Olma qand (Glazed apples)

"Olma qand" was my favorite when I was a child. It's a pity that nowadays you can rarely find them on sale. But the good thing is, you can prepare them at home by yourself. My daughter just love them and calls them "Apple lollipops".
Ingredients:
6 medium sized apples
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water
6 wooden skewers
Some crashed nuts (optional)
Finely wash apples. Stick wooden skewers in to apples.
Mix sugar and water and put on a high heat. Boil until syrup will be thick and light brown. Mix during process.
Take syrup from heat and quickly deep in apples one by one and then if you want roll apples over nuts. Your apple lollipops are ready to eat!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Uzbek profiteroles (Zavarnoye)

I can't tell where this recipe is originated from, Russians, Italians or French, but surely it is very famous sweet in Uzbekistan. I love it's puffiness and lightness. I use different fillings for it, today's is custard chocolate cream. Usually I like to use my favorite - sweet condensed milk beat with sour cream. If you like you can use any other your favorite filling. You will get 30 small or 15 big pastries from this recipe.
240 ml or 1 cup of water
115 grams of butter
pinch of salt
1 full cup of plain flour
3-4 eggs
For cream:
1 cup of milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp of plain flour
2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa
200 gram of sugar
50 grams of butter
Cut butter in small pieces, add in water and put on a medium heat, when it comes to boil add in salt and flour. Mix vigorously until dough becomes a mass that pulls away from the sides of the pot and will form a nice dough ball. Take from heat and let it cool down.
Blend in eggs one by one in to the dough, mixing vigorously each time until dough will absorb the egg. If your eggs are small use 4 eggs, if they are big then use 3. The dough must be thick and must not be runny. Use pastry bag or just a spoon and set small balls on your baking sheet. I use teaspoon for making small ones and a pastry bag for bigger ones.
Bake in preheated oven on 200 C for 10 min then reduce to 180C and bake for 25-30 min, or until it is nice golden in color. Don't open your oven for the first 20 min or your pastry will set down.
For filling: Beat eggs and sugar until eggs are pale in color and then add in half a cup of milk, beat again for 1 min. Add in 2 tbsp of flour and beat until smooth. Add in the rest half of the milk, beat for 2 min. Set your heat on high and bring mixture to boil, continuously stirring. When it comes to boil, lower the heat and cook stirring until mixture is thick enough, it mustn't run from the spoon. But don't over cook! Take from the heat, pour it in to another bowl and let it cool. Beat in 50 grams of butter. If you want to make chocolate cream, add in chocolate along with flour.
Slightly cut up each pastry and fill with cream or use your pastry bag for that purpose.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and just enjoy this mouth melting pastry!
Yoqimli ishtaha!

Manpar

Today is the first anniversary of my blog!!! It's been a year that I started blogging and I am so happy with that! Whenever I get a comment with appreciation for my work, I feel happy that I am doing something good and useful for people. It's so nice that I have my own followers and viewers! Thank you!
"Manpar" is originated from Uighur cuisine as well as "Lag'mon". But in Uzbek cuisine it is cooked with lamb's tail fat. However I sometimes substitute it with vegetable oil, usually with corn oil. Also it can be mixed 50/50 of vegetable oil and lamb's tail fat. I have to mention that in original recipe, special Uzbek radish is used, we call it "Turp" it is green in color and juicy, but it is very hard to find it in anywhere else, so I used white, fresh juicy daikon instead of it. I am posting this recipe by wish of one of my viewers:)
Ingredients:
30 gr of lamb's tail fat (melted)
40 gr of vegetable oil
300 gr of meat, cut in long strips (It will be easier to cut, if you put your meat in to freezer for 3-4 hours.)
2 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
150 gr of peeled and julienned daikon
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tbsp of tomato paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of cumin seeds
For the dough:
1 small egg
60 ml of warm water
1 tsp of salt
Plain flour as needed
3 tbsp of butter
3 eggs
Some oil for frying egg crepes
Fresh chopped coriander leaves
First of all make the dough mixing together egg, water, salt and gradually adding in flour until you form medium hard dough. Knead well, cover it and let it stand for 20 min. Knead the dough once more before working. Divide the dough in 3-4 handful pieces.

Now tear up each piece with your hands, in small pieces. Don't worry if they are not same in size.

After you done with tearing "manpar", boil 2 liters of water and add some salt. Put in "manpar" - teared pieces of dough, all at one time. When they will float to the surface, boil for 3 min and then drain well.

Add in butter and mix well. Set aside.
Heat up cubed lamb's fat until they will give their oil and then add in vegetable oil. Heat well and put in meat. Fry on a high heat until meat will start to brown and then add in onions and spices, continue frying until onions are transparent, add in tomato paste and garlic.

Fry for 2-3 min, add in daikon.

Fry for 2 min and then add in about half a liter of cold water. Water should cover all the ingredients.
Bring water to boil, scoop out a little foam that will float to the surface and then lower the heat. Let it simmer for 30 min, then add in salt.
Prepare egg crepes by beating one egg at a time and frying both sides over well heated pan with a little oil, then roll around itself forming a log and cut out thin strips. Slightly fluff it with hands just to open up the strips.

