RUSSIAN FARE TO SHARE

It has been observed that not many people think of Russian food as being internationally renowned when compared to some more widespread cuisines, but there are more and more people around the world who are discovering it and learning to appreciate its qualities. Russian food derives from the great geographical expanse of this country and its multicultural character, which has resulted in a great variety of dishes.

Given the characteristic cold climate of this region of the world, the country has a lot of delicious traditional dishes to help people keep warm. People that discover Russian food for the first time, are often surprised by the variety of ingredients and flavors, which is influenced by its connection to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

It is also said that Russian food derives from an innumerable wealth of dishes, due firstly to the multicultural character of the country and secondly to its vast geographical size. Many dishes we consider today as typically Russian, are in reality of Polish, French or Italian origin. They arrived at the court of Catherine II through the Empress’s contacts with Western Europe.

Russia’s gastronomic foundations are based on the peasant food of rural populations located in places with an extremely cold climate. Many of the different dishes of soups and stews with meat and fish, are prepared by adding spices to native dishes using some techniques from the Mongols and Tatars in the 13th century.

Many of the Russian dishes are influenced by the ancient silk road as well as the proximity to the Caucasus, as well as the proximity it had with the Ottoman Empire. Russian food is very rich in variety, but also hyper caloric because more energy is needed to withstand the low temperatures they suffer in winter.

As the climate in Russia is almost always cold, most dishes are eaten hot. Soup is one of the main dishes and there are of many different types, they also accompany most of the dishes with rye bread, which is even cheaper than wheat white bread.

Caviar is one of a specialty in Russia. There are two types: the red salmon caviar that we can order in any restaurant or food house, and black caviar, which you’ll only find in expensive restaurants. In fact, for Russians at home, the most normal thing is to eat red caviar on a slice of white bread without toasting with butter. The black is reserved for special occasions, such as Christmas. Did you know the word “caviar” comes from the Persian word “khavah” which means “egg”?

Russians don’t conceive a lunch without soup as a first course, and for dessert they usually have a sweet accompanied by black tea with lemon, which they drink every hour of the day. And yes, the drink that most people drink in Russia is not always vodka, it is tea too! And what about vodka? To take it, Russians have their own protocol first of all, you must exhale through your mouth, then drink it in one gulp and then take a breath.

 One of the most popular dishes in the country is the Russian salad, only that in Russia it’s not called that: it’s known as Olivier salad and takes the name of the Belgian chef who invented it while working in Saint Petersburg. As bread is so important in Russian food, there is the tradition to welcome important guests with a dish of “bread and salt”. Although potatoes are a common ingredient of Russian food, for a long time Russian people only ate turnips, they didn’t know potatoes. King Peter brought the first potatoes from his foreign voyages, but Russians didn’t know how to eat it for some years.

Surprisingly, breakfast in Russian food usually consists of a cup of tea or coffee and a sandwich with some butter, cheese or ham, or some bakery, just for simplicity going along with choice of breads. The most traditional non-alcoholic drink is Kvass (after Coca-Cola). By the way, due to the climate, soft drinks are usually served without ice, if you want it, order it separately.

Some Popular Russian Delicacies:

1. Olivier salad: t’s known as Russian salad around the world. Olivier is a variant of potato salad invented in the 1860s by the Chef Lucien Olivier. The original was made with caviar, grouse, smoked duck, beef tongue and it had its own secret sauce, but today it is prepared with much simpler ingredients: boiled potatoes, carrots, eggs, peas, pickles, and chicken or meat.

2. Shades of Caviar: Quality caviar may be the most expensive food in the world, with most exclusive one’s costing thousands of dollars. The best caviar is that of sturgeon caught in the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. It consists of gelatinous pearls that explode in the mouth, and it has an intense taste of brine and fish. Red and black coloured caviar are most popular.

3. Chebureki: The word Chebureki was adopted from the Crimean Tatar language and means literally ‘raw cake’. This dish is very popular in Tatar and Russian cuisine, but also in Asian and Caucasian menus. It’s a kind of fried patty with a filling of minced meat and onion. It’s made with a single piece of dough that folds over the filling in a crescent shape.

4. Borscht: Borscht is a beet soup native to Ukraine that was quickly adopted as a Russian specialty. Beet is its main ingredient and the one that gives it its intense and characteristic color. It is prepared with sautéed meat and vegetables, among which we can find cabbage, carrots, onions and potatoes and it can be served hot or cold.

