjoy them!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Baqlajon urama gazak (Eggplant rolls)

As I posted earlier I love eggplant! That's why I love this rolls, they are soft on outer side and crunchy inside. I like the taste of a garlic with eggplant. "Baqlajon urama gazak" is a good appetizer.
Ingredients:
3 medium carrots, peeled
3 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 big long eggplants
A little oil for frying
Salt to taste
Grate carrots or cut in thin long strips, add in 1 tsp of salt, mashed garlic and 2 tbsp of oil. Mash with hands until carrot will start to give its juice, but don't over mash. Set aside.
Cut eggplants in thin long slices, and put them in cold salty water for 15 min. Drain the water. Heat up heavy pan and drop 6-7 drops of oil and fry both sides of eggplant slices. Repeat with the rest of eggplant slices. Place in 1-2 tbsp of filling on a fried eggplant slice and roll it up tightly. Done! Serve and enjoy this yummy rolls.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Qiymali atala (Flour soup with meat)

This soup is nourishing, tender and tasty. You will love it! It takes little time and effort to cook it. Besides it is useful for intestines.
Ingredients:
40 gr of butter
4 tbsp of plain flour
600 ml of water
4 tbsp of vegetable oil
200 gr of minced meat
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
Boil the water, pour it in bowl and set aside. In thick pan melt the butter, put flour and fry stirring until flour is light golden. Add fried flour in to the hot water and slightly whisk until no crumble will seen. Set aside.
Heat the oil in another pan and fry minced meat for 10 min, then add in finely chopped onions, continue frying until onions are golden. Now pour the flour mixture on it and stir well. Let it simmer until soup is thick and smooth. Stir occasionally. Don't over boil it. Take from the heat as soon as it is thick as heavy sour cream. Serve and enjoy this delicious soup!!!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Teshik kulcha (Baked small doughnuts)

This is the recipe of my mother, she always bake "Teshik kulcha" for a snack:) When I was a kid I loved shaping "Teshik kulcha" s with her, it was fun for me, and now my daughter is shaping them with me:) "Teshik kulcha" is a nice snack and it goes good with our soups. I love eating them while hot, topping some butter and honey on it.
Ingredients:
250 ml of milk
50 gr of butter
6 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
1.5 tbsp of dried yeast
1 tsp of vanilla powder (optional)
Plain flour as needed
1 egg yolk
Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Heat milk and put butter in it. Stir until butter will melt completely. As soon as butter will melt take milk from heat and add in sugar and salt, stir until sugar is dissolved then cool slightly. When milk is warm add in yeast and vanilla and gradually add in flour until you form a dough. Knead for 5 min. Cover and set aside to warm place for 1.5 - 2 hours. Preheat the oven. Divide the dough in some pieces, and roll it with the palm of your hand to long loom, cut in same sized 4 inch pieces. Then one by one form doughnuts. Your three fingers must fit in the loom, seal the ends slightly pressing.

Brush each "Teshik kulcha" with an egg yolk, sprinkle sesame seeds and bake them until they are golden.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hi everyone:) I am so sorry that I had no chance of posting recipe yesterday, because it was our holiday and I didn't cook anything:) We went to Uzbek restaurant called "Khiva" and enjoyed our romantic evening there. It was fun, live music, candles on water, heart shaped cards and red roses hanging everywhere. I loved that kind of romantic atmosphere there. My daughter was just happy that she could sing on the stage with musicians, she loved that, and so funny that all the applauses went only for her:)
I am posting some pictures of Uzbek dishes that you could see:) Everything was just yummy!!! So first they bring different souses and "Chuzma bogirsoq" as an appetizer



Then we tried some "Kebab", "Tandir somsa" and "Chuchvara"




Very tiny Uzbek bread:)

I will later post the recipe of "Chuzma bogirsoq" and "Tandir somsa", also different types of "Kebab"s :)

Baqlajon qovurdoq (Eggplant stew)

"Baqlajon qovurdoq" is rich in taste, if you like eggplant, then this meal is just for you:) I love it! You can eat it as cool and as hot, as cool it is like nourishing salad.
Ingredients:
70 gr of oil
300 gr of meat, cut in medium sized cubes
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium capsicum, chopped
4 eggplant, peeled and cut in big cubes
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of ground coriander
Some fresh chopped coriander or any your favorite green for sprinkling
Heat up oil, put in meat and fry until golden brown, then add in onions, continue frying until golden color, add in chopped tomato and capsicum, fry until oil separates out. Then add in eggplant and fry stirring occasionally for 10 min. Don't stir hard or yo will mash eggplant. Add in salt and ground coriander, reduce the heat on low and cover the kid. Cook until eggplant is soft. Take from the heat, serve and sprinkle some green on top. Enjoy this delicious meal with fresh baked "non" (bread) and a hot green tea:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Liq liq (Jellied hoof and meat soup)

