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Yaprakh : Recipe from iraqi kurdistan

6/18/2017

Dear fellow foodies and those seeking exotic dishes,

Today I’m sharing with you a very delicious recipe that is very dear to my heart. Its called Yaprakh (pronounced like “Yah-p-rakh”). This recipe is mainly cooked in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), especially in Slemani - the town where I come from. You’ll find it on the table of every feast, and on average, every household enjoys it once a week. Even though it needs a lot of ingredients and involves a few steps, it is fairly simple - all it takes is some love and care and you’ll be good to go.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 Kilogram of grape leaves
- 1/4 Kilogram of oriental rice
- 1 Kilogram of half-cooked, unpeeled broad beans
- 1/2 Kilogram of ribs (preferably sheep)
- 100 grams of Lemon Juice
- Medium sized box of Turkish yoghurt
- 1 Head of garlic
- 2 Handfuls of washed , finely cut dill
- 2 green onions
- Olive oil
- Salt & Pepper

Step 2: Preparing and Layering the Meat

At this point, you should start preparing the meat by roasting the pieces in the oil. Cook until crispy on both sides.
Once the meat is cooked, add boiled water to it. Note: it is important that the meat is not cooked completely through. It will finish cooking once we place it in the pot with the rolled leaves for an hour.
Place the half boiled, half-cooked meat at the bottom of the big size pot. Be sure to spread it evenly along the bottom of the pan. Next, grab some of the half-cooked broad beans and place them as the second layer to make a nice base for the rolled grape leaves.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Yaprakh. You have the broad beans resting gloriously on a mountain of rolled grape leaves of delicious rice and meat. Don’t panic if the mold starts falling apart - as you need to take it apart in order to eat it, but surely after you’ve taken a photo of it!

As we say in Kurdish, “Afiettan bet!”

Step 1: Making the Stuffing

In a large bowl, add all the rice and the yoghurt. Note: there should be an equal ratio of yogurt to rice. The result should be a thick stuffing that can be molded together in order to be put it inside the grape leaves.
Add the salt, pepper, olive oil and dill. Then add 5-6 finely cut pieces of garlic to the mix. Be sure to keep mixing with each new addition.
At this step you can add more lemon or salt to taste, but it is important to note that you have a smooth texture.
Boil the broad beans until they’re half cooked.

Step 3 : Stuffing and Rolling the Grape Leaves

Place a small amount of stuffing inside a leaf. Grab one side of the leaf and pull it to the opposite side. Repeat this with the other side of the leaf in order to close both ends. The shape we’re aiming for is either square or rectangle stuffed leaves.
Once stuffed, place every grape leaf on top of the bean and meat base. This will create the third layer. Continue this process of adding layers of the rolled leaves.
Then place an additional layer of meat on top of the grape leaves. Top this layer with more rolled leaves. Repeat these processes of meat and grape leaf layers until you’ve filled up the pot. Be sure to leave some space for juices to freely bubble up. If you have extra broad beans left, you can add them to the final layer - the more the merrier!
Place the pot on medium heat. Cook until it boils, for approximately 15-20 minutes.
Then, turn down the heat to simmer. Place a large, heavy plate on top of the final layer to compress it altogether and to concentrate the taste and heat.
After 10 minutes, take one of the rolled leaves and taste it. The leaf should tears easily and smoothly and the rice should be well-cooked.
Let the dish cool. In the meantime, grab a large tray that will be used to flip the contents in the pot upside down, onto the tray. Once flipped, it should come out like this

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RECIPES FROM URUGUAY

4/24/2017

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Uruguay is a small country in South America, located between Argentina and Brazil.

Its cuisine could be seen as similar to the Argentinian one, but it still has its specialties. Uruguay is famous for its cattle farming and it comes as no surprise that beef is one of the staples of the Uruguayan diet. The asado, for instance, which is the equivalent of a common barbecue, is one of the most popular dishes, especially during summer. A variety of meat is prepared over a large inclined grill. Preparing an asado is a social ritual and it generally involves spending time with friends or family and having a full relaxed afternoon or evening in the garden chit-chatting with each other.

Mate, is also pretty common in South America. It is a a hot caffeine-rich, infused beverage prepared with dried leaves of yerba mate and is a national drink in Uruguay. And with mate, come the sweets! Uruguayan gastronomy also counts many kinds of pastries and desserts, most of them filled with dulce de leche, this famous caramelized milk, typically found in the region.

Ma Cecilia Alvarez, from Montevideo, kindly sent us a sample of Uruguayan recipes that are truly worth a try! Check them out and try them at home! Send us your comments and impressions.

ALBÓNDIGAS – URUGUAYAN MEATBALLS

Ingredients and Preparation:

½ kg minced meat  1.1 Lbs
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper

Mix the ingredients in a big bowl. Roll small meatballs and toss them in the flour. Set aside.
Then, cook the following ingredients in a frying pan with the oil.