5. Okroshca: This concept relates from Russia which is a cold soup, perfect for hot summer days. Traditionally, it’s cooked with Kvass, and it usually includes meat or mortadella, radish, cucumbers, chives, cooked potatoes and eggs.

6.Uja: this is also a very traditional Russian soup that is prepared with sliced fish fillets. They mainly use Salmon or Cod Fish. To this Russian spoon dish are also added some vegetables cut into pieces such as, for example, potato, carrot or onion.

7. Black Russian Cake- This is an extremely moist and delicious cake. The coffee liqueur gives it an exceptionally rich and unique flavor. It is wonderfully complemented when served with coffee drinks as an after-dinner treat. What made the dessert “Russian”? Quite likely the name transferred from “Russian tea,” which in the late 1800s meant any drink containing rum (not vodka, surprisingly). Red wine and sherry are found in some of the tea and Russian cake recipes. Russian Royal Cake is made with walnut, poppy seed, cherry and chocolate cake layers frosted with Dulce De Leche Buttercream then drizzled with Chocolate.

8. Cabbage Piroshky - Piroshky are the ultimate Eastern European and Russian street food! These are little hand-pies made with fluffy easy dough and filled with either sweet or Savory fillings. Some of the fillings include braised cabbage piroshky is one of the favorites of many foodies. These vegetable piroshkies are filled with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, onion and bell pepper. You can even add diced kielbasa sausages as well for more flavor.

 

Popular Ingredients in Russian Food

Russian cuisine and gastronomy includes a great variety of ingredients, but the following are the most used.

Meats and Fish.

They are used in all types of dry dishes and soups. These ingredients include lamb, pork or beef meats. In the case of fish, they are mainly freshwater fish such as carp and sudak, but also fish found in northern areas of the country like sturgeon, salmon, pike and trout.

Assorted Vegetables

The most popular are cabbage, potatoes and cold tolerant greens. Pickling cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes are used in brine to preserve other vegetables for winter use.

Variety Fruits- In Russia there is a great tradition of preserving the fruits, vegetables and mushrooms grown during the summer. The compotes and jams are made of fruits and berries like strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and others.

Choice of Breads- There are several types, the most typical is black bread, made from rye flour; there are many types of this bread and it’s very healthy. There is also normal bread called white bread made from wheat flour.

Milk & Dairy Products- In Russia there is a great variety and tradition of eating dairy products, many of which aren’t known in other countries. In stores you can buy many kinds of cottage cheese “tvorog”, “kefir” – a drink similar to yogurt.

 Herbs and Spices used commonly in Russian Cooking:

• Parsley: Mainly used in salads and also to decorate dishes.

• Pepper: Russians use mainly black pepper.

• Allspice: It’s often used in unground form in marinades and canned foods.

• Sage: Mainly used in fish dishes, but also in legumes, vegetables, jams and marmalade.

• Horseradish: The root of this plant is used in many spicy sauces for meat and fish dishes.

• Dill: Dill weed simply makes sense in a Russian diet of fish and milk-based dishes.

• Tarragon: When used in any Russian recipes with vinegar and/or mustard, tarragon is delightful.

• Garlic: It offers a taste that is versatile enough for a great variety of dishes and it stores well for use in winter cooking.

Here are a few of my select all-time favourite recipes from Russian Cuisine:

Recipe-1] CHEBUREKI SNACK

A popular Russian street side snacky food, dough encased with mince- meat and fried]

Ingredients:

For the wrappers:

Readymade tortilla wraps can be used as well.

To make fresh wrappers:

Refined flour- 1 and a half cup

Oil-2 tsp

Salt- 1 pinch

Baking powder-1/4 tsp

Egg yolk- 1 no

Warm water- as needed to make a firm dough

For the mince-meat stuffing:

Red meat of your choice/ chicken mince- 250 gms

Salt and pepper to taste

Assortment of herbs- parsley/coriander/basil etc

Garlic-1 tsp chopped

Spring onion-1 med size chopped

Spring onion greens- 2-3 tbsp. chopped

White wine- 2-3 tsp optional

Red pepper sauce- 1-2 tsp – optional

To seal and fry:

Oil- as needed to deep fry

Egg wash to seal the edges of the wrappers.

To serve with:

Assorted choice of dips/ sauces to go along.

Method:

1. Assemble all the ingredients for the Chebureki snack.

2. Prepare the dough mix, a firm pliable, semi- hard dough.

3. cover and rest the dough for 15-20 mins.

