Bread is the main food of any people that inhabit our planet. Each national cuisine has its own recipes for its baking, its own subtleties in cooking technology. The food products of the Caucasian peoples have gained particular popularity in recent decades. In particular, meat, vegetables and dough.
Matnakash, Shoti, Lavash and others
What is traditional Caucasian bread? Its original names are: matnakash - among Armenians and their closest neighbors, mchadi; Shoti and Lavash - among Georgians and Azerbaijanis; tunukcha - among Tajiks and other inhabitants of Transcaucasia. Of course, these words are unusual for our Russian ear. But the taste of each of these products is simply wonderful. In addition, Caucasian bread is eaten not only by itself, but also as an integral part of new dishes. After all, various fillings are wrapped in pita bread, getting shawarma, for example. Or slices
of suluguni cheese with sauce, butter, mashed with sugar. So he can quite replace our Russian pies.
Caucasian bread is prepared on a dough and without, with wheat and corn flour. Almonds, ginger, and other ingredients are often added to the dough, making it spicy or piquant, and sometimes sweet. Then the cakes are baked with honey, raisins and other dried fruits. What is also interesting: Caucasian bread is special, because many of its varieties do not have a crust or crumb. Here is such an unusual piece of mountain cooking!
Hospitable Armenia
With bread and salt, it is customary to meet dear guests not only among the Slavic peoples. Armenia has long been famous for its hospitality. In every house, wherever you look, you will definitely be offered to try matnakash - Caucasian bread, the name of which you already know. It is just an exception to the rule and is a rather plump cake with a golden brown crust and airy crumb.
To bake it yourself, you will need 2 types of flour: 300 g of wheat and about 150 g of corn, fine grinding, 1 teaspoon of dried yeast, salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, a little malt and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Plus a small amount of water. How is matnakash prepared? First, combine the yeast and sugar, malt, water, mix and let the mixture stand for about 10-12 minutes. Then add flour, salt, butter, knead thoroughly and set in heat - rise. In the process of proofing, two more times you will need to knead the approached dough, and only then you can work with it. Small pieces should be cut off from the main mass, stretched by hand into 1 cm rounded cakes. Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour, put the billets on it and bake in a preheated oven for about half an hour.
Georgian mchadi
Mchadi is a Caucasian bread-cake that is not baked, but fried. This is probably why he is so loved by all connoisseurs of good cuisine. Yes, and prepare mchadi quite simple. Especially if you use our recipe.
You need a pound of cornmeal, 200 grams of water, vegetable oil, salt and sugar to taste. So, add salt to the flour (about half a teaspoon for the specified amount of flour is enough), sugar and pour a little hot water, kneading the dough. It must be resilient and resilient. Divide the resulting mass into small portions, roll or stretch your hands in flat cakes and fry them in a frying pan in oil on both sides until cooked.
Tajik style flatbread
Another type of delicious bread-cakes - Tajik tunukcha is also easily prepared. It is equally good with first and second courses, as well as tea, with jam or honey. And products require nothing at all.
For each glass of wheat flour, 1 egg is taken, a little salt and roasting oil. Knead the dough on the water. It should be cool enough. When you manage, roll it into a layer and divide it into an equal number of parts. Roll each part thinly into a round or oval shape. Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron and fry prepared cakes in it. Sprinkle the finished bread with water so that it does not dry out, and wrap it in napkins for 15 minutes - remove excess fat. Anything you can try!