Serve in individual bowls, putting 4-5 tbsp of "manpar" and pouring some soup on it, sprinkle with egg strips and fresh chopped coriander leaves and enjoy this yummy dish!
Yoqimli ishtaha!

Anor suvi (Pomegranate juice)

In our folk medicine, juice of pomegranate is used to cure anemia, weakness, high blood pressure, diarrhea and dental problems. It is well known that pomegranate juice also prevents breast, lung and prostate cancer. It is very useful for pregnant and breastfeeding women. In Uzbekistan different beverages are made from pomegranate juice. "Anor sharbati", "Anor shinnisi" are famous of them all.
When it is given to children, it's better to mix it with some water.
We have special technique to squeeze out juice from pomegranate. You have to mash the whole fruit with your fingers, just be careful not to crack the skin. When pomegranate is very soft and lost it's shape, pinch it with knife and just squeeze out the juice. If you want you can mix some water.
Enjoy your natural and useful juice.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Qiyma "Zarafshon" (Egg crepes with meat filling)

In Uzbekistan, nowadays this dish is very famous in many restaurants. But I myself tried this dish for the first time at a birthday party.I cooked it today and sharing the recipe with you.
Usually this dish is served with some side dish and today my side dish was mashed potatoes with green peas. It's up to you.
Ingredients for 6 "Qiyma Zarafshon"s:
50 gr of corn oil or any other vegetable oil
350 gr of minced meat (beef or lamb)
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped well (150 gr)
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of ground coriander
pinch of fresh ground pepper
6 big eggs
Salt to taste
Originally, in the recipe it was told to use raw minced meat filling and bake the egg rolls in the oven, but I made some changes and fried minced meat for the filling. My oven is not perfect:)
Heat 50 ml of corn oil or any other vegetable oil and fry minced meat, constantly stirring for about 8-10 min, meat must give juice and then all the juice will evaporate. When meat is dry, add in onions and spices. Fry continuously stirring until onions are transparent and well cooked. Pour 30 ml of water, reduce the heat and cover the lid. Cook until all water will evaporate. At the end add in salt. Set the ready filling aside.
In another pan, fry all of the egg crepes. Fry crepes one by one, using one egg at a time. Just whisk the egg with a pinch of salt and pour it to the well heated pan, greased with some oil.

Fry until the bottom is golden in color, then turn carefully and fry another side.

Fry 6 egg crepes using 6 big eggs.
Now put 2 tbsp of ready filling in the middle of the crepe and fold it.


Serve with your favorite side dish or enjoy it just itself:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!

Umoch (Minced meat soup with flour crumbs)

"Umoch" is easy, yet tasty and nutritious soup. It is good in autumn and winter times, as it gives good energy and strength. In original recipe it is cooked only with melted lamb's tail fat, but you can substitute it with any vegetable or olive oil. But still I recommend to cook it with lamb's tail fat, as it is the key of the amazing taste! This recipe is enough to feed 3-4 people.
Ingredients:
For soup:
60 gr of melted lamb's tail fat or vegetable oil
250 gr of minced meat (beef or lamb)
2 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced (don't slice them too thin)
Salt to taste
Half a tsp of cumin seeds
1 liter of water
Fresh chopped coriander leaves
For flour crumbs:
Half cup of plain flour
Half a tsp of salt
2-2.5 tbsp of water
Heat the oil and fry minced meat and cumin seeds over high heat until meat is nice brown in color, then add in onions and fry continuously stirring until onions are transparent.

Add in water and bring to boil. Scoop out a little foam that will float to the surface and reduce the heat. Half cover the lid.
Prepare crumbs. Mix salt and flour. Add in 2 tbsp of water and mash well with hands. If it is still too dry, then add in more water. Flour must turn to bigger crumbs. At the end chop well with sharp knife.

Now add this crumbs in to the soup, sprinkle some salt and boil for about 6-7 min.
Serve sprinkling some fresh chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy this hot and delicious soup in cold weather.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Piyozli qatlama (Layered bread with onions)

"Piyozli qatlama" usually prepared in winter times. It is served with hot soups. But it is also nutritious as itself. Onions are added raw or fried, I prefer fried ones. If you want to use raw onion, then you have to slice them very very thinly. After slicing, mash well with hands.
For four "Piyozli qatlama" you will need:
300 ml of luke warm water
1.5 tsp of salt
Plain flour as needed
800 gr of peeled and sliced onions
50 gr of butter
More butter for greasing
Salt to taste
Little oil for frying
Make soft but not sticky dough out of salt, water and flour. Knead well and cover. Let it rest for 20 min.

Divide the dough in four equal pieces.
In another pan melt 50 gr of butter and fry sliced onions until they are transparent. Sprinkle some salt and mix. Set aside.
Roll out each piece of dough as thin as you can. Grease slightly with melted butter, and sprinkle fried onions over it. Use 1/4 of onions. Start rolling it around itself forming a log.

Now, roll again around forming snail.

Slightly flatten with hands and fry over little oil until nice golden color. Fry over medium heat with covered lid. After one side is cooked, turn "Piyozli qatlama" and fry another side until ready. Repeat with other pieces.
Serve with soups or enjoy it just with hot tea:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!