"Liq liq" is very famous meal in Uzbekistan, it is very useful meal for bones as it contains natural gelatin. It's a good cure for broken bones, as it helps them to restore.
Ingredients:
1 kg of hoof, well cleaned and broke in 2-3 pieces
300 gr of meat, cut in medium pieces
3 liters of cold water
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 onions, peeled
3 eggs, hard boiled
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of ground coriander
Some fresh chopped coriander or dill
Put hoof and meat in cold water and bring to boil over high heat, scoop out all the foam, reduce and half cover the lid. Let it simmer for 4 hours, stir occasionally. If you are using a big hoof, you have to boil it a little longer, like 5 hours, if you take hoof of a young animal you can boil it for 4 hours. If the hoof is big, ask your butcher to half it in 3-4 pieces. After 4 hours put in carrots and whole onions. Let it simmer for another 1 hour, add in salt, cumin seeds and ground coriander. After take out all the hoof bones and meat out and separate flesh from bones. Cut the meat in small pieces. You can also put them in food processor and blend them. (The first picture that I posted here is with chopped meat and flesh, the second one is with blended meat and flesh. You can see that if you chop meat and flesh the "Liq liq" will be clear in color, while blended one is smooth in color).

Now take out onions and carrots from soup. Pour soup through sieve as it can contain small bones in it. Then add in blended or chopped meat and hoofs flesh. Mix them well with soup. Slice hard boiled eggs in circles or in small cubes and put to the bottom of hot proof dish, sprinkle some chopped greens, put some carrot that you have taken out from soup and pour soup over. Continue with the rest of the soup, every time putting some egg, carrot and chopped greens to the bottom and pouring soup over them. Use your imagination, choosing your favorite ingredient to decorate, like corn, beans or something else:)
Let them cool then put in fridge for at least 5 hours. Then take out and run the knife over the edge of the dish and place "Liq liq" on plate and enjoy:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Pomidor va rediskalik salat (Tomato and radish salad)

Radish is used in many salads in Uzbekistan, we have different types of radishes, especially famous "turp" which is green in color and very juicy. For todays recipe use regular red radishes. If they are bitter in taste (that happens sometimes) then soak them in cold water before adding in salad.
Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
3 medium sized radishes
Fresh chopped your favorite greens
Salt to taste or 1 tbsp of soy souse
Cut tomatoes in small cubes. Cut radishes in thin strips, chop greens. Combine all ingredients adding salt or soy souse. Some people also add sour cream, about 1 tbp to make this salad richer.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Namatak choyi (Rose hip tea)

"Namatakli choy" is very rich in vitamin "C" which about 1700–2000 mg per 100 g in the dried product. Besides it is also rich in vitamin D, E and antioxidant flavanoids which will help you to stay young and healthy:) if you catch a cold or flu, or you have a headache surely drink this tea with some honey, you will see how it will work. I usually use whole dried rose hips, but you can also use the one that in bags, they are usually powdered or crushed. You will also need a thermos if you are using whole hips.
Ingredients:
1 liter of hard boiling water
60 gr of whole dried rose hips
or
1 tsp of dried and crushed rose hips for a cup
Put rose hips in thermos and pour boiling water over them. Cover it tightly and let it rest for 2 hours. Then pour in cups and enjoy it with honey.
Or
Put 1 tsp of powdered rose hip in cup and pour boiling water over it, stir well and enjoy!
Sog buling- Be healthy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Shovla (The sister of "Palov")

"Shovla" is very good for children, as it is soft and tender, you also can do it with minced meat, if you are going to give it to small children. I myself love this meal with fresh onion, I just peel out the onion, cut the ends, wash it and enjoy it whole with "Shovla". I also like it as cold, spreading it to slice of bread:) My nephew Jahongir loves it, anytime when you ask him what to cook, he will answer "Shovla":)and you won't believe it, but he can eat half of "Shovla" that in pot:) If it is possible always use short grain rice for "Shovla", because it must be sticky.
Ingredients:
120 ml of vegetable oil
400 gr of meat, cut in small cubes or just minced
2 onions, peeled and sliced
400 gr of peeled and cut in not so long strips red carrot
2 big tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 small capsicum, finely chopped
300 gr of short grain rice, washed
Salt to taste
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of ground coriander
Fresh chopped coriander for sprinkling
Heat the oil in crock pot and put in meat, fry on a high heat until golden brown, then add in onions. Fry until onions are golden, add in capsicum and continue frying until oil starts to separate. Add tomatoes and fry stirring until oil separates out, then add in carrots. Fry until carrots are half ready, then pour in 1 liter of water. Reduce the heat on medium and let it simmer for 1 hour. Add in salt, spices and then add in rice, finely stir and add another 400 ml of water. Run your spoon into the pan, your spoon must run easily and freely, if it is not then add more water. Bring water to boil, then reduce the heat on very low, cover the lid and cook until rice is soft and ready, don't forget stirring "Shovla" frequently as rice can stick to the bottom, especially at the end. Check in for saltiness and then stir again. Take from the heat and serve sprinkling fresh chopped greens over the top. You will surely enjoy the sister of "Palov" :)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!