U'rik djemi (Apricot jam)

I love this jam! The flavor of apricot just makes me happy, it is so tasty. I never bye ready made jams from grocery stores, as I can make them at home, and this is much more tastier and healthier, because you know exactly what you put in there:), no preservatives and no food color! It is great for fillings of cakes, pancakes or just for sandwiches.
Ingredients:
1 kg of apricot
1 kg of sugar
1 tsp of lemon essence
Wash carefully your apricots and remove the seed by halving them. Then mash apricots to puree in food processor or just chop finely. Add in all the sugar and mix well. Put on a medium heat and stirring bring to boil, let it simmer until it gets thick, don't forget stirring jam frequently or it will stick to the bottom of your pan. When it will be really thick, add in lemon essence and continue to cook for more 10 min. In this stage jam is very sticky, so stir it very frequently. Take from the heat, and pour jam in your sterilized and warmed glass dishes.
You will love this jam! It is very simple to make, but really tasty!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Andijoncha jo'hori shorva (Andijani corn soup)

This soup is mostly cooked in Andijan region. There is two ways to prepare this dish- by frying and by boiling. I am posting the recipe of the boiled one. I think it is more healthier and low fat as no oil is used. But the fried one is richer in taste and thicker as we use oil for frying. Anyway, I will later post that one too:)
Ingredients:
500 gr of meat, it is better to take ribs
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, blended to puree
2 carrots, peeled and sliced in circles
1 small capsicum, chopped
3 piece of whole corn, cleaned from shelf and divided in 3-4 pieces
Salt as taste
1 tsp of ground coriander
Fresh chopped coriander
Put meat in 2 liters of cold water, bring to boil on a hight heat. Then reduce the heat and scoop out all the foam. Let it simmer under half covered lid, on a medium heat for an hour. Then add in blender tomatoes, capsicum, onion and carrots. Again bring to boil, scoop out all the red foam that will come out, then reduce the heat on medium and continue to simmer under half covered lid for 30 min. Then add in corn, let it simmer for an hour more. At the end add salt and ground coriander and cook for another 5 min. Then take from the heat and serve sprinkling with fresh chopped coriander. Enjoy this wonderful soup, that will help you to be healthy and strong. it is fun eating corn with hands, don't bother spoon or fork for that:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Nuhotli salat (Chickpea salad)

"Nuhotli salat" is very nourishing and rich in protein, it is healthy and useful salad.
Ingredients:
200 gr of meat, boiled separately until it is soft and ready, about 2.5 hours
200 gr of chickpeas, soaked at least for 8 hours and boiled until soft, about 1 hour, you also can use canned chickpeas
Fresh chopped coriander
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp of vegetable oil or olive oil
Salt to taste
Cut in meat in small cubes, like the size of chickpeas, add in chickpeas, onion, coriander, salt and oil. Mix all the ingredients well and serve. Enjoy with a dinner or just for lunch:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Tovuqli loviya shorva (Chicken and kidney bean soup)

I posted recipe of fried "Loviya shorva" earlier, and this is another type of soup which is prepared with kidney beans. It is much more healthier and low fat, then the first recipe, because we don't need to use any oil here. It is good for diabetics and for people who want to eat healthy food.
Ingredients:
Half of big chicken
2 onions, peeled, one sliced, one whole
1 capsicum, cut in thin strips
1 turnip, quartered
2 medium sized tomatoes, blend in food processor or chopped well
1 carrot,peeled and sliced
200 gr of kidney beans, boiled separately until they are soft and ready
2-3 bay leaves
Some chopped fresh coriander or dill
Salt to taste
Put chicken in cold water enough to cover it for 3 inches, it is better to take deep pan, I usually pour about 2.5 liters of water. Let water to boil and scoop out all the foam, reduce the heat, half cover the lid and let it simmer for 1 hour. After add in carrot, blended tomato, capsicum, onion and turnip and again let the soup boil and then scoop out small red foam that will come out, and again reduce the heat, half cover the lid and let it simmer for 40 min, then add in ready kidney beans (pour out all the water that kidney beans been boiled, as it is dark in color and it will not look good in the soup), also add bay leaves and let the soup simmer for 10 min, then add in salt, you can also add some of your favorite spices, but I usually don't. Check for saltiness, now you can serve the soup sprinkling with chopped coriander and of course enjoy it:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Pomidor va piyozlik salat (Tomato and onion salad)

