Jarkop (Fried meat and vegetables)

When I asked my husband how can he describe "Jarkop", he said "It's yummy!" :) well yeah it is! Also it is popular and loved dish among Uzbek people. "Jarkop" can be cooked with different meat, usually beef with some bones is preferable. As I tend to avoid eating red meat, I used poultry today. Whenever you plan to cook "Jarkop", it is rather to have fresh baked bread, usually "Obi non" or "Sutli patir". I love to soak bread in the juicy oil of "Jarkop", and enjoy it, mmm yummy!
Ingredients:
200 ml of oil
500 grams of meat or poultry, cut in medium, mouthful pieces
6 small or 3 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
4 small or 2 big tomatoes, cut in small cubes
2 medium sized carrot, peeled and cubed
7-8 potatoes, peeled and cut in bigger cubes
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tbsp of ground coriander
Salt to taste
Heat oil in thick bottomed pan. Put in meat and brown it well over high heat, if you're using poultry, then fry until nice golden in color. Add in onions, garlic and spices and fry until onions are transparent, add in carrots and tomatoes, fry until oil will start to separate out.
Add in potatoes, set the heat on medium and fry constantly stirring, if it seems that potatoes are sticking to the bottom, add in a small amount of water. At the end, add in salt and immediately serve with a fresh vegetable salad on side. Enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Macaron palov (Noodle pilaf)

As I mentioned before, "palov" is cooked not only with rice, but also with other substitutes like buckwheat, wheat, mungbeans and pearl barley. There are many types of pilafs that are cooked with noodles and home made macaronis. Today I am posting recipe of "Macaron palov" which is cooked with noodles. You can use any type of noodles, but I think small noodles like elbow or shell types look more beautiful on the plate. Noodles can be grind in food processor, to resemble the rice (which is done often), but I prefer to cook with elbow macaronis as they are small enough and look good.
Ingredients:
120 ml of any vegetable oil (I used corn oil)
400 grams of meat or poultry, cut in medium sized pieces
2 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
300 grams of peeled and cut in thin strips carrot (yellow one is preferable, but it's not available where I live)
350 grams of elbow macaronis
1 tbsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin seeds
Half a tsp of ground pepper
Salt to taste
Finely heat up oil and brown the meat over high heat (if it is poultry as in my case, fry until nice golden color) and put in onions and carrots, immediately lower the heat and cook under covered lid until carrots are soft for about 40 min. Stir every 6-7 min (no water is required). When carrot is soft and well cooked, add in all the spices and the salt. Layer the macaronis over vegetable and meat evenly. Pour in enough water to completely cover the macaronis.

Set the heat on high and let almost all water to evaporate. Check for saltiness. Lower the heat on very low and cover the lid. Cook for about 10 min and then open up the lid and mix only the macaronis (just the top of pilaf), again cover the lid and cook until macaronis are well cooked, for about 10-15 min more.
When macaronis are soft and cooked, mix finely all of the pilaf and serve on a big plate with fresh vegetable salad. Enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

"Ptichye moloko" (Marshmallow cake)

I am familiar with this cake as long as I remember myself. It was very popular then and now it is still loved by many peoples. I really don't know where this cake was originated from, I think from Russian or Ukrainian cuisine. If someone knows, you can leave a comment. I love this cake because it is really easy to make, relatively fast and heavenly delicious!!! In original recipe the base cake is made just like regular sponge cake as I made for "Kiyevskiy tort" (fluffy cake), but I really don't want to waste anything, so I make slightly different cake using only egg yolks, as egg whites are used for marshmallow layer.
As I baked this cake a long time ago,I don't have many pictures, so I promise to post some more pictures later, when I will be baking it in these days.
Ingredients:
for marshmallow layer
5 egg whites
1 very full cup of sugar
1/3 cup of water
2,5 tbsp of gelatin powder
90 ml of water
Half a tsp of vanilla powder or 2 tsp of vanilla essence
For cake
5 egg yolks
1 cup of sugar
100 grams of cream
100 grams of butter, melted
100 ml of milk
1.5 cup of plain flour
1 tsp of baking powder
For light syrup
1 cup of water
3 tbsp of sugar
(for syrup just mix sugar with very hot water until completely dissolved)
For glazing
250 grams of chocolate or
3 tbsp of cocoa powder
3 tbsp of sugar
5 tbsp of milk
1 tsp of butter
For the cake beat egg yolks with sugar until they will be light in color. Add in cream, milk and melted butter, mix well. Mix in baking powder and flour. If it is too runny add in more flour, if it is too thick add in milk (it depends on how big are eggs). Bake in preheated oven until it is ready- insert toothpick and when it will come out clean, the cake is ready. Take it out and let it cool.
For marshmallow, mix gelatin with 90 ml of water and set aside for 20 min. After, heat over double boiler until gelatin is completely dissolved, don't boil!
Pour 1/3 cup of water over sugar and bring to boil over high heat, simultaneously begin to whip egg whites until stiff peaks using an electric mixer. Check the syrup- pour half a tsp of a syrup into the ice cold water and try to make a ball with your two fingers. If it will easily turns to a soft ball, then it is ready. Now, with a running mixer start to pour the syrup with small portions over egg whites, be careful, syrup is very hot. Beat for 5 min more after you use up the syrup. Now start adding gelatin, also pouring it by small portions. Beat for 2 min more. Add in half a tsp of vanilla and mix well.
Slice the cake in two horizontally , making one part thicker than another. Place thick part in plate, put the circle of the spring form over. Sprinkle with a light syrup and pour in marshmallow. Put in fridge for about 20 min or until marshmallow layer will be completely set. Sprinkle syrup over the other thin part of cake and place over the marshmallow layer. Again put in fridge for 15 min.
Run the knife around the edges of the cake and take out spring form. Melt chocolate over double boiler and evenly pour over cake or make chocolate frosting- finely mix cocoa powder with sugar, add in milk and mix again. Put over high heat and bring to boil. Once it comes to boil, lower the heat and cook constantly stirring until it will get thick. At the end add in butter, take from heat and mix well. Pour over cake while it is hot. Let it cool and then put the cake in fridge for about 30 min before serving.
You can also decorate the cake according to your taste.
Marshmallow part also can be made with different taste. If you add 1 cup of fruit puree or chopped fruits, it will be fruit marshmallow, if you pour in 100 grams of melted chocolate, it will be chocolate marshmallow, if you add in 100 grams of condensed milk mixed with 50 grams of butter, it will taste like creamy-vanilla marshmallow. All the additions must be added right after the gelatin.
Enjoy your yummy treat!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Svekolnik (Russian beetroot soup)

"Svekolnik" is originated from Russian cuisine and it is great soup for a hot summer! Try to use sweet and deep red beetroot for achieving beautiful color. I use different greens for this soup-coriander, parsley, celery or even beet tops and spinach-it's up to you. My favorite is with coriander-I just love the smell and taste! You can also add in potatoes boiled in skin, peeling and cubing them. Some add in sour cream for extra taste.
Ingredients:
2 medium sized beetroot
3 eggs, hard boiled
A bunch of greens (I love coriander)
2 medium sized cucumbers
500 grams of natural yogurt-"Qatiq" or "Suzma"
200 ml of clean drinking water
Salt to taste
Put beetroot in boiling water and cook until soft or half soft (to your taste). Let them cool completely. Peel off the skin and cut in medium sized cubes. Cut cucumbers in smaller cubes. Chop up greens.
Finely mix yogurt and water. Add in beetroot, cucumber, greens, salt and mix again.
Serve putting egg halves on top.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!