Kisiel (Sweet berry soup)

                                                                                                             Receta en Español

Kisiel or Kissel is a dessert typical in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania or Poland.

It is made with berries like strawberries, blackberries or blueberries. You should accompany it with smetana (sour cream) that provides freshness and makes the dessert less sweet.
This recipe comes from Belarus.

Ingredients:

-  1 kg strawberries.
-  500 grams sugar.
-  2 l water.
-  4 tablespoon potato flour or cornstarch.

Method:

1- Cut strawberries in half, put them in a food processor to crush.

 2- Put some sugar in a casserole, add two liters of water. Heat at low heat until all the sugar is dissolved. This way you get syrup.

3- Strain crushed strawberries through a siever.

4- To thicken the Kisiel use some potato flour, in case you don't find it , you can use cornstarch.
Put some water in a cup , add the potato flour and stir well until flour is dissolved.

5- Put crushed strawberries on a low heat , add syrup step by step.
Add the flour you have dissolved at step 4. Keep on stirring.

6- Cook until you see some bubbles on the surface, then let it get cold.
You can serve it cold or hot. It is better when you accompany it by smetana, you can buy it 24% fat or do it yourself following this recipe: sour cream.

My comments to the recipe
This is a healthy recipe, it is better to eat it accompanied by sour cream, it provides softness and freshness.



 Where to buy the ingredients

smetana and potato flour can be bought at 'Extra' ,a shop specialized in russian products. The shop is located at Rafael Riego street 10  in Madrid.

The owners answer clearly every doubt , besides, the prices of the products are not expensive.

Belarus

Bierascie roast chicken

                                                                                                           Receta en Español

The recipe I bring today is the way they cook chicken at Bierascie, a city from Belarus very near the polish border, the city is a stop of the railway line from Berlin-Warsaw-Moscow.

The result of this recipe is original and tasty.

Ingredients:

-  400 grams of chicken.
-  4 potatoes.
-  1 onion.
-  2 tablespoon raisins.
-  1 tablespoon chopped nuts.

For the sauce:

-  1 cup sour cream.
-  1 tablespoon butter.
-  1 tablespoon flour.
-  2 tablespoon tomato sauce.

Method:

1- Cut chicken in little pieces (30-35 grams of weight), sprinkle some salt over both sides of chicken.

Pour some oil in a frying pan , fry chicken.
Set aside.

2- Cut onion in little pieces sauté it. Set aside.

3- Peel and cut into cubes,salt and fry in some oil.
Place potatoes in a ovenproof dish.

4- Add onion over the potatoes.

5- Place chicken over the potatoes and onion.
6- Add some raisins.

7- Now make the sauce.
You will need sour cream at least 20% fat, you can buy it or you can make it by your own: sour cream.

8- Heat butter in a casserole, add some flour , stir with a wooden spoon.
After stirring for some time add tomato sauce, after cooking for a few minutes add sour cream, cook for 3 more minutes at medium heat , keep on stirring.
Let the sauce cool.

9- Once the sauce is cold , pour it over the chicken. Sprinkle some nuts.

10- Preheat oven at 200 ºC. Cook chicken in oven at the same temperature for 20 minutes.

My comments to the Recipe

The sauce , raisins and nuts provide a taste and juiciness to the dish.
This style of cooking a meat reminds me to the recipe I cooked for Albania: Tava elbasani (lamb with yogurt)



 Where to buy the ingredients

Sour cream can be bought at 'Extra' ,a shop specialized in russian products. The shop is located at Rafael Riego street 10  in Madrid.

The owners answer clearly every doubt , besides, the prices of the products are not expensive.

Belarus

Selyodka Pod Shouboy (Herring under shelter)

                                                                                                               Receta en Español

The dish I bring today is typical to be eaten at New Year's Eve or New Year's Day in Russia and some other Eastern Europe countries like for example Belarus.

In Spain we know as 'russian salad' the 'Olivier salad'. The recipe of today is also a typical 'russian salad'.

The 31 december 1918 was the first time this salad was served in a cafe owned by Anastas Bogomilov. This salad was conceived to offer a snack to the clients to prevent them from drinking too much , this way a lot of quarrels could be avoided into the cafe.

The ingredients symbolize the union of the Soviet people of that era.

Herrings stand for the proletariat, potatoes stand for farmers and beet stand for communism.

Later apple and carrots were added to the recipe, the translation of the name of this dish is 'Herring  under shelter'.

As you can see it looks like a tart!.

Ingredients (4 little salads):


-  150 grams herrings.
-  300 grams potatoes.
-  300 grams carrots.
-  300 grams beet.
-  300 grams apple.
-  150 grams onion.

-  2 eggs.

-  Mayonnaise.

Method:

1- Make some cuts along the potatoes , cook them together with carrots some water and salt.Cook until they are soft.

2- Cook onion in boiling water for 10 minutes, then wash in cold water to let it get cold as soon as possible. Once the onion is cold, cut it in little pieces.

3- Cook eggs and beet in boiling water. 

4- Peel and grate potatoes , put a first layer of potatoes.

5- Add a layer of mayonnaise.

6- Cut herrings in little pieces , add a layer of herrings.

7- Add a layer of onion and other layer of mayonnaise.

8- Grate carrot , add a layer of carrots.

9- Grate apples , add a new layer of apples.

10- Add a new layer of mayonnaise.

11- Grate beet , add a layer of beet.

Cut the cooked egg in little pieces , sprinkle the egg over the salad.

12- put the salad in the fridge until you are going to eat it, it can be all night long.

Where to buy the ingredients

The herrings can be bought at 'Extra' ,a shop specialized in russian products. The shop is located at Rafael Riego street 10  in Madrid.

The owners answer clearly every doubt , besides, the prices of the products are not expensive.

Belarus

Zarda Pulao (Sweet Rice)

                                                                                Receta en Español

This is a popular dessert in Bangladesh, eaten at big parties such as weddings.

It is sweet rice cooked in fruit juice, decorated with dried fruits, it has butter and a taste that reminds the gastronomy of Middle East.
This dessert can also be found in India.

Ingredients (8 people):


-  2 cups basmati rice.
-  1 cup sugar.
-  1/2 cup ghee or butter.
-  2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.
-  4 green cardamon seeds..
-  3 cloves.

-  2 cups and a half orange juice.

-  2 cups of water

-  Some saffron threads.

-  Some ground pistachios.
-  Some dried peaches.

Method:

1- Heat one cup of water (you can use microwave), once it reaches the boiling point, put some saffron threads inside. Let infuse at least 15 minutes.

2- Put 2 cups of orange juice in a casserole, add 1 cup of water and the cup of water with the saffron.
Put it on a high heat until it reaches the boiling point. Then add the rice.

Cook at low heat for 10 minutes.

3- Take other casserole , put 1/2 cup of orange juice, add the sugar, cinnamon, cardamon seeds, cloves and butter or ghee, stir until sugar is dissolved.
To see how you can make ghee, you can read the step number 3 at Cheese Kadaif.

4- Add the mixture to the casserole where you have the rice, cook at low heat until there is no liquid left.

5- You should serve it warm, sprinkle some ground pistachio and some dried peaches over the rice. 
This dessert can also be made using pineapple and pineapple juice, adding raisins and almonds.

My Comments to the Recipe

This is a tasty sweet, the following day tastes even better. Orange Juice provides a sweet and sour taste.

Bangladesh