Usually "Pomidor va piyozlik salat" or as we also call it the second type of "Achchiq chuchuk" is served with pilafs. It goes good with pilaf and it helps digestion, as pilaf is not easily digested:) It is fresh and juicy salad. My mother likes the juice of tomatoes that remains at the bottom of the dish, and used to pour it into cup and drink it. Use juicy and ripe tomatoes for it.
Ingredients:
2 big, ripe and ruby tomatoes
1 medium sized onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
Salt to taste
it is your choice to peel or not to peel tomatoes, I usually peel them, as they will give more juice. So, peel tomatoes and cut them in cubes or just slice it with sharp knife, add in onions, salt and mix carefully, don't over mix it, as tomatoes are very delicate as peeled. This is it! Your salad is ready, just serve and enjoy it with any kind of pilaf:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Loviyalik salat ( Kidney bean salad)

This salad you can serve as an appetizer, salad or as a side dish. If you add boiled meat to it, then serve it as a main dish. I love the taste of this salad. Very good source of protein, as it is important for vegetarians.
Ingredients:
300 gr of kidney beans
3 cloves of garlic
2 onions, peeled and sliced
30 gr of butter or olive oil
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped coriander
Wash kidney beans and put them in cold water, pour enough water to cover beans for 3 inches. Bring water to boil, then reduce the heat on medium, half cover the lid and let it simmer until kidney beans are soft and ready. Then add in some salt and drain all the water. Melt the butter in a pan and fry onions until golden color, add in to beans, add also mashed garlic cloves and fresh chopped coriander, mix all the ingredients well. Serve and enjoy this healthy and delicious salad ever!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Tuy palovi (Wedding pilaf)

This type of palov is called "Tuy palovi" because mostly it is cooked for weddings. It is rich and good looking pilaf:) Pilafs for weddings is always cooked by men, because in our tradition we held a big wedding parties for 500-1000 people, and several 100 kg of pilafs are cooked for ceremony. Usually yellow carrot is used for this pilaf, but today I find only red ones, but that is also ok:)
Ingredients:
150 ml of oil
500 gr of meat, cut in big pieces
400 gr of yellow carrots, peeled and cut in thin long strips
2 big onions, peeled and sliced
150 gr of chickpeas, soaked for at least for 8 hours, then washed well
100 gr raisins, washed
2,5 cups of long grain rice
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of ground coriander
2 tbsp of turmeric
2 garlic heads
1 tbsp of cumin seeds
Heat the oil, put in meat and fry until brown, add in onions, continue frying. When onions are pale brown, add in carrots. Fry until carrots are half cooked. Add in 600 ml of water. Add in chickpeas while water is cold, or else they will remain hard. Bring water to boil, reduce the heat, add in garlic heads and let it simmer for 50 min, then add in raisins. Continue to cook for 10 min, then add in turmeric, cumin, coriander and 1.5 tbsp of salt. Let it simmer for another 10 min. Took out garlic heads, add in rice, layer it evenly on top of carrots, then add enough water to cover the rice for 1 inch. Turn the heat on high, and let the water evaporate, don't forget to check for saltiness. Mix only top of the rice and close the lid, reduce the heat on very low. After 20 min, open the lid, and again mix only top of the rice,close the lid and then cook for another 10 min. After your rice is soft, take your pot from the heat and mix all of pilaf carefully. Serve and enjoy this heavenly tasty meal!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!