After watching Stalik Khankishiev’s latest video recipe – kidneys in Uyghur style, I became interested in Uyghur cuisine. The Uyghurs are the oldest people of Eastern Turkistan. People who, back in the 40s. The 20th century had its own statehood. A people with its own literature, architecture, philosophy, rich customs and traditions. This is an absolutely full-fledged ethnic group with an ancient and tragic fate.
Like any other national cuisine, Uyghur has its own characteristics. This is moderation, satiety, but at the same time useful. The harmonious taste and rich aroma of ready-made dishes is an important component of the culinary tradition.
Modern genetic studies have established that the Uyghurs were formed as a mixture of representatives of the Caucasian and Mongoloid races. This was, of course, a very long time ago, but in cooking the result was a mixture of Western and Eastern traditions. So...
First place. Uyghur snack “Gul Tawak”
Gul Tawak is an assortment of chopped vegetables, meat and fish, as well as seasonings. The dish must be served in the shape of a flower with petals of different colors, which is why it is often called a “flower dish.” This is always a beautiful, tasteful dish. It is composed of finely chopped vegetables of various configurations, as well as boiled and fried meat, which is also finely chopped.
Why did I put it in first place? After all, it is so simple and uncomplicated. But the fact of the matter is that in cooking, for some reason, the most delicious and healthy is the simple. Moreover, the aesthetics are beautiful. Everyone will agree that three sausages and a pile of buckwheat porridge piled into one bowl do not look very attractive or appetizing. But assorted vegetables served in the shape of a flower...
Uyghur appetizer “Gul Tawak” made from vegetables. This is a wonderful dish that is simply pleasing to the eye.
Second place. Uyghur noodles Lagman
Uyghur noodles are a very famous thing in world culinary culture. The most famous is Lagman noodles, which are made from thin threads of dough stretched from thickly cut ropes. “Lagmans” can be made from different types of flour and can be of different thicknesses. Uyghur cuisine has an interesting feature. Each dish is surrounded by an aura of symbolism and romance. So lagman is called the “dish of love”.
It is customary to serve lagman with sauces and gravies. The gravies vary at different times of the year. In spring, the gravy is prepared from green onions, jusai sprouts, celery and radishes. In summer - from cucumbers, garlic arrows, jusun, short and long beans, tomatoes, green and red peppers, eggplants, garlic and onions. In autumn - from carrots, kohlrabi, radishes and turnips. In winter - from dried and salted vegetables. It all depends on what ripens and when. This is quite logical. 🙂
Uyghur lagman. A cross between noodles and gravy and noodle soup.
Third place. Uyghur manti and Choshchur dumplings
I combined these two dietary dishes into one item, because... I believe that they are very similar in terms of preparation methods and the composition of the products used.
Manti is no less popular among the Uyghurs than noodles. In the symbolic classification of dishes, manti is called the “dish of horsemen.” They are prepared like Choshurya dumplings from rolled out dough with filling.
The method of preparing manta is unusual - steamed in a gimbil - a special flat dish woven from reeds - or in a caskan - a vessel consisting of a system of sieves inserted into each other. The dough is fresh, sour, yeast, the filling can be different - meat, vegetable or cheese. For example, there may be such combinations of pumpkin with meat, onions, zhusai, figs, clover, green onions, quince, vegetables, etc.
Uyghur manta rays have their own distinct characteristics, so it’s worth looking at the varieties in more detail:
Kava manta- pumpkin (kava) is mixed in equal parts with lamb. Getting ready for steam. There are subspecies - khoshan, fried manti. The latter are first fried in vegetable oil until golden brown and only then brought to readiness in a cascan. The idea is that harmful substances formed during frying will be neutralized, but the taste of the fried dish will remain.
Jusai manta ray- also steamed, but the jusai plant is used as a filling. The plant can be mixed with lamb or not.
Boldurgan manta ray— steamed from yeast dough. Due to this, the manti turns out to be lush (boldurgan). The filling is almost no different from the previous options: either meat or meat with jusai.
In the Uyghur tradition, manti is usually consumed with “lazjan” (a special seasoning made from red pepper seasoned with vegetable oil) or “cobra” (a seasoning made from tomatoes, hot peppers and garlic).
Uyghur manti is steamed in jimbile or kaskan
Choshchur dumplings are usually prepared by the newlyweds on the second day of the wedding. This dish is a symbol of wishes for large families and prosperity. Choshurya can be served as both a first and a second course.
Gimbil dishes turned out to be a great Internet rarity. You can still find a verbal description on the Internet, but here is an image... Strangely enough, in the place where you can find almost everything (on the Internet) this rare national steamer was not found.
Kaskan is another matter. This type of cookware has a completely industrial incarnation and is visually very reminiscent of a multi-level steamer.
Kaskan - the industrial embodiment of national Uyghur tableware
Fourth place. Uyghur pilaf
Among the Central Asian peoples, pilaf is always held in high esteem, but for most of them it is quite an everyday dish. But among the Uighurs, this is a festive dish that is prepared for receiving guests. Since pilaf is always needed for guests, many Uyghur families, as a rule, invite a special skilled cook called “ashpyaz”. Pilaf is not necessarily prepared for joyful occasions; among the Uighurs, it is equally relevant at both weddings and funerals.
The Uighur pilaf recipe is conceptually similar to its counterparts among other peoples. It is prepared from rice, meat, carrots and onions, often seasoned with garlic or raisins.
Pilaf among the Uighurs is not an everyday dish, but a festive dish.
Fifth place. Uyghur pastries
The baked goods deserve special mention. It occupies a special place in Uyghur cuisine. The most famous and ancient are Samsu pies stuffed with minced meat (meat, onion and pumpkin), vegetables or fruits. Samsa is prepared in a ton or tandoor (cone-shaped ovens for baking bread), as well as in a cauldron. There are different types of dough for samsa; the choice of the right one depends on the baking method. For example, for tandoor samsa the dough is kneaded salty and hard, for samsa in a cauldron it is loose and weak, the dough can also be salty and yeasty. Samsa is usually served for dessert.
Samsa is a Central Asian fast food. These pies are sold in the squares and markets of eastern cities, just as in our country they try to push unpalatable hot dogs to onlookers.
This is how samsa is prepared in a tandoor
No less popular is It's time(a kind of cheburek). It is stuffed with greens, cabbage, cilantro, dill, jusia and even sprouted wheat sprouts. In addition, there are variations with a filling of finely chopped meat and onions.
Pies stuffed with meat and onions (meat bread). This dish is prepared only in a cauldron.
Goshch Nan - what delicious dishes can be said in a cauldron
In addition to pies, there are also Berk Nan (steamed bread) - a roll made of carrots, pumpkin, green onions and jusya. The dish is steamed.
Sixth place. Uyghur bread
Like Belarusian cuisine, Uyghur cuisine has its own special bread. If we have sour black bread, then the Uyghurs prefer to bake bread from a mixture of wheat and corn flour, or from these types of flour, but without mixing. They prepare sour (fermented) or yeast dough from it, add onions. Flatbreads are baked, as a rule, in a bread oven (tonu) or in a cauldron, or in a tandoor.
In general, bread is of great importance in Uyghur cuisine. Connoisseurs identify more than 40 varieties. But in short, there are two types of flatbreads: large and thin - "jeon nan", small and fat – "togach".
Flatbreads cooked in a cauldron come in other varieties: these are rich puff pastries made from dough mixed with butter and cream - "katlima" thin pancakes with lard (or without lard) - "scaled".
For the holidays, they bake different types of butter cookies - for example, "sanza". But bread baked in a tandoor is considered the healthiest and most nutritious. It is believed that it absorbs the heat of “living fire”. Here I agree with the Uyghurs; my experience suggests that food cooked over coals or an open fire in nature is most easily digestible and has the best taste.
Uyghur bread. How different is the tradition of making bread here and in the east?
Seventh place. Black tea with milk
It was through the places of traditional residence of the Uyghurs that the famous Silk Road passed a long time ago. Therefore, tea has been drunk in this region for a long time. Black tea with milk can be called the national drink of the Uighurs. During the day, local residents always drink a couple of cups of strong tea. The tea ceremony has, perhaps, ideological significance in this region.
There are many ways to prepare tea. I will give a few of the most interesting ones. For example, the Uyghurs of Semirechye prefer to drink salty tea whitened with milk - "atkyan tea". This tea is usually flavored with cream, sour cream, butter and drunk from large bowls - “apkur chinya”. This dish is very filling and is usually served for breakfast in the morning.
“Atkyan tea” is a very satisfying drink for morning breakfast
But after a rich and fatty meal, it is customary to drink simple black tea with sweets - "son of tea", and only Fergana Uyghurs drink green tea - "kok tea".
Eighth place. First meal
The first dishes in the culinary tradition of the Uyghurs deserve a special place. They come in several types. Shova broths prepared with pis and vegetables. Peas are a type of pea and are often called chickpeas.
