Each nation has its own traditions, and they relate not only to social or practical life. For example, people living in the same territory are often united by common eating habits. So, in the Caucasus, khinkal is considered one of the most famous and popular dishes. It is prepared not only on weekdays, but also on holidays, decorating the table with your favorite dishes. This dish has several varieties. There is khinkal Lezgi, Dagestan, Avar, Shepherd, Lak, Kumyk and Chechen. Each of them is good in its own way. For example, you can consider what is the Kumyk khinkal, how it is prepared and how it is served at the table.
Classic version
Kumyks are the oldest indigenous people of Dagestan, which, according to some scholars, is a direct descendant of the Khazars. Perhaps this relationship somehow influenced the formation of its national cuisine. Kumyk khinkal is a dish that is popularly called “beshbarmak”. To prepare it, you must have four main ingredients:
Over time, the recipe gradually changed. Today, in order to make a real Kumyk khinkal, the hostess will need the following products:
0.5 kilograms of flour, an egg, 1 kilogram of lamb, a glass of water, salt, 50 grams of garlic and 250 grams of sour cream (it can be replaced with 100 grams of tomato or 300 grams of yogurt).
The preparation of the dish is very simple:
- First, the meat must be put in a pan, and then pour water and simmer for a long time, not forgetting to periodically remove the foam.
- When ready, it must be separated from the bones, put in a separate bowl and cover.
- After adding salt, water and an egg to the flour, knead a thick dough. For ripening, it must lie down for at least half an hour.
- Gently roll out the finished dough into a layer with a thickness of not more than 1 millimeter, and then cut it into squares of 3 centimeters in size.
- Cook the preparations in the broth left over from the meat.
- Prepare garlic dressing separately. To do this, you can use one of the components (yogurt, tomato or sour cream). Only chopped garlic should be added to it.
On the table, such a dish is served in three plates. In one is meat, in the other is boiled dough, and in the third is dressing. In the Caucasus, almost all residents love and respect this dish.
Simplified version
In fact, the Kumyk khinkal is just the dough that is customary to eat along with flavorful dressing. It is not necessary to serve meat in addition to it. That is why sometimes khinkal is prepared in a simplified form. For this case, you need a minimum set of products:
200 grams of flour a clove of garlic and 100 grams of tomato paste.
The cooking process boils down to the following actions:
- Flour should be filled with water and knead a sufficiently solid dough. And salt it is not necessary.
- The finished semi-finished product should be rolled into a thin layer, and then gently cut it into small pieces. Usually they have a rectangular shape.
- Boil the workpiece in salt water. Ideally, in this case, it is better to use meat broth.
- To prepare the dressing, the paste must first be diluted with water, and then boil, adding a little salt.
- Into the cooled mass, add chopped garlic.
This khinkal is suitable even for vegetarians. Delicate and fragrant, it will be a great option for a light dinner.
Quick and easy
Changing the cooking technology a bit, you can make no less tasty Kumyk khinkal. The recipe is practically unchanged. The only difference is that the dough pieces this time are boiled with meat. This is very convenient and greatly reduces the overall time it takes to cook. For this option, you will need products in the following ratio:
500 grams of flour contains the same amount of mutton, 200 grams of water, 3 cloves of garlic, 5 grams of salt, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 20 grams of sunflower oil.
Making such a khinkal is even easier:
- First, the meat should be washed well, and then pour it with cold water and put on the stove. Cook for at least an hour on low heat under a lid.
- Dilute the salt in water, then combine it with flour and knead the dough. It should be put in a bag and left to mature for 40 minutes.
- Dilute the tomato paste with broth to the state of gruel.
- Heat oil in a pan. After that, add the tomato mass to it, bring it to a boil and immediately turn off the fire. After cooling, garlic, passed through a special press, must be added to the mixture.
- Roll out the dough into very thin layers, which are then divided into even rectangles with a sharp knife.
- Send the billets to the pot where the meat is cooked. As soon as they emerge, they can be caught with a slotted spoon and put in a deep plate.
All components of the dish should be served separately.
National Khinkal Avars
In the Caucasus, almost every dish includes either meat or dough products. Avar Khinkal is very similar to Kumyk. The only difference is what the cooked dough looks like. To prepare this dish, local housewives usually use:
beef pulp, water, salt, bay leaf, peas, flour, kefir, soda, garlic, tomatoes, butter and fresh herbs.
The preparation of such a dish includes three main stages:
- First, the meat must be poured with water, and then cook it for at least half an hour, adding salt and a little spices. When ready, the product must be wrapped in food foil so that it does not cool down so quickly.
- For Avars, khinkal is prepared in the form of rectangular cakes. Cooking them is easy. First, flour must be poured out on a table with a slide. Then, after making a deepening in the middle, add soda and salt, and then, gradually introducing kefir, knead a rather soft dough.
- After rolling the semi-finished product into a layer 5-6 mm thick, cut it into rectangles with a side of no more than 4 centimeters.
- Cook the dough pieces in the broth. This will take 3-4 minutes. Products should increase in volume.
- Each piece must be pierced with a fork, otherwise after cooling it will become hard and completely tasteless.
- To prepare the sauce, the first thing you need to do is heat the oil. And then, adding salt, tomatoes and pepper to it, simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add chopped herbs and simmer the mixture for another 10 minutes.
- In conclusion, add chopped garlic diluted with water, mix and let the sauce stand for a while.
The rule of serving dishes to the table can be arbitrary. True, this time instead of the usual thin plates on the plate there will be tender and magnificent cakes.