For many millennia, the inhabitants of Ossetia have been baking traditional pies with various fillings. This dish is prepared for weddings, holidays, commemorations and on ordinary weekdays. In all cases (except mourning), according to tradition, it is customary to serve three pies on the table. This number symbolizes the sky, the sun and the earth. According to another version - the past, present and future. Therefore, at the wake, it is customary to serve an even number of dishes - an attribute of mourning - which represents only the past and the future. On large festive feasts, you can see several large plates, on which three pies are also placed. Before the first toast prayer will be uttered, it is customary to spread the pies so that their number can be seen.
It so happened that every mother teaches her daughter how to make Ossetian pie, shares secrets. This kind of symbol of the Ossetian people is passed down from generation to generation. The cooking method has been kept secret for a long time. Even the most sophisticated tasters could not solve the recipe.
In this article we will talk about how to cook Ossetian pies. We will also tell you which fillings are better to use, how they are properly called, which products are best combined, etc. Of course, it will be much easier to buy an Ossetian pie. But, having learned how to cook this dish yourself, you will not only expand your culinary horizons, but also get acquainted with the culture of this wonderful people.
Pies are usually round in shape. For religious holidays, sometimes they are baked in a triangular shape with cheese filling - artadzihont. The name of the pies may sound different, depending on the filling:
- Ualibah, Khabizdzhyn, h (b) iri, - with cheese;
- Kartofjyn - with potatoes and cheese;
- Tsakharadzhyn - a filling of finely chopped beet and cheese leaves;
- Kabuskadzhyn - with cabbage and cheese;
- Fydzhyn - with minced (mainly beef) minced meat;
- Davonjyn - a filling of finely chopped leaves of wild garlic and cheese;
- Nashjyn - with pumpkin and cheese (sometimes without);
- X (b) adurdzhyn - with beans.
However, in different regions of Ossetia, the names and fillings may sound different.
The baking process requires certain skills and dexterity, but in general it is a simple matter. Traditionally, only women do this in Ossetia. For men, such work was considered humiliation. Pies with a thin layer of dough and a plentiful, juicy, but not stuffing sticking outward are considered to be properly prepared. Thick pies with hard dough are a sign of the hostess's inexperience.
There are no distinctive features of how to cook Ossetian pies in a particular region of Ossetia. But nevertheless, each housewife brings to the cooking process its own “highlight”, which makes it different from the others.
Below we give one of the recipes for how to cook Ossetian pies.
To knead the dough, we need one teaspoon of dried yeast, the same amount of wheat flour, one teaspoon of sugar. We mix all this in a glass or mug and add warm water. The container should be approximately 70-80% full. Leave for 20-25 minutes until the foam rises. In the meantime, we will prepare a large bowl directly for the dough and “aryng” - a trough with a flat bottom in which pies are formed. It is advisable to prepare the filling in advance.
After pouring flour into the bowl, add the dough, salt, warm water or milk. At the very end, add a spoonful of vegetable oil. We give the test a "rest" a couple of hours.
If you are making a pie with cheese filling, then we take ready-made traditional Ossetian cheese (it can be replaced with any other, such as feta), grind it, add salt if necessary and divide it into three equal portions.
Knowing how to cook Ossetian pies in the traditional way, you can experiment with the toppings and invent your own exclusive recipes!