"Suyuk Ash"- these soups have a different preparation principle; they are prepared with noodles and come in the form of broths or fried. The Uighurs call such soups “food for the tired”; they help to quickly restore strength after a long journey or hard work and do not require additional energy expenditure from a person to digest food. Soups of this type are usually seasoned with fresh herbs or roots. There are a lot of varieties of “Suyuk Ash”: “kaligach tili” - noodles in the shape of a swallow’s tongue, “uzmya suyuk ash” - soup-rants, “yeyip uzup tashlash” - soup-rants with rolled out dough, “khalivash” - soup with dough , cut into large squares, “omach” - soup with pureed dough, “sumulyak” - a variety of “omacha”, prepared as a funeral dish. Uighurs prepare noodles from different types of flour - barley, rice, wheat or corn.
As for the “omach” soup, it is an absolute Uyghur specialty and is practically not found in the cuisines of other nations.
Unique Uighur soup Omach. Essentially made from flour
And here’s the paradox: the Uyghurs no longer have their own statehood, but their culinary art has become a monument of intangible culture and is recognized everywhere in Central Asia. In many cities of this region you can find Uyghur ashkhana.
P.S. Outside of the rating, I would like to highlight a unique Uyghur dish "opkya-esip"- these are stuffed lungs of a ram, lamb or calf. The method of preparing this dish is extremely complex and requires great culinary experience and art. When cutting a ram, lamb or calf, you need to show great virtuosity and not hit the lungs with a knife. Then it is necessary to check the integrity of the lungs. This is done relatively simply - they are inflated. The filling consists of batter, milk, eggs and butter. It is poured into the lungs through a special sieve and the hole is tightly tied with a rope. After which the semi-finished product is dipped into boiling water and cooked until tender. Very unusual.
Chapter 9. Hymn to Uyghur cuisine
“If the Chinese eat everything that moves, then the Uyghurs eat everything that grows”
(Uyghur saying)
They say that Archimedes, having made his discovery, exclaimed: “Give me a fulcrum, and I will change the world!” To paraphrase it somewhat, I would say this: “Give me a Uighur cook and I will change your consciousness, destroying all your faded ideas about cooking in general and about flour cuisine in particular.”
To my shame, I got to know Uyghur cuisine a little late, but it immediately captivated me in all respects and firmly sank into my soul, finding its own corner there. This is a truly wonderful hardworking people: apparently, it is no coincidence that, having settled at the junction of such powerful cultures as Turkic, Mongolian, Chinese and Persian, and having absorbed all the best, they have worthily established themselves in the fraternal family of Central Asian peoples, standing out among others for their the most magnificent flour cuisine.
There is a saying among our people about the Uyghurs, the exact translation of which I cannot vouch for, but... Just as they say about the Khorezmians that “they begin to dance as soon as they fall from their mother’s belly,” in the same way about the Uyghurs one can confidently say: “they They start cooking as soon as they are born.” But most of all, I was struck not only, and not even so much by hard work and conscientiousness (which, strictly speaking, in itself, is not so unimportant), but by the highest cleanliness. I haven’t seen anything like this anywhere since...
What I had to endure, constantly listening to how individual comrades distorted and distorted the names of Central Asian dishes. And “langam”, and “dalman” (apparently, a symbiosis of lagman and dolma), and even “lamgan”. At first, this outraged me and I, not without malice, remarked: “Well, is it really so difficult for you to remember at least the name of the dish? And in general: how can you confuse dolma with lagman? After all, these are two completely different dishes!? I don’t confuse Belarusian potato pancakes with Ukrainian Hetman’s borscht, or Lithuanian zeppelins with Russian potato zrazy?!”
But then it dawned on me: it’s not their fault that they didn’t have the chance to be born and live in a huge country called the USSR. Their mothers and fathers still remember this and, probably, until the end of their days they will not confuse the former republics of Central Asia with the republics of Transcaucasia, the spurs of the Pamirs from Elbrus, and so on. I completely forgot that our children, unlike us, were born and raised in “free and independent” countries!
Well, we sincerely wish them that their school curriculum would be no worse than the Soviet one, and worthy of the status of newly formed countries, so that our children would better than their parents master the knowledge of history, geography and other important disciplines necessary for the general development and formation of a normal personality .
I will not hide: it is sometimes difficult to restrain yourself from overwhelming emotions when you have to deal with the categorical statements of individual people who are superficially familiar with oriental cuisine. And this applies not only to inexperienced Russians of the younger generation, but, above all, to the so-called “countrymen” who, due to their natural temperament, are characterized by such qualities as impulsiveness, increased emotionality, hot temper and categoricalness. Moreover, as I had to verify, extreme categoricalness in making a final verdict is characteristic, to a large extent, of precisely those people who have not shown their noses further than their own home.
“They never put potatoes in a lagman!!!” - one says authoritatively.
“I myself am from Kyrgyzstan, and I can tell you for sure that the Uighurs do not put any eggplant in their gravy!” – another “specialist” emphasizes.
