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Friday, October 24, 2014

Tuy shurva (Wedding soup)


Hi everyone!
I was looking through my photos today and I found this recipe that was waiting to be posted in here:)I tried this soup for the first time in an Uzbek wedding. I liked it so much that I tried to replicate it at home for my dear ones. I am not sure about the name of the soup, because nobody knew when I asked:) so I decided to name it as "Wedding soup".  So here are the ingredients you will need to feed about 4-5 people:
200 grams of minced meat (beef or lamb)
30 grams of melted butter
1/2 cups of short grain rice
One small egg
80 ml of vegetable oil
1 big onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium sized carrot, peeled and cubed
1 small capsicum, cubed
1 big tomato, finely chopped
4-5 quail eggs, cooked in water for 5 min and shelled
Salt, pepper (just a pinch) and cumin seeds (1/2 tsp) to taste
Sour cream for serving
Mix minced meat, rice, melted butter, salt, pepper and cumin seeds and small egg all together. Shape up small oval shaped chunks with your hands. (If meat tends to stick on your hand, just wet your palms with cold water). Set aside.
Heat up oil and  fry onion over medium heat, until golden in color. Add in capsicum and carrots, continue to fry until carrots are half done. Add in tomato, fry until oil will starts to separate out. Pour in 1.2 liters of water and bring to boil over high heat. When it starts to boil, lower the heat and scoop out a little foam. Put in meat balls and cook until rice is done (Scoop out any foam that will float on the surface). At the end, add in salt and boiled quail eggs and cook for about 5 min. Serve as hot with a teaspoon of sour cream on top.
Main thing - Enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Again "Sumalak":)

Hi everyone! I am so happy that I am back here:) How are you? Hope everything is great on your side! Todays post is again about "Sumalak". Spring is the right season for this dish and so, I usually got many comments and emails about "Sumalak" during this season. I am so delighted when my readers send me their photos with the "sumalak" they cook and I really appreciate that they give me a lot of kind feedbacks! I want to say thank you to all my readers! Thank you for your comments, appreciation and your photos!
First of all I want to show you the photos of my wonderful reader Nadira. Her sumalak turned out great! It looks great and she said it tastes great too!


Here's what she wrote to me:
"Thank you for your wonderful recipe! I made Sumalak at home and My Sumalak turned out so yummy and beautifully! My family enjoyed! I really love your blog! 
PS: I want to show the photo of My Sumalak to you. Where can I post the photos! Thank you so much! May Almighty Allah bless you and your family! :-) "
 "Now I am sending My Sumalak photos to you! It tasted really great! Thank you so much for your amazing Sumalak recipe once again! May Almighty Allah bless you and your family! May all your dreams come true! :-)
Best regards,
Nadira :-))"

Thank you Nadira for your appreciation and photos! 
I noticed that Nadira added some walnuts to her "Sumalak" instead of stones. I can tell you that the walnuts in "Sumalak" taste really nice! I also noticed those home baked breads in this photo, I bet Nadira baked them along with "Sumalak", they look yummy too! Nadira you did a great job!!!
I myself been cooking "Sumalak" for three years now. I try to cook "Sumalak" every year, just in 2013 I didn't cook it, because I couldn't find the right wheat for my "Sumalak" (we were outside of Uzbekistan). There is saying in our culture that when you open up your "Sumalak" at the very end (when it is done after closing the lid) the picture on the surface of the "Sumalak" can predict the future. I don't know if it is true or not, but I never could guess the meaning of pictures in my "Sumalak"s :) Here I am posting the photos, I will ask you to guess what it might be telling:) 
Here my "Sumalak" in 2011:
In 2012:
In 2014:
Ingredients and the cooking methods were the same, but as you can see, every time the picture turned out different:) 
This year I didn't planned to cook "Sumalak", I thought I would buy it from local markets. But after trying about 20 different "Sumalak"s , I decided to cook it myself, because I couldn't find the "right" taste that I like. This was my first time cooking "Sumalak" in Uzbekistan! 
My wheat sprouts were so beautiful, it was pity to cut and grind them:) 


While cooking I recommend to stick newspaper all around your stove. "Sumalak" will bubble a lot at the end, so paper will make your work easier-you will not be mad wiping out those sticky dots on your stove and nearby walls:) 
 And one more tip: Cook your "Sumalak" with lots of LOVE, that's how it turns out great and yummy!!!
And finally me :) while cooking "Sumalak" (don't mind my look, I was tired and it was midnight:) )


That's all!: ) Our "Sumalak" turned out so yummy and thick! Better than any chocolate!  
Thank you for your time! 
With a lot of joy and happiness, 
Malika