1 chopped onion
1 grated carrot
2 tablespoons chopped sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¼ cup of oil

And add these ingredients:

¾ cup broth
¾ cup tomato juice
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Carefully put the meatballs in the sauce, put a lid on the pan and cook on low heat for around 25-30 minutes. Roll over about 12 minutes through to ensure both sides are fully cooked.

https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/main/476c0263-16bc-4400-a05a-ba01c18d8d05-meatballs.jpg

EMPANADAS DE CARNE – MEAT EMPANADAS

Empanadas can be filled with almost whatever you want. This one is stuffed with minced meat. You can make the dough yourself or buy it prepared. You can use puff pastry or short pastry. Other popular fillings are:
- (1) ham and cheese,
- (2) cheese, tomatoes, basil,
- (3) chicken stuffing (see below), etc.

Ingredients and preparation:
Homemade dough:
Mix:

¾ cup margarine
½ cup boiling water
1 tablespoon milk

Then, add:

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix together, knead and set aside for 15 minutes before flattening it.

Meat filling:

300g minced meat  0.6 Lbs
1 chopped onion
1 chopped red pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
12 olives
2 diced boiled eggs
100g pancetta  0.2 Lbs
Grated cheese
Salt
Pepper

Cook meat in the pan and then add pancetta, onions and garlic. The meat must be well-cooked.
Cut circles of around 12-15cm diameter (5-6 inches) in the dough with a bowl or any circular object. Put the filling in the center, double in the middle and carefully close the empanada by sticking the edges together. You can use a little bit of water to make the edges stickier.

When the empanadas are filled and closed, glaze with egg yolk. Put in the oven at medium heat until they gain a clear golden color.

Chicken filling:

4 diced boiled eggs
8 chopped green olives
½ chopped red pepper
150g grated cheese  0.3 Lbs
2 diced chicken breasts cooked

Mix the ingredients and fill the empanadas as described above.

ALFAJORES DE MAIZENA – SORT OF WHOOPIES WITH DULCE DE LECHE

For this recipe, you will need dulce de leche, also called « Confiture de lait », or milk marmalade, which is not available everywhere. Alfajores are probably the most popular sweets in Uruguay. You can literally find them everywhere and it is also very common to make them at home.

Ingredients and preparation: (for around 24 small alfajores)

200g butter  0.4 Lbs
200g flour  0.4 Lbs
300g cornstarch (maizena)  0.6 Lbs
½ tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons baking powder
150g sugar  0.3 Lbs
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cognac (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Dulce de leche (for the filling, depending on the quantity that you find adequate)

In a bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder and mix ingredients together. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix the softened butter (not melted butter) and the sugar well.
Add the yolks one at a time, mixing the dough after each one.
Add the cognac, vanilla extract, and the lemon zest.
Incorporate the dry mix and knead with your hands until the batter is firm, uniform and humid. Put in the fridge for 15min.
Flatten the dough on a floured table. When it is 1-2cm thick, cut circles of 4cm-diameter.
Put on a baking tray that you floured and buttered beforehand.
Bake at medium heat for 10-12 minutes (pre-heat at 180°C). The rounds should not turn golden, only the base. The biscuits will keep a light color.
Let cool before filling with dulce de leche.
Then, roll in coconut powder.

http://www.daytours4u.com/fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/09/dulce.jpg
http://todocomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/C%C3%B3mo-preparar-Alfajor-con-dulce-de-leche.jpg

SALCHICHÓN DE CHOCOLATE – CHOCOLATE "SALAMI"

You will need dulce de leche for this recipe. The preparation will not involve cooking but should rest in the fridge for three hours before eating.

Ingredients and preparation:

300-400g Maria biscuits (or any sweet crackers)  0.6 – 0.8 Lbs
300g dulce de leche  0.6 Lbs
50g butter  0.1 Lbs
150g dark chocolate  0.3 Lbs
1 tablespoon vanilla

Use double boiler (or water bath, or “cuisson au bain-marie”) to melt the butter and chocolate at low heat.
Grind 2/3 of the crackers and roughly crush the rest.
Add the dulce de leche, vanilla and the chocolate mixture.
Mix well and add crackers if necessary.
Shape the preparation as a cylinder and wrap it in plastic film.
Put in the fridge or in the freezer for three hours, so that the consistency enables you to slice it.

* You can keep this specialty in the freezer for three months.

http://totemtdeleita.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/salchicon-imagen.png

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Recipes

Yaprakh : Recipe from iraqi kurdistan

RECIPES FROM URUGUAY

ALBÓNDIGAS – URUGUAYAN MEATBALLS

EMPANADAS DE CARNE – MEAT EMPANADAS

ALFAJORES DE MAIZENA – SORT OF WHOOPIES WITH DULCE DE LECHE

SALCHICHÓN DE CHOCOLATE – CHOCOLATE "SALAMI"

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