4. Meantime to work on the stuffing/filling we have two options. The first one the classic way is to work on all of It together in a mixing bowl and use it raw itself, it gets cooked as it gets encased inside the dough and gets fried and ready to eat. The second option, is to separately cook the mince in a pan and then cool it down a little and then stuff them inside the Chebureki dough.

5. To cook the filling and use, heat 2 tsp oil/butter in a pan and saute the garlic, onions, herbs, mince-meat, add a little refined flour, a little stock or water and cook the mince for 8-10 mins, add a little mashed potato to enable better texture and binding.

6. Divide the dough into small lemon sized balls, roll out each one of them into round of 2-3-inch diameter, cut them out into neat rounds. Place small portions of the mince on each wrapper, spread it evenly and then apply a little egg wash and seal it into a half moon shape and using a fork crimp and seal the edges. Deep fry in medium hot oil to a nice golden color and serve hot.

 

Recipe-2] BORSCHT SOUP

[a delicate beetroot coloured and flavoured soup, popularly form Ukraine, can be made veg as well while some recipes use red meat as well]

Ingredients:

Oil- 2 tsp

Butter- 1 tsp

Bay leaf- 1 no

Garlic- 2-3 cloves, chopped

Onion-1 small, chopped

Potatoes-2 small, peeled and cubed

Beetroots- 2-3 med sized, peeled and cut

Carrot-1/2 cut, cubed

Cabbage-1/2 cup, shredded

Tomatoes- ½ cup, chopped

Dill leaves- 2-3 tbsp. chopped

Water/ stock- 3-4 cups

Fennel seeds-1-2 tsp roasted/crushed

Fresh cream/sour cream -2-3 tsp for garnish.

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients for the vegetarian recipe of borscht soup.

2. Heat oil/butter in a saucepan, add in the bay leaf, garlic, onions and saute for a few seconds. Add in the potatoes, carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, cabbage, salt, pepper, fennel, dill leaves, water/stock and bring it to a boil.

3. Simmer the soup for 20-25 mins, and then we have two options while in some cases they leave it the way it is with chunks of veggies visible and in some we also blend it up and puree the soup as well.

4. Adjust the texture, seasonings as per taste and add in stock etc as needed and portion the soup into serving bowls, garnish with fresh dill/parsley and some fresh cream/sour cream and serve hot.

 

Recipe-3] Olivier Salad

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

Assorted salad leaves- 1 cup

For the body of the salad:

Veg and non-veg options are possible

For the veg:

Carrots-1/2 cup cubed, boiled

Green peas-1/4 cup, boiled

Potato cubes-1/2 cup, boiled

French beans- 3-4 no, cut into small pieces, boiled.

Pineapple slice- 1-2 no, cubed

For the non-veg:

Boiled chicken cubes-1/2 cup

Diced ham/ salami- ¼ cup

Sausages- ¼ cup sliced

Boiled eggs-1-2, cubed, sliced

Roast/ grilled meat/chicken etc can also be used.

For the dressing of the salad:

Mayonnaise dressing- 1 cup

Mustard paste-1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime juice- 1-2 tsp

Sugar-1 pinch

For the garnish of the salad:

Cherry tomatoes-2-3 no cut 1 x 2

Fresh herbs/parsley- 1-2 sprigs

Method:

1.Pre-prep all the ingredients for the salad recipe.

2.One can assemble the salad and allow to chill for some time and then do the plating just before service.

3.To start with clean, rinse the lettuce leaves, place them in ice-cold water to retain freshness and crisp texture.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine together the dressing and add in the ingredients for the body of the salad, once can choose between various ingredients and veg/non-veg as well.

5. Mix the salad well, adjust texture and seasonings and allow to chill, just before serving pat dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them on a salad plate/ salad platter and spoon in the chilled salad and garnish, serve immediately.

Recipe-4] CHICKEN STROGANOFF

[a delicate and mild flavoured Russian main course recipe usually with beef/red meat, laced in a creamy mushroom gravy, here it is being done with chicken]

Ingredients

Boneless chicken breasts- 250-300 gms, sliced

For the marination:

Oil-2 tsp

Garlic-1 tsp fine chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime juice/white vinegar/white wine- anyone to be used

Paprika powder/chili flakes-1/2 tsp

Mustard paste-1/2 tsp

Apply marination, keep refrigerated for 20 -30 mins, coat with dry flour –maida and keep ready.

For the sauce:

Oil-2 tsp

Butter-2 tsp

Garlic-1 tsp chopped

Spring onion-2-3 chopped

Water/chicken stock-1/2 cup

Thick cream- cooking variety- 2 cups

Mustard paste- 1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Gherkins- 2-3 tbsp. sliced

Mushrooms-1 cup fresh, sliced

White wine-2-3 tsp, optional

Parsley- 2-3 tsp, chopped

To serve with: buttered tossed flat noodles/steam rice

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients for the recipe.

2. Marinate the chicken pieces and post that dredge/coat with dry maida and keep aside.

3.Using a thick bottomed open flat pan, heat oil and butter to start with and shallow fry the chicken pieces on a high flame to get a nice light brown color and cook them in the pan for 2-3 mins, remove and keep aside.

4. To the same pan add in some oil and butter and saute the garlic and spring onions for 1 min. add in the mushrooms, salt, pepper, little parsley, add some white wine if desired here at this stage.

5. Add in the thick cooking cream, little water or stock, mustard paste, and also add the chicken pieces back into the sauce and simmer for 6-9 mins until the chicken pieces are tender.

6. Finally, add in gherkins towards the end of the cooking process and add some more freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.

Recipe- 5] MEAT AND VEG PLOV 

[a delicious recipe with subtle flavors of meat and mild spices steeped together with rice and garden veggies, make it a great dish to enjoy]

Ingredients:

Oil-2 tbsp.

Butter-1 tbsp.

Garlic pod- 1 no, unpeeled.

Onion-1 small, chopped

Meat- lamb/mutton with bones- shoulder part- 500 gms, cut into pieces.

Short grain rice/ Arborio/kolam rice- 1 and a half cup

Carrots-1 cup cubed

Potatoes-1 cup cubed

Celery-1 stalk cut

Salt and pepper to taste

All spice powder-1 tsp

Lime juice-2 tsp

Paprika powder/ chili flakes-1 tsp

Cumin powder-1 tsp

Parsley/coriander-2 tbsp. chopped

Raisins- 2 tbsp.

Cashews-2 tbsp.

Method:

1. Pre-prep all the ingredients for the Plov recipe.

2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the garlic pod, onions, saute and add in the par boiled meat pieces.

3. Add in the rice, salt, cumin powder, all spice powder and mix well. Fry the mixture well for a couple of minutes. Add in the stock/water and allow to simmer and cook until the meat and rice are well cooked.

4. When the rice is half way cooked, add in the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking on a low flame. Finally add in the lime juice, coriander/parsley, nuts and mix well. Serve hot.

 

Reicpe-6] KASHA- SWEET PORRIDGE

Ingredients:

Buckwheat/ cracked wheat/ daliya- 1 cup

Milk-500 ml- 750 ml

Sugar to taste

Honey/ maple syrup-2-3 tbsp.

Cinnamon powder-1/4 tsp

Butter-1-2 tsp

Brown sugar-1-2 tsp

Raisins- 2-3 tbsp.

Walnuts-2-3 tsp

Almonds- 2-3 tsp

Dates- 3-4 sliced

Apricots- 2-3 sliced

 Method:

1. Start up with the cleaning, rinsing and soaking of the cracked wheat/daliya as we usually use in India. Ideally around 2-3 hours of soaking works.

2. Using a thick bottomed saucepan, add butter and saute the drained wheat, add in cinnamon powder and mix.

3. Add in the milk and simmer, allow to cook for 20- 25 mins, stir occasionally. Add more milk as needed.

4. Now add in the sugar, honey/maple syrup etc as per taste and simmer for another 12-15 mins. It will start taking up texture and get thicker as well.

5. Lastly, we add in the assorted nuts as per choice and mix them in. there is also mention of brown sugar as well which adds a nice flavor once added towards the end into the porridge. Garnish with assorted nuts and serve the porridge with choice of cut fruits.

On a Concluding Note:

The Food of Russia though a little different in taste, flavours and varied a little in a number of ways is indeed worth a try! Subtle and simple, robust and enticing, balanced to proportion is what I have experienced it to be in my own exposure with the delicacies from its authentic kitchens. 

While we still need to explore a lot more on this cuisine and try and adapt to its uniqueness and create awareness about it by having a few of the recipes tried out in our kitchens, work on modifying them in such a way that they suit our palates even better. For instance, they have a rice preparation called Plov which simply refers to a pulao concept with veg/non-veg options. This was one of the first recipe I personally found acceptable and versatile as well. Similarly, with a little change and open mind towards welcoming Russian foods onto our tables would truly be worthwhile.

Happy Cooking.