Echpochmak
The dish of traditional Tatar cuisine is echpochmak, mouth-watering triangles from dough with a filling of potatoes and meat.More about echpochmak...A real Tatar pie, echpochmak, has a non-standard shape for us, but the usual shape of a triangle for Tatars. By the way, echpochmak in Tatar means "three corners. " In the middle of the triangle, a small hole must certainly be made, into which, in the process of baking, according to the technology, broth should be poured. This makes the filling incredibly juicy and fragrant.
Tatar cuisine is generally characterized by meat dishes and a variety of pastries. This custom is associated with the history of a nomadic people who had an abundance of cattle and engaged in agriculture. Echpochmaki in honor of the Tatars to this day, especially with filling in the classical version: from meat, potatoes and onions. One of the features of echpochmak, the recipe of which is so common in Tatar cuisine, except for the original form, is a filling of raw ingredients. The triangles themselves, of course, can be made closed, but the echpochmak in Tatar is still with a hole from above. It is this option that gives the pies a special juiciness, by adding broth to these holes when baking. Any dough for echpochmaks can be used: fresh, layered, yeast. Echpochmaki on kefir is also very tasty. For filling, it is better to take fatter meat. But here, too, options are possible. Someone cooks echpochmaki with meat, someone - echpochmaki with potatoes and without meat. However, if we decided to cook a classic etchpochmak in Tatar, the recipe must be taken accordingly: etchpochmak with meat and potatoes, as well as onions, herbs, spices. The meat for the filling is chopped on a rough meat grinder, or cut into small pieces. Potatoes are cut into the same pieces. Onions will give juiciness to the minced meat, as well as the broth during the baking process. From the spices, it is enough to add pepper and salt. Before baking, the product is lubricated with an egg. In this case, not only tasty, but also very attractive-looking echpochmaks are obtained, photos of finished products will confirm this to you.
So, we are preparing an echpochmak, we are taking a recipe with a photo from our website. In addition, it is useful to use the step-by-step instruction for preparing an echpochmak. A step-by-step comment will allow you to exactly comply with all the nuances of preparing this masterpiece of Tatar cuisine.
Some useful tips for making echpochmak:
- sand dough will turn out to be more tender and crumbly, if it is kneaded on fatty sour cream, while adding oil or margarine with a fat content of at least 80%;
- monitor the temperature in the oven so that the dough and filling are baked simultaneously;
- if you saw late that the filling had not yet been cooked, then a microwave oven will help you out;
- if you're not using oily enough meat, the filling can be dry and not very tasteless. It is better to immediately add twisted lard to the minced meat. You can also put a piece of oil or a little fatty sour cream in the hole of the triangles at the end of the baking;
- meat for filling can be marinated in spices in advance. In this case, it should be cut into small pieces rather than using a meat grinder.