“Remember: no bell pepper goes into real Ashlyanfu!” – the third one threatens his finger edifyingly...
All this would be funny if it weren't so sad. I had the opportunity to communicate with a considerable number of local chefs and almost all of them agree that everything depends on the time of year and the availability of products.
True, there were some unique chefs. One of whom, in response to my question, “Please tell us about the features of Uyghur cuisine?”, frankly inquired:
– What: is there any other cuisine in Central Asia?
It is clear that our conversation quickly ended.
However, I was no less amused and amused by the other extreme, to which, as a rule, a certain category of Russians is exposed. Here is a typical example of such a speech, which I heard on one of the forums (I deliberately slightly modified the text itself without distorting the meaning):
“I read the comments and was outraged. People, who gave you the right to judge the correctness of the recipe? You can only offer your own cooking options. None of you is the author of the world’s first pilaf (kebab, lagman, shurpa... etc.), which means it’s not for you to judge its true composition. Even if you are of the same nationality or from the country whose national pride is this dish. Quite often, real masters prepare different variations of the same dish.”
"You are right, well done!" – I silently praised the smart girl, since I myself can’t stand any kind of “true experts”, “specialists” and other culinary upstarts.
And then, a line below, I read: “...For example, I add to lagman: potatoes, cabbage, pickles, and black radish...”
I just wanted to continue: “and crushed brick, and alabaster, as well as nails, nuts, screws, bolts...”
What can I say? No, I immediately want to make a reservation in order to be correctly understood: I am completely far from zealous defenders of observing the “purity of rituals”, and therefore, I fully admit the presence of potatoes, cabbage, eggplant in the lagman... etc., since, at the basis of the choice of that or another product lies not in fanatical adherence to a list of specific ingredients established once and for all, but in their possible availability, dictated, first of all, on the basis of practical considerations and, first of all, by the time of year.
This, in my opinion, is the exceptional feature, wisdom (and, as a result, democracy) of Uyghur cuisine, which allows partial interchangeability of individual products. For, upon closer acquaintance with this unique people, you begin to realize that this is more than just cooking - it is a way of life, an attempt to survive in any conditions. In the end, this is seen as a deep philosophy based on the realities dictated by time. It is no coincidence that among the Uyghurs there is a common saying: “With smart owners, even a cow will become a pacer.”
Another thing is that this does not mean at all that you can throw everything into the cauldron, depersonalizing and reducing the original dish beyond recognition (both externally and qualitatively).
I repeat: I agree and admit that small insignificant deviations can be allowed, but there are things that are unshakable and eternal, that have stood the test of time and are “classics”. Which do not tolerate free treatment. Therefore, to admit the possibility of the presence of pickles, say, in a lagman, is the same as listening to a symphony by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov performed by an orchestra of doy players and/or balalaika players. It is likely that some things can be made out, but... But - forgive me - why should I recognize all this as that classic, the performance of which, like a living picture, is forever imprinted in my heart since childhood? And therefore, any encroachment on its external and qualitative change evokes in me a completely understandable and justified protest and indignation?
You can, for example, put wild garlic instead of jusai, or instead of pulled homemade Dungan noodles, buy excellent Italian spaghetti in the supermarket, boil it and not suffer under the endless torture of pulling out the right noodles. You can do whatever comes into your head. And this is not a crime at all. Moreover, it is very possible that this “new” may turn out to be even tastier than the old classic recipe. For God's sake. As they say, “cheers”! I am only a supporter of not calling this dish “lagman,” thereby discrediting and depersonalizing the original ideas about the dish itself and bringing confusion into the minds of those who would like to join the culinary traditions of another culture, another people. That's all!
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Uyghur culinary art is a unique monument of the material culture of the people. It synthesizes the mutual influences of the West and the East, antiquity and modernity, and besides, it is great skill, imagination, beauty and harmony of taste.
Dishes of Uyghur cuisine are so varied and diverse that it is not possible to cover everything. We will touch only on some of them, adhering to the traditional classification.
Cold dishes are divided into two types: dishes from various raw vegetables and cold dishes from boiled and fried vegetables.
Raw vegetables (they can be radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, sprouted beans, radishes, cabbage, carrots, etc.) are components of cold salads, which are seasoned with vinegar, hot oil, pepper and various seasonings. The components of salads made from boiled and fried vegetables are the same vegetables, but heat-treated, meat, rice starch, and eggs.
A special place among cold dishes is occupied by “Gul Tawak” - a flower dish. This dish is an assortment, which is prepared from various vegetables, meat, and seasonings. The variety of types of this dish depends on the ingredients. But it is always a beautifully and tastefully laid out dish of finely chopped vegetables of various configurations, fried and boiled meat, also finely chopped. Overall, the dish gives the impression of a flower consisting of multi-colored petals.
Common dishes among the Uyghurs among the first courses are: “Shova” - broths, these are soups with pis, vegetables, “suyuk ash” - these are noodle soups, they come in two types: brothy and fried. Uighurs call these dishes food for the tired, food for rest. Such soups are seasoned with fresh herbs or roots, among them: “kaligach tili” - noodles in the shape of a swallow’s tongue, “uzmya suyuk ash” - soup-rants, “yeyip uzup tashlash” - soup-rants with rolled out dough, “khalivash” - soup with dough, cut into large squares, “omach” - soup with pureed dough. They can be prepared from different types of flour, barley, rice, wheat, corn. This dish is described in “Diwan Lugat-it-Turk” by Mahmud Kashgari and has almost no analogues in the cuisines of other nations. One of the varieties of "omacha" - "sumulyak" - is prepared as a funeral dish.
The most beloved and widespread dish of Uyghur cuisine is “lagman”. These are long noodles made from thin strands of dough stretched from thickly cut ropes, served with a specially prepared gravy. Each dish of Uyghur cuisine has its own symbolism. This dish is called the dish of love. Among the Uyghurs, depending on the time of year, “lagman” is divided into four types. In spring, the gravy for the dish is prepared from green onions, jusai sprouts, celery and radishes. In summer - from cucumbers, garlic arrows, jusun, short and long beans, tomatoes, green and red peppers, eggplants, garlic and onions. In autumn - from carrots, kohlrabi, radishes and turnips. In winter - from dried and salted vegetables. There are also types of “lagmans” that differ in the method of preparing noodles depending on the thickness, type of flour, etc.
“Manty” in the symbolism of dishes is called a dish of horsemen. They are steamed in special devices consisting of a system of sieves inserted into each other - “kaskan” or a flat vessel woven from reeds “zhimbil”. They, like the “choshchurya” dumplings, are prepared from rolled out dough with filling. The variety of this dish depends on the cooking method, dough and filling components. Manty is prepared using unleavened, sour, yeast dough. The filling can also be varied - pumpkin with meat, onions, zhusai, figs, clover, green onions, quince, vegetables, etc.
“Choshurya” - dumplings, are prepared for newlyweds on the second day of the wedding, as a symbol of the wish for many children and prosperity. “Choshurya” can be served as both the first and second courses.
Uighurs often cook pilaf. This is mainly a dish for guests. For a large number of people, pilaf is prepared by “ashpyaz” - a cook specially invited to a wedding or funeral. Cooking pilaf requires great skill. Pilaf is prepared from rice, meat, carrots and onions, often seasoned with garlic or raisins.
“Samsa” is one of the most revered ancient Uyghur dishes. The real name of samsa is samsu. These are pies stuffed with minced meat and onions, pumpkin, vegetables and fruits. Samsa is prepared in a ton or tandoor (cone-shaped ovens for baking bread) and a cauldron. Kneading the dough for samsa depends on where it is to be prepared. For example, for tandoor samsa the dough is kneaded salty and hard, for samsa in a cauldron it is loose and weak, the dough can also be salty and yeasty.
Along with samsa, one cannot fail to mention “porya”, “goshch nan” and “olukh nan”.
“Porya” is a kind of chebureki stuffed with herbs, jusya, clover, sprouted wheat, dill, cabbage, and cilantro. Filling with finely chopped meat and onions is possible.
“Goshch nan” - meat bread - pies stuffed with meat and onions, baked in a cauldron.
“Olukh nan” is a steamed bread roll made from carrots, pumpkin, jusiai, green onions, etc.
The preparation of “opkya-esip” - stuffed lungs - requires special culinary art. When cutting a ram, lamb or calf, try not to touch the lungs with a knife. To check the integrity of the lungs, they are inflated. Then prepare the filling from batter, milk, eggs and butter, pour it through a sieve into the lung and, tightly tying the hole, lower the lung into boiling water.
Uyghurs bake bread from wheat flour, sometimes from corn flour. It is baked in bread ovens (“tonu”) from sour or yeast dough in the form of flat cakes: large and thin – “chon nan”, small and thick – “togach”. In a cauldron, rich puff pastries are baked from dough mixed with butter and cream “katlima”, thin pancakes with lard “poshkal” or without lard. On holidays, it is customary to bake different types of butter cookies in a cauldron, in particular, “sanza”. The most nutritious bread is considered to be bread baked in a tandoor, because it absorbs the heat of a “living fire”. There are more than forty ways of preparing bread in Uyghur cuisine.
Tea plays a huge role in the Uyghur diet. Tea has been known to the Uighurs since ancient times, because... The Silk Road passed through the lands of the Uyghurs and it was along it that tea was transported from India and China. The Uighurs know many ways to prepare tea and have developed a tea drinking ritual.
The Uyghurs of Semirechye drink salted tea whitened with milk - “atkyan tea”. It is seasoned with cream, sour cream, butter and drunk from large bowls - “apkur chinya”. This is a very nourishing tea and is usually served in the morning for breakfast. After fatty and rich food, black tea with sweets is served - “son tea”. Fergana Uyghurs prefer green tea - “kok chai”.
The culinary art of the Uyghurs has been recognized throughout Central Asia. There are Uyghur ashkhanas in many cities and villages.
However, among the Uyghur dishes there are also those that have very clever names and even look unusual. Try to guess - what is it made from and what is it eaten with?
Going to visit the experts of Uyghur cuisine, we tried to find out not only the recipes of already known dishes, but also those whose names seemed very mysterious to us.
EVERYTHING THAT GROWS IN YOUR GARDEN...
But there are also differences. As a joke, the Uighurs say: if the Chinese eat everything that moves, then the Uighurs eat everything that grows. Maybe that's why these people love spring so much. If the first arrows of onions, garlic, and other green shoots appear in the garden, the Uyghurs will not perish from hunger!
We begin our journey into the world of Uyghur cuisine with traditional manti. This dish is prepared throughout Central Asia. But it came to us, according to legend, from the Middle Kingdom, where the word “mantiou” meant “steamed bread.”
Asiya Pakhritdinova, the chef of one of the Almaty cafes of Uyghur cuisine, introduces us to the art of cooking.
According to Asia, manti is made from unleavened or yeast dough. The filling is not monotonous: it is pumpkin with meat, onions, jusai (ramson), figs, clover, green onions, quince and a variety of vegetables.
Manti can be steamed, or you can pre-fry them in boiling oil - these will become Khoshan manti.
Note that not a single dish in Uyghur traditional cuisine is prepared using a meat grinder: meat and vegetables are chopped only by hand and very finely.
Manti is served with lajan sauce, without which food is not food for a Uighur. This sauce is very simple to prepare: grated red and black pepper is poured with boiling oil, vinegar diluted with water is added. You can add celery and carrots to the finished mixture - it’s not for everyone.
LAGMAN “SEASONS”
Another traditional Uyghur dish is lagman. It is also called the dish of love. True, here, as it turned out, not everything is pure in origin. Rumor has it that the Dungan dish Liaomian has successfully migrated to Uyghur cuisine under a new name.
“We most often prepare three types of lagman: suyru - liquid lagman, guiru - dry lagman, with a minimum amount of sauce and sumyan - fried lagman, when noodles and other ingredients are stewed together,” says Asia.
Sauce or gravy for lagman is prepared depending on the time of year outside the window. In spring - from fresh green onions, jusai sprouts, celery and radishes. In summer - from cucumbers, garlic arrows, young beans, tomatoes, green and red peppers, eggplants, garlic and onions. In autumn - from radishes, carrots, kohlrabi and turnips. In winter - from dried and salted vegetables.
Actually, lagman is just noodles. What makes it truly delicious is the meat stew, which is cooked separately. Tohosyai is an addition to chicken lagman, and guirusyai is made from meat cut into fairly large pieces.
TIRED? EAT SOUP!
Uyghurs are very fond of liquid dishes. They have more than 60 types of soups alone! These dishes are called food for the tired.
Among the most common soups among Kazakh Uyghurs is manpar. It is prepared from meat, radish, herbs, tomatoes with the addition of tomato. When all this is cooked, pre-rolled dough, torn into small pieces, is added to the almost finished soup. Aesthetes can cut the dough into small squares.
ASHLAM-FU: EAT - AND THE WHOLE DAY IS FREE!
As a cold appetizer, Asiya Pakhritdinova offers ashlyam-fu. Essentially, it is boiled starch. It is also considered a type of lagman, although this is not true.
To prepare ashlyam-fu, you need 300 grams of rice or corn starch, 6 bowls of water, salt and a little vinegar. All this needs to be cooked, stirring continuously, for 20 minutes. The hot brew is taken out into the cold to cool, then cut into large squares and served along with fried meat and vegetables. You can also add a thin egg pancake, which is rolled into a tube and cut into strips. They say that ashlyam-fu throws people first into the heat, then into the cold. Therefore, they love to eat it during the hot season. In addition, this dish is very filling: eat it and you’re free all day!
SANZA, SAMSA AND GOSH-NAN – HOLIDAY OF THE STOMACH!
Surely those who rarely encounter Uyghur cuisine have never heard of sanzu, a festive delicacy made from unleavened dough. Seeing the mountains of this treat, which looked like huge ropes of dough, I wanted to try it. Asiya prepares sanza only on major holidays: Kurban Ait and Nauryz. But she made an exception for us. Crispy ropes are fried in a large cauldron in a large amount of sunflower oil. To knead the dough, boiled water infused with onions, flour, a lot of eggs and a lot of sunflower oil are used, which gives the sanza an appetizing crunch.
“The most difficult thing in preparing sanza is to roll out thin rings and then carefully fry them in boiling oil using two sticks,” Asiya shares with us the secrets of the skill. – Some people prefer to make the dough salty in taste. This is a festive dish, it is served with atkyan tea - salted tea, whitened with milk, with foam and butter.
Any Uighur will tell you that samsa comes in two types: puff and regular. This is one of the most revered dishes in the national cuisine - pies stuffed with minced meat and onions, pumpkin, vegetables and fruits, cooked in a tandoor, oven or cauldron.
– Kneading the dough for samsa depends on where it is to be prepared. For example, for tandoor samsa the dough is made salty and hard, for samsa in a cauldron it is loose and weak, the dough can also be salty and yeasty,” says Asiya Pakhritdinova.
Gesh-nan - meat bread - pies stuffed with meat and onions, fried in a cauldron. The dough for it is prepared in the same way as for samsa. The only difference is that gesh-nan is rolled out very thinly and resembles chebureks.
Lamb manti with pumpkin and jusai
Knead the dough using flour and water, adding salt to taste. Leave for 30–40 minutes to ripen.
At this time, cut the lamb into small pieces, add water, onion, pepper and salt. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes and add 300 g of jusai. Mix everything.
Roll out the dough into ropes and divide into pieces. Roll each piece into a circle. We try to make the middle of the circle a little thicker than the edges. Distribute the minced meat and be sure to put a piece of fat tail fat on top. We pinch the edges. Grease the manti dish with oil and lay out the manti. Steam for 30–40 minutes.
Ingredients: dough – 3 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. water, salt. Minced meat – 500 g lamb, 150 g onions, salt, red pepper, ghee for greasing the sheets, 300 g pumpkin, 250 g jusai, 250 g fat tail fat.
At 5 tbsp. wheat flour - 2 tbsp. l. fat, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. powdered sugar. For frying - vegetable oil. Kosa is a national dish with a capacity of 0.5 liters.
Sanza are thin ropes of dough fried in a large amount of fat. Steep unleavened dough is kneaded from premium wheat flour, fat, eggs, salt, and water and kept for 40–50 minutes. The dough is stretched by weight until thin ropes are obtained. The elongated strands of dough are collected into small skeins, which are fried in hot fat. The finished sanza is placed on large dishes and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Honey, jam, syrups, and kaymak are served separately.
Zhanar KANAFINA, Takhir SASYKOV (photo)
Uyghur cuisine!!! Well, who is not familiar with Uyghur cuisine? First of all, manti and lagman come to mind. However, among the Uyghur dishes there are also those that have very clever names and even look unusual. Try to guess - what is it made from and what is it eaten with? Going to visit the experts of Uyghur cuisine, we tried to find out not only the recipes of already known dishes, but also those whose names seemed very mysterious to us. EVERYTHING THAT GROWS IN YOUR GARDEN... But there are also differences. As a joke, the Uighurs say: if the Chinese eat everything that moves, then the Uighurs eat everything that grows. Maybe that's why these people love spring so much. If the first arrows of onions, garlic, and other green shoots appear in the garden, the Uyghurs will not perish from hunger! We begin our journey into the world of Uyghur cuisine with traditional manti. This dish is prepared throughout Central Asia. Asiya Pakhritdinova, the chef of one of the Almaty cafes of Uyghur cuisine, introduces us to the art of cooking. According to Asia, manti is made from unleavened or yeast dough. The filling is not monotonous: it is pumpkin with meat, onions, jusai (ramson), figs, clover, green onions, quince and a variety of vegetables. Manti can be steamed, or you can pre-fry them in boiling oil - these will become Khoshan manti. Note that not a single dish in Uyghur traditional cuisine is prepared using a meat grinder: meat and vegetables are chopped only by hand and very finely. Manti is served with lazjan sauce, without which food is not food for a Uighur. This sauce is very simple to prepare: grated red and black pepper is poured with boiling oil, vinegar diluted with water is added. You can add celery and carrots to the finished mixture - it’s not for everyone. LAGMAN “FOUR SEASONS” Another traditional Uyghur dish is lagman. It is also called the dish of love. – We most often prepare three types of lagman: suyru - liquid lagman, guiru - dry lagman, with a minimum amount of sauce and sumyan - fried lagman, when noodles and other ingredients are stewed together. Sauce or gravy for lagman is prepared depending on the time of year outside the window. In spring - from fresh green onions, jusai sprouts, celery and radishes. In summer - from cucumbers, garlic arrows, young beans, tomatoes, green and red peppers, eggplants, garlic and onions. In autumn - from radish, kohlrabi and turnips. In winter - from dried and salted vegetables. Actually, lagman is just noodles. What makes it truly delicious is the meat stew, which is cooked separately. Tohosyai is an addition to chicken lagman, and guirusyai is made from meat cut into fairly large pieces. TIRED? EAT SOUP! Uyghurs are very fond of liquid dishes. They have more than 60 types of soups alone! These dishes are called food for the tired. Among the most common soups is manpar. It is prepared from meat, radish, herbs, tomatoes with the addition of tomato. When all this is cooked, pre-rolled dough, torn into small pieces, is added to the almost finished soup. Aesthetes can cut the dough into small squares. ASHLAM-FU: EAT - AND THE WHOLE DAY IS FREE! As a cold appetizer, Asiya Pakhritdinova offers ashlyam-fu. Essentially, it is boiled starch. It is also considered a type of lagman, although this is not true. To prepare ashlyam-fu, you need 300 grams of rice or corn starch, 6 bowls of water, salt and a little vinegar. All this needs to be cooked, stirring continuously, for 20 minutes. The hot brew is taken out into the cold to cool, then cut into large squares and served along with fried meat and vegetables. You can also add a thin egg pancake, which is rolled into a tube and cut into strips. They say that ashlyam-fu throws people first into the heat, then into the cold. Therefore, they love to eat it during the hot season. In addition, this dish is very filling: eat it and you’re free all day! SANZA, SAMSA AND GOSH-NAN – HOLIDAY OF THE STOMACH! Surely those who rarely encounter Uyghur cuisine have never heard of sanzu, a festive delicacy made from unleavened dough. Having seen the mountains of this treat, which looks like huge ropes of dough, they prepare sanza only on major holidays: Kurban Heit and Noruz. Crispy ropes are fried in a large cauldron in a large amount of sunflower oil. To knead the dough, boiled water infused with onions, flour, a lot of eggs and a lot of sunflower oil are used, which gives the sanza an appetizing crunch. “The most difficult thing in preparing sanza is to roll out thin rings and then carefully fry them in boiling oil using two sticks,” Asiya shares with us the secrets of the skill. – Some people prefer to make the dough salty in taste. This is a festive dish, it is served with atkyan tea - salted tea, whitened with milk, with foam and butter. Any Uighur will tell you that samsa comes in two types: puff and regular. This is one of the most revered dishes in the national cuisine - pies stuffed with minced meat and onions, pumpkin, vegetables and fruits, cooked in a tandoor, oven or cauldron. – Kneading the dough for samsa depends on where it is to be prepared. For example, for tandoor samsa the dough is made salty and hard, for samsa in a cauldron it is loose and weak, the dough can also be salty and yeasty,” says Asiya Pakhritdinova. Gesh-nan - meat bread stuffed with meat and onions, fried in a cauldron. The dough for it is prepared in the same way as for samsa. The only difference is that gesh-nan is rolled out very thinly and resembles chebureks. * * * Lamb manti with pumpkin and jusai Knead the dough using flour and water with the addition of salt to taste. Leave for 30–40 minutes to ripen. At this time, cut the lamb into small pieces, add water, onion, pepper and salt. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes and add 300 g of jusai. Mix everything. Roll out the dough into ropes and divide into pieces. Roll each piece into a circle. We try to make the middle of the circle a little thicker than the edges. Distribute the minced meat and be sure to put a piece of fat tail fat on top. We pinch the edges. Grease the manti dish with oil and lay out the manti. Steam for 30–40 minutes. Ingredients: dough – 3 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. water, salt. Minced meat – 500 g lamb, 150 g onions, salt, red pepper, ghee for greasing the sheets, 300 g pumpkin, 250 g jusai, 250 g fat tail fat. * * * Sanza For 5 tbsp. wheat flour - 2 tbsp. l. fat, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. powdered sugar. For frying - vegetable oil. Kosa is a national dish with a capacity of 0.5 liters. Sanza are thin ropes of dough fried in a large amount of fat. Steep unleavened dough is kneaded from premium wheat flour, fat, eggs, salt, and water and kept for 40–50 minutes. The dough is stretched by weight until thin ropes are obtained. The elongated strands of dough are collected into small skeins, which are fried in hot fat. The finished sanza is placed on large dishes and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Honey, jam, syrups, and kaymak are served separately.
