Shish kebab with chaman seasoning. Chaman: what is it and when is this spice used. Spice chaman - what is it

In order to cook tasty dish, you need a set of products, a little skill, as well as various spices to give food taste. In some recipes, you can find such a spice as chaman. What it is, when it is better to use it and what dishes simply cannot do without it - all this will be discussed below.

About the concept

First, it is necessary to understand the concept itself. So, chaman - what is it? This is a spice, which, by the way, has several names, and each of them is used quite often. So, this spice can also be called shambhala, fenugreek and fenugreek. As for the name we are describing, it is most common in Armenia. In the vastness of our homeland and in Europe, this spice is often called "shambhala".

About spice

It is worth saying that the chaman belongs to the legume family, this has long been known. It will also be interesting that various parts of it can be used as food. So, the seeds of this plant, leaves and even stems (in ground form) are perfect. Having understood the concept of "chaman" - what it is, it is also worth saying that this spice gives dishes an amazing nutty taste, and in some cases it can even replace ground hazelnuts, if necessary. Basically, this spice It has an interesting bittersweet taste that gives the dishes an amazing persistent aroma.

Mistakes

You should know what chaman (spice) looks like so as not to confuse it with other spices. So, in crushed form, the spice looks like coarse flour of beige color. However, culinary specialists say that Shambhala fenugreek is often confused with blue fenugreek (utskho-suneli, common in the Caucasus), which is not worth doing. After all, these are completely different things. It is considered a huge mistake to identify ground chaman with ground cumin, this is also unacceptable.

Application

When may you need chaman seasoning? The use of spices will be relevant for the preparation of dishes from meat, fish and poultry. It is worth mentioning that this spice appears in all recipes for making basturma. It is also good for various kinds of soups: mushroom, pea, potato, onion. As already mentioned, chaman gives dishes light nutty shade, and it is also similar to mushroom taste. In India, shamballa is used more as a vegetarian food. This spice is also widespread in Armenia, where it is almost the main one in the preparation of various types of meat. It will also be interesting that this spice is by nature an excellent thickener (analogous to starch), so it is often used to prepare various sauces. It will also be important for many that this seasoning goes well with other herbs and spicy vegetables. And ground chaman is part of such spices as suneli hops and curry.

Substitutes

Many may have a logical question: can we replace chaman (seasoning) with something else? So, no other spice can convey exactly the same taste and aroma, but the previously mentioned utskho-suneli spice is similar. And since chaman has a slight nutty flavor, