Karamli qovurma dolma (Fried cabbage rolls)

This dish soooo tasty! Just yum! You should surely try this recipe! Try to use fresh crispy cabbage and don't use leaves, that are too small. You will get about 16 cabbage rolls depending on size of a cabbage.
Ingredients:
For filling
300 gr of minced meat (lamb or beef)
1 small onion, peeled and finally chopped
1 tbsp of ground coriander
Half a tsp fresh ground pepper
1 egg
30 gr melted butter
Salt to taste
80 gr of short grain rice
For wrapping and frying:
2 medium sized cabbages
1 egg
Oatmeal or bread crumbs
Oil for frying
First of all prepare filling. Finely mix meat, onion, spices, salt, egg and butter all together. Wash rice and add in to the meat, mix and set the filling aside.
Clean your cabbages, cut out the hard end, and blanche separately in a boiling water for about 10 min.

Take it out and separate the leaves. Cut out the hard middle.

Put about 1 tbsp of filling inside and fold. Pinch a toothpick just to secure it.

Now, slightly beat up one egg with a spoon, dip the cabbage roll in it, one at a time and roll over ground oatmeal or bread crumbs. Fry all of cabbage rolls until brown on bottom, then turn and fry another side.

Lower the heat and pour 150 ml of water, close the lead and cook for about 30 min. When all the water is evaporated check up if rice is done and if it is still hard (but it shouldn't be) then add in some more water and continue cooking until rice is soft. (Just take one of the rolls and open a little bit, try the rice and again refold it). At the end, when there is no water, continue frying just a little bit more, just to give a "fried look" to the cabbage rolls.
When ready, take them out and put on to the paper towel, just to get rid of excess oil.
Serve with fresh salad, sour cream and some side dish if you want. And the most important thing- just enjoy it!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Kartoshka palov (Pilaf with potatoes)

"Kartoshka palov" is relatively new in Uzbek cuisine. It is usually cooked at home and not very many people know about it. As myself, first I tasted it in my in-laws house. My mother in law used to have a very old book about Uzbek cuisine and she always tried some recipes from there. Now this book is mine:)
Today I was reading that book and remembered how tasty was "Kartoshka palov" despite of my "not in love" with potatoes. So I cooked it today and posting it for you, hope you will find it useful:)
Ingredients:
130 gr of vegetable oil (I used corn oil)
300 gr of meat (lamb, beef)
300 gr of peeled and chopped in big chunks onion
2 big tomatoes chopped
400 gr of potatoes, peeled and cut in medium sized pieces
300 gr of rice (I used basmati, as always:))
1 tbsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of ground pepper
Salt to taste
Heat up the oil well. Fry meat and spices over high heat, until meat will become brown. Add in onions and continue frying. When onions get transparent and slightly brown in color, add in tomatoes, fry about 5 min, then add in potatoes. Fry continuously stirring, until potatoes are half ready.
Wash rice and then layer it evenly on top of fried meat and vegetables. Pour enough water to cover the rice 1.5-2 cm (depends on rice). Bring to boil and check for saltiness. it must be a little salty as rice and potatoes will absorb it.
Let all the water evaporate. Then lower the heat and mix only the top of the rice. Cover the lid and cook for about 15-20 min. Then open up the lid and again mix only the top of the rice , cover and cook for more 10 min.
Take from the heat, mix all the pilaf well, serve on a big plate. Enjoy with fresh salad!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Belishi

