Walnut grass is called dried greens called "blue fenugreek." This herb has a rich, spicy nutty flavor.
Walnut grass is a national ingredient in Dagestan cuisine. Greens are added to dishes such as puff khinkal, miracle and tortillas. In addition, seasoning emphasizes the taste of meat dishes and vegetable stew.
The eternal dispute of "two herbs"
Walnut grass from Dagestan is a seasoning that is often used in the preparation of national Caucasian dishes. It is widely used in Dagestan, spice is added to various dishes. From the product name it is clear that the grass has a rich flavor of nuts.
Many researchers and botanists visiting the Caucasus, including Dagestan, are wondering about the origin of the grass. Market traders answer tourists' lively questions like this: "It's just nut grass, what difference does it make where it grows!" But the researchers do not think to give up: they are interested in the question of what kind of grass is nutty - round or fenugreek blue? Only one thing is clear, the peoples living in the territory of Dagestan refer to different herbs as nut greens, and not just one.
But most often in everyday life people use blue fenugreek or shambhala. The grass is collected and dried in the shade. The sun's rays discolor the leaves, and the plant loses its taste. When rubbing the grass, the nutty smell intensifies.
The shelves of the Dagestan markets are full of various spices and seasonings, so having mastered them, you can safely experiment with the most mysterious spice of the Caucasus - walnut grass.
Multinational Seasoning
Blue fenugreek or shambhala is an annual, spicy, fragrant plant belonging to the legume family. In different countries, medicinal grass is called differently. India is considered the field of the plant, where it is especially popular.
Residents of Germany nicknamed the nut grass fenugreek, which means “goat horn” in German. It is easy to explain this name: the whole thing is the appearance of the grass - curved stems and leaves that resemble pods. In Russia, grass was called fenugreek from the word "pasture", which means pasture for grazing.
Dried herbs have a sharp, sweetish and slightly bitter taste, strong specific smell. Use grass with caution.
Dried fenugreek gives the dishes a nutty flavor, goes well with meat and vegetables. If nuts must be present in the dish, then they can easily be replaced with fenugreek.
In Russian cuisine, walnut grass is not used, but it is popular in the former national republics of Armenia, Georgia, Dagestan.
In Yemen, the main ingredient in the national dish is just walnut grass. Seasoning from Dagestan and India is used in the preparation of dishes of different countries and peoples.
Useful properties of fenugreek
The leaves of this plant are a source of iron, protein and vitamins C and A.
Due to the large amount of protein, fenugreek is popular among vegetarians. Residents of the Middle and Far East often use walnut grass because of their addiction to vegetarian food.
After harvesting, only the stems and leaves of the grass are dried. Dry greens are used to make Georgian condiments called suneli hops.
Walnut Grass - Caucasian Ingredient
Often in Dagestan dishes, walnut grass is an important ingredient. Photos of the constituents of various dishes prove this. In Dagestan, traditional are puff khinkal and miracle pie, which have a distinctive taste thanks to fenugreek greens.
As mentioned above, the stems and leaves of fenugreek are most often used, but there are dishes for the preparation of which the seeds of the plant are needed. Shredded seeds are served as a seasoning for ready meals.
Dagestan khinkal with spices
Puff khinkal is a national dish in Dagestan. To prepare it, you will need the following ingredients:
For the test:
- 280 grams of flour;
- 250 ml of warm water;
- 1 sachet of yeast (small);
- 10 grams of sugar;
- 15 grams of salt;
- some vegetable oil.
For broth:
- 1.5 kg of lamb;
- 4-5 potatoes;
- 1 onion;
- walnut grass and salt.
The meat is thoroughly washed and then placed in a pan. It is not necessary to cook lamb, you can take chicken or beef. Water is added to the pan. After boiling, reduce the heat and salt the broth.
Pour flour into a bowl, add sugar, yeast and salt. Add water and gradually mix all the ingredients. Leave the dough warm for half an hour.
Next, the dough is divided into 3 equal parts, each of which is then rolled out. The test plate must be greased with oil and sprinkled with walnut grass. A roll is formed from the plate, which is cut into small portioned pieces.
Potatoes are sent to the meat broth. As necessary, foam is removed from the broth.
Each khinkal is cooked separately for half an hour in meat broth. The finished dish is served in a large plate.
Nutcake Tortillas
Products such as yeast, flour, water, salt, vegetable oil and dried fenugreek are used as the main ingredients for Dargin flat bread.
First you need to knead the dough and leave it in a warm place for an hour and a half. Then the dough rolls for a long time on a large board. As a result, it will become soft and supple. Dough plates are sprinkled with walnut grass and greased with oil.
On a test basis, draw a circle in the center, similar to the sun, this can be done with your finger. Next, create shreds from the rays by twisting. Each board fits around the sun. Pellets are placed in an oven preheated to 150 degrees for 40 minutes.
Thanks to the nut grass, the cakes are especially aromatic.
Fenugreek Chanakh Recipe
Chanakhi - meat aromatic dish. With proper preparation, the finished dish looks appetizing and attractive. Canachas are made from available products. In addition, the unsurpassed aroma of the dish gives the dried green fenugreek. Often the housewives have a question about how to replace the nut grass, if there is none. It should be noted that this igredient is unique and required.
To make vats, you must have the following products: half a kilogram of meat, 5 pcs. potatoes, onions, 2 eggplants, 1 glass of tomato juice, black pepper, salt, 4 cloves of garlic, 4 tomatoes and nut grass.
- Eggplant is cut into small cubes.
- Pieces are salted and left for half an hour.
- Then the eggplant is washed with water.
- The meat, tomatoes and potatoes are diced.
- The meat is laid out at the bottom of the pot, on top is placed potatoes, eggplant, onions, tomatoes. Layers must be salt and pepper.
- Water is added to the pots to the top layer of products.
- Chanakhs are stewed in the oven at 180 degrees. 10 minutes before cooking, the dish is sprinkled with walnut grass and chopped garlic.
After cooking, you can sprinkle the dish with herbs.
Medical use of herbs
Walnut grass in many countries is considered medicinal. In the Caucasus, this plant is widely used for medicinal purposes, as it helps to get rid of many diseases, as well as strengthen immunity.
Fenugreek, as well as fullness, helps to alleviate the symptoms of many female diseases, plants reduce pain during the menstrual cycle. In addition, walnut grass has a good effect on reproductive function, normalizing the cycle.
The plant restores and improves metabolism, so in the republics of the North Caucasus it is used as a spice in national dishes. Walnut grass strengthens the intestinal wall, helps the stomach digest food faster.