Plum Stew

PLUM STEW (KURU ERIK YAHNISI)

Ingredients:
2 lb lamb meat (cubed)
14 oz dried plums
40 piece shallots
1/4 cup olive oil or 2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Place plums in water and let it stay for 2 hours. Cook meat in a pressure cooker with water and let it boil. Pour olive oil to a deep pot. Drain meat and get rid of the meat juice. Add the meat onto olive oil, add peeled shallots and cook for a while. Drain plums and add to the pot. Add cinnamon, sugar, salt and close the lid. Let it cook until meat is done.

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Baby Okra with Lamb

OKRA WITH LAMB (ETLI BAMYA)

Ingredients
1 lb dried okra
1/2 lb lamb meat, cut small cubes
2 tbsp oil
1 big onion, cut
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 lemon, salt

Wash okras. Put 6 cups of water to a big saucepan, add half of lemon juice and boil. Add washed okra’s to boiling water and cook until they get slightly softened. Next, take okras from the heat and add cold water. (to vitalize them)
Put meat, onion, oil to the saucepan and cook in a low heat. Peel off tomato skin, chop and put to saucepan with tomato paste.
Pour 1 cup of hot water. Cook in low heat till meat is softened.
Add okra and cook until okra and meat are in desired softness.

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Lamb Kebab

LAMB KEBAB (KUZU KEBAP)

Ingredients
1 lb shallots
1 lb lamb meat (cut in cubes)
1 tbsp pepper paste
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt, crushed red pepper
1 tbsp butter
Olive oil

Place lamb cubes to the pot; cook them over the low heat till they absorbs its juice. Add olive oil, tomato paste, pepper paste, spices and sauté for 2-3 min. Add water until it covers over the lamb cubes and boil. Then cover the lid and let it cook. Stir occasionally, add water if needed. (The lamb should be out of water when it is ready.)   Sauté shallots in a buttered pan until softened.
Add shallots when lamb is cooked. Cook for 2-3 more min. Add salt, and turn the heat off.

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Elbasan Tava

ELBASAN TAVA

Ingredients:
2 lb lamb, cut in cubes
1 cup flour
1 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 tablespoon butter
1 onion
Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper
½ cup water

Place butter and chopped onion in a pan and sautee them until they become golden.   Add the  lamb cubes and cook together five more minutes.  Add ½ cup water, bring to a boil and cook on medium heat until the lamb is well done. Drain lamb stock for future use to make the sauce. Spread the remaining contents on oven tray. Season it with black pepper, salt and crushed red pepper.
Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt, eggs and flour.  Add the lamb stock slowly while whisking.  Pour this sauce over the meat. Cook it in a 350 F pre-heated oven until the top gets golden brown.

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Paper Kebab

PAPER KEBAB

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil and 2 tablespoon butter
2 lb lamb cubes
4 carrots(medium) peeled and small-cubed
4 potatoes(medium) peeled and small-cubed
1 lb frozen peas
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon pepper paste
(20X18 cm) wax-paper
Salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper

Preparation:
Cook the meat in butter and oil until it gets soft on medium heat and finally on low heat. Cook approximately 1 hour until the meat is well cooked. After that, add tomato paste, black pepper, salt and red pepper. If you like add 1 teaspoon pepper paste.  Add the carrots and sauté them until they are soft and then add the potatoes. Finally add the peas and cover the lid. Cook over low heat. Meanwhile check the water of the meat-vegetable mixture. If the water is not enough, add water. Place the papers in front of you. In the center of each paper put 3-4 tablespoon meat-vegetable mixture. Fold the sides over to make a package.  Place the packages on a baking dish.  Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes before you serve it.

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Sultan’s Delight

SULTAN’S DELIGHT (HUNKAR BEGENDI)

Bechamel Sauce:
2 big eggplants
3 tablespoon flour
4 tablespoon butter
2 glasses (about 2 cups) of milk
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup of shredded mozzarella

Ingredients for the meat:
1 lb (1/2 kg) or 2.2 lb (1kg) of lamb thinly sliced
2 tomatoes (peel the skin of the tomatoes and diced them into small cubes)
1 medium onion
Salt
Black pepper

Preparation of the meat
1. Place the meat on a lightly oiled pan and cook it until water from the meat has evaporated.
2. Add the onions and cook, stirring, just until onions are tinged with brown
3. Stir in small diced tomatoes, salt and black pepper
4. Cook in very low heat until the meat is tender (may need to add water if necessary).

Preparation of the sauce
1.    Place the eggplants on the broiler (450 F) after making holes on the eggplants with a fork. Leave it in the oven until the eggplants get softer in the middle. Peel the skin off and mash it with fork.
2.    Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and lightly brown it. Slowly pour the milk, stirring constantly. Add salt.
3.    Remove the pan from heat and pour it over mashed eggplant and blend them together.
4.    Stir in the cheese and mix well.

In a serving plate put the sauce first. Right in the middle place the meat.

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