"Belishi" is another type of fried samusa, which is originated from tatar cuisine. I must say that I tried many different recipes, but I never liked the result much. Recently I finally found the recipe of an ideal "Belishi"s. They turned out to be so soft and fluffy, soooo tasty! I decided to share the recipe with you. In original recipe the filling with meat is uncooked, and it says you must put a little meat in each "Belsihi". But I like "meaty belishi"s, so I decided to fry the meat filling beforehand, as in this way I can put more filling in "Belishi" without any fear of uncooked meat:) And one another secret: fry them over medium heat, if they will get brown very fast, then slightly reduce the heat and continue frying.
Ingredients:
1.5 cup of warm milk
1 sachet of dried yeast (30 gr)
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
50 gr of butter
3-3/1 cup of plain flour
300 gr of minced meat (preferably lamb)
2 onions, small, peeled and chopped well
1 tbsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of cumin
half a tsp of fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste
50 gr of oil
Another oil for frying "Belishi"s
Heat up 50 gr of vegetable oil and fry minced meat and spices, after 4-5 min add in onions and salt. Fry until onion is transparent, then set aside.
First of all mix yeast, sugar and warm milk. Cover and let it stand for 10 min. It must bubble well.
In another dish, mix well flour, salt and butter, gradually add in milk mixture. Form a soft dough, but not too soft. It must be a little sticky. At the end work with slightly oiled hands and knead it well. If it is too sticky, then add up a little more flour.
Cover and put in warm place for about 1.5-2 hours.
After dough is ready, oil your working surface and divide the dough in 20-25 pieces.
Flatten up with hands, put in 1-1.5 tbsp of filling and gather the dough around the meat pinching it well.








I prepared 7 at ones, and while frying them, prepared the other 7 and so on.
Fry them until light brown in one side, then turn and fry another side. Be sure to fry an open side first.

Cooking oil must cover at least half of "Belishi"s.

In frying process, put ready "Belishi"s in a bowl and cover them. At the end, serve with fresh sour cream, as you will put some in the middle of "Belishi" and just enjoy it! You will love it!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Sutli moshhu'rda

"Sutli moshhu'rda" is a kind of soup, which is light but nourishing and healthy. It is also good for breakfast, if you serve it without meat. It is important to use short grain rice for this recipe, but mine was finished, so I used long one. That's why it is not so sticky as it must be in original recipe.
Ingredients:
25 gr of lamb's tail fat cut in very small pieces or 30 gr of vegetable oil
200 gr of meat, cut in small cubes (lamb)
2-3 onions, peeled and sliced
150 gr mungbeans
100 gr of rice
Salt to taste
1 tsp of ground coriander
500 ml of milk
Wash mungbeans and put them in a cold water, just enough to slightly cover them. Put it on medium heat and bring to boil, simmer for about 20 min. Add in rice and add in milk. Bring to boil and then let it simmer for about 20 min, or until rice and mungbeans are cooked well. Add in salt. If soup will become thick, then add in some more milk. It really depends on rice, how much milk will you need.
In another pan, fry fat cubes until they shrink and get brown, take them out and add in meat and coriander. Fry until meat is brown in color and then add in onions. Fry over medium heat until onions are slightly brown. Cover the lid and let it stand for 10 min.
Serve soup in separate bowls, topping them with meat. You can also sprinkle some fresh coriander. Enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!

Kiftalik palov (Pilaf with meat balls)

Today I am posting the recipe of pilaf with meat balls. Very good looking and tasty one! I am also posting a video about how to make carrot flakes for pilaf. Usually carrot is cut in thin long strips, but sometimes I find it easier to make flakes, rather them cutting them on my board. Especially when carrots are very hard. Hope you will find it useful:)
Ingredients:
300 gr of vegetable oil
400 gr of meat, grounded
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of cumin seeds
half a tsp of ground pepper
2-3 onions, peeled and sliced
300 gr of carrot flakes
350 gr of rice (I always use basmati, so mention it please when cooking pilaf)
First of all prepare meat balls mixing minced meat with spices and salt. Slightly wet your hands with cold water and form medium sized balls. About 20 pieces. Set aside.
Heat the oil and begin to fry meat balls. Put about 10 balls at ones. Fry until nice golden color. Repeat with other 10. Set fried meat balls aside.
Pour out 100 gr of oil from pot, please be careful, it's very hot. Now add in onions and fry until golden in color. Add in carrots and continue frying until carrots are half done. Pour about 200 ml of water and let it simmer for 30-40 min. Add in salt.
Now wash rice and layer it evenly on top of the fried vegetables. Pour enough water to cover the rice for 2 cm. Set the heat on high and let all the water evaporate, check the saltines and mix only the top of the rice. Place all of the meat balls on top of the rice and cover the lid. Cook over small heat for about 20 min. Open up the lid, again carefully mix the top of the rice and cook for another 10 min. The time of cooking really depends on your rice, if it is soft then it's ready, just try some 4-5 grains before serving.
Now when your pilaf is done, serve on a big plate and enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!