Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian pastry prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of sirene (white cheese) between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven.
Traditionally, lucky charms are put into the pastry on certain occasions, particularly on Christmas Eve, the first day of Christmas, or New Year's Eve. These charms may be coins or small symbolic objects (e.g., a small piece of a dogwood branch with a bud, symbolizing health or longevity). More recently, people have... [Detailed Information]
Drob Sarma is a popular Bulgarian dish made of liver.
Preparation:
1 kg chicken livers
2 eggs
1 cup rice
3 cups water
2 bunches of spring onions, finely chopped
1 cup yoghurt
2 tbs flour
Sunflower oil for cooking
spices: vegetable boullion, cumin, pepper, salt.
Bring the water to a boil and dissolve the vegetable boullion in it, add the rice and cook according to directions. Saute the chicken livers in a large pan with the sunflower oil for about 3 minutes or until no... [Detailed Information]
Kavarma is one of the most delicious Bulgarian meat dishes, one of the country's "emblematic" meals.
RECIPE 1
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 kg of tender pork
1/2 cupful of lard
4-5 leeks
1 spoonful of tomato paste
1 teaspoonful of red pepper
1 teaspoonful of pepper
1/3 cupful of wine
1 onion, parsley, 1 small hot pepper
Directions:
Chop the meat and fry it in the lard. Take it out of the fat and put it in a dish. Stew the fine-cut leeks in the same fat. Add salt, the tomato... [Detailed Information]
Ingredients /to make 9-10 servings/:
1 kg meat /fatty mutton and tender beef/veal OR pork and beef/veal in a 1:1 ratio/
1 teaspoonful salt
pepper
1 cup water /add the salt to it/
ground allspice berries /pimento/ and cumin seeds
Directions:
Wash the meat and remove gristle and strings. Chop it into small cubes and pour over the salted water. Wait for about ten minutes and then mince it twice. Place mincemeat in a dish /non-metal surface - enameled, china, etc./, smooth it over and... [Detailed Information]
In Bulgaria, meatballs are called 'kiufte' and are usually made of a mixture of beef and pork with breadcrumbs and sliced onions. Many other variations exist including different kinds of meat and chopped vegetables. Kifte is one of Bulgarias most popular dishes. It is usually consumed as a main course with green salad, or many different side salads. Kiufte can also be served in stews with sauce, but this way they are usually made smaller. Kiufte is made of minced meat, onion and ingredients.... [Detailed Information]
Mlechna Salad, best known as Snezhanka (Snow White) is the dry version of tarator.
What you need:
1 liter of plain yogurt (two regular containers in Bulgaria)
1/2 kg pickles or cucumbers or mixed
1-2 tablespoonfuls oil
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoonful seasoned salt (like "Vegeta") or salt (use no salt if you are using salty pickles)
2-3 tablespoonfuls chopped dill
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
2-3 spoonfuls ground walnuts
How to make it:
Strain the... [Detailed Information]
Ingredients:
1/2 kg of minced meat (best mix pork and beef but beef only will do too)
1 kg of potatoes, peeled and finely chopped in cubes
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
parsley, 1/3 cupful, finely chopped
one onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup yogurt
2 tbs flour
salt and pepper to taste
oil for cooking
2 tbsp chubritza (a Bulgarian herb which you could substitute with some Herbes de Provance or Oregano - of course the taste will be different.
How to make it:
Fry the onion... [Detailed Information]
Sarmi is a traditional meal in Bulgaria, it is present in every Bulgarian home on Christmas Eve.
Preparation:
Minced meat (usually beef, pork, veal, or a combination thereof), rice, onions, and various spices, including salt, pepper and various local herbs are mixed together and then rolled into large plant leaves, which may be cabbage (fresh or pickled), chard, patience, vine leaf (fresh or pickled) or broadleaf plantain leaves. The combination is then cooked together in boiling water... [Detailed Information]
Shish Kebab is extremely popular in Bulgaria it is served in every restaurant in the country. For Lamb shish kebab the needed ingredients are: 1 kg of lamb bon fillet; 120 grams of onion, a soup spoon of oil (in your preference), oregano, black pepper and salt. Because the shish kebab is actually meat threaded on a skewer, there are many different variations of what you can add in between the meat. Most common additions are mushrooms, onion, red or green pepper. [Detailed Information]
One of Shopps' great inventions is the Shopska Salad. In its ultimate form, it is pure white. As is also the Shopp costume. Shopska is like Shopps - pleasant and pungent.
May we say that it is an ancient invention and one of fundamental importance for civilization, although it is not mentioned in any encyclopedia. Certainly, it is as important as the invention of the wheel and the use of fire. Shopska is beautiful, tasty, juicy, piquant, and flavorful. It is like Nature - indescribable.... [Detailed Information]
What you need:
400 grams white cheese
150 grams yellow cheese
2 eggs
2 hot peppers
2 sliced tomatoes
2 chopped roasted peppers
oregano, parsley or any other dry green spice
How to make it:
Take two small earth ware pots with lids ("gyuveche" pots) and put a layer of cheese, then a layer of peppers and tomatoes, then more cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Then break an egg on top of each dish and cook till the egg is the consistency you like.... [Detailed Information]
Tarator is a cold soup (or a liquid salad), popular in the summertime in Bulgaria. It is made of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, walnuts, dill, vegetable oil, and water. It is best served chilled or even with ice. Local variations may replace yoghurt with water and vinegar, omit nuts or dill, or add bread. The cucumbers may on very rare occasions be replaced with lettuce or carrots. The salad version of tarator is known in Bulgaria as "dry tarator" or "Snezhanka" salad (Mlechna Salad), named after... [Detailed Information]
