Ku'knori urug'lik kulchalar (Poppy seed buns)

I love poppy seeds! Pity that, you can't find it where I live, so I brought them from Uzbekistan, use them rarely and usually for a special buns:) Today I am posting the recipe of my favorite poppy seed buns and hope you will enjoy!
Ingredients:
500 ml of milk
50 ml of vegetable oil
2 sachet of dried yeast (2 tbsp)
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of sugar
Plain flour as needed
1 cup of sugar
100 grams of butter
1 cup of poppy seeds
1 egg
Heat up milk, add in salt and sugar, mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Add in oil and add in yeast. Start adding flour (sifted twice) until you will form soft and a little bit sticky dough. At the end, oil your hands and knead the dough for about 5 min. Cover and let it rise for 1.5 -2 hours.
Take the dough and divide a portion. Roll this portion on a oiled surface in to narrow oval shape. Now, grease the entire surface with a soft butter, sprinkle some sugar (to your taste) and at the end, sprinkle poppy seeds. Softly press down the surface with the palm of your hands.

Roll it around itself forming a log and evenly cut it out into 1-1.5 inch pieces.

Put these pieces on their flat side and grease with an egg yolk. Cover with a cotton towel and let them rest in warm place for about 10-15 min.

Bake in preheated oven until nice golden color.
You can make different shaped buns, and cinnamon also can be used for the sprinkling.
Some more photos of my buns:
Heart

Rose

Cinnamon and poppy seed spirals

Sabzavotlar bilan dimlangan baliq (Fish, baked along with vegetables)

"Sabzavotlar bilan dimlangan baliq" can be cooked with different types of fish, especially it is yummy with carp or salmon. I used (if I am not wrong) herring. Fish fillets without any bones would be perfect, especially when you are cooking for children.
Ingredients:
If it is small fish take one fish for one serving, otherwise, use 2-3 pieces of fish for each person
1 lemon juice (2-3 tbsp)
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 capsicum, sliced or cut in strips
3-4 potatoes
1 tsp of cumin seeds
Half a tsp or less fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste
3-4 cloves of garlic (optional)
4-5 tbsp of vegetable oil (I used sesame oil)
First of all we have to marinate our fish in lemon juice for at least 2 hours. Just rub lemon juice, salt and spices inside and outside of the fish, cover and put in fridge.
Cut out big piece out of foil, evenly put onion slices on top, put tomato and capsicum slices on top of onions, sprinkle some salt and spices. Put fish on top of vegetables. Place all of potato pieces around and between fish and drizzle with oil.
Finely wrap up the foil.

Bake in preheated oven for about an hour. Check up carefully opening the foil, fish must be cooked well.

Serve and enjoy this yummy, useful and easy to cook meal with your family and friends:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Tovuq qanotlaridan qovurdoq (Fried chicken wings with potatoes)

"Qovurdoq" is high calorie and very nutritious meal. Try to use fresh chicken wings for this meal. You can use lamb's tail fat if you want richer taste. Garlic and red chilies also can be added.
Ingredients:
500 ml of vegetable oil
600 grams of chicken wings
2 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
2 medium sized capsicum,(I took one green and one red)seeded and cut in long thin strips
2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut in medium chunks
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of crushed coriander
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped greens
Heat up 500 ml of oil in deep and heavy bottomed pan. Put in all of potato chunks and fry over high heat until nice golden color. Take out all potatoes and very carefully pour out the oil, leaving about 150 ml in pan.

Put in chicken wings, fry until golden color and add in onions. Put in all spices and continue frying until onions are transparent. Set the heat on medium, add in capsicum, fry for about 5 min, then put in tomatoes. Fry until oil will start to separate and color is bright. Now, put in potatoes, fry for 5-8 min more, add in salt and take from heat. Serve on a big flat plate, sprinkling fresh greens over. Enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Macaron shu'rva (Soup with noodles)

"Macaron shu'rva" can be made using different type of meat-beef, lamb, poultry. As I don't eat red meat, I made it out of chicken:) In original recipe it is done with lamb's tail fat, but I replaced it with corn oil. If you want to make it with lamb's tail fat, then melt about 50 grams of it in preheated thick bottomed pan, take out all of shrunk fat pieces and continue as in recipe below. (Recipe will feed 3-4 people)
Ingredients:
6 tbsp of corn oil
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, finely chopped or cubed
1 medium sized carrot, peeled and cubed
1 tsp of crushed or grind coriander seeds
3/4 cup of bow shaped (or any other small)noodles
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped coriander or any other your favorite greens
Heat up oil in heavy bottomed pan and put in cubed breast chunks, fry over medium heat, until nice golden color and add in onions, fry until onions are transparent. Now put in carrot cubes and fry for about 5-6 min, then add in tomatoes and coriander. Fry until tomatoes are mushy, bright in color and oil will start to separate. Add in 1 liter of water, bring to boil over high heat. When it comes to boil, reduce the heat on medium and scoop out a little foam, that will float to the surface. Half cover the lid and let it simmer for 30 min. At the end, add in noodles and cook for another 10-15 min or until noodles are finely cooked. Take from heat, add in salt.
Serve in individual bowls, sprinkling freshly chopped greens. You can also add in half a tsp of fresh cream, to make the soup richer in flavor.
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

So, so, so busy with a lot of projects!!!

Hi there my dearest followers and readers! I just want to say sorry for such a rare posting in these days! I have done so many work and there was no time to make myself sit and write something. I have finished a lot of sewing projects, I will show them later in my second blog which is here http://malikasday.blogspot.com/
When I start some sewing project, I don't like to be disturbed:) I cook fast and easy recipes, often "cook in no time" meals:)I can't sleep well until I finish my project, I am so inpatient to see the result:) Now, I also have at least 6-7 projects in my mind, can't wait when I will finish them:)
I am sure you will understand and support me! I just want to say that I am here with you and will continue posting Uzbek recipes!
With a lot of LOVE and CARE, with a big HUGS,
Malika

How to make "pishloq" or "tvorog"

I love my home made "pishloq"/"tvorog", as it is tastier and safer, as I know how I made it:) This kind of cheese exist almost in every cuisine and has different names like ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, panir and so on. In Uzbekistan it is mostly called "tvorog". Choose very fresh and natural milk for this purpose, otherwise you won't get anything, but a mess!
Ingredients:
for 150 grams of "tvorog"
1 liter of milk
2-3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
Cheesecloth
Salt to taste (optional, as I usually don't add any salt)
Heat up milk, over medium heat, until small bubbles will start to appear:

Immediately set the heat on low and add in lemon juice. Stir unceasingly. Milk will start to curdle. When milk is finely curdled and you can see that yellowish whey, take from heat and immediately pour the mixture over cheesecloth and let all the whey to drain. You can keep the whey for another purposes if you want.

Your "tvorog" is ready to eat now. If you want to make harder cheese, then hang up that cheesecloth for about 30 min and then keep you cheese in cold, clean water in a glass jar.

Olma palov (Pilaf with apples)

There are so many recipes of pilaf with different fruits, but most favorite ones are pilaf with quinces, with dried fruits or with apples. Each of these fruits give special flavor and taste to pilaf.
It's better to choose fresh, flavored apples for pilaf, because they will give really special taste to pilaf. The other secret is using clarified butter for this pilaf, as it goes good with the taste of apples and sultana raisins and gives a beautiful yellowish color. This pilaf can be cooked without any meat (for vegetarians). Recipe is for 3-4 servings.
Ingredients:
100 grams of clarified butter
300 grams of meat (beef or lamb,I used chicken)
2 medium sized onions, peeled and sliced
200 grams of carrots, peeled and cut in long strips or flaked
Half cup of sultana raisins
Three apples
300 grams of rice
1 tsp of crushed coriander
Salt to taste
Heat up butter and put in meat. Fry over medium heat until meat is browned. Put in all of the onion and carrots. Set the heat on low and cook for about 40 min under covered lid. Don't forget to stir every 10 min. After half hour, add in salt and coriander.
Cut out the middle of apples with a special knife. If you don't have that kind of knife, then halve apples and remove seeds. Finely wash raisins.

Finely wash rice, layer it on top of the fried meat and vegetables evenly. Pour enough water to cover rice for about an inch or more/less depending on your rice. Set the heat on high and bring water to boil. Tuck apples in to the rice at this stage and let all water evaporate, don't forget to check for saltiness, add some more if needed.

When all water is gone, set the heat on low and cover the lid. After 10 min, open up the lid and carefully mix only the top of the rice, turn apples on other side. Again cover the lid and cook for 20 min more or until rice is finely cooked.
Mix all of the pilaf carefully and serve topping with meat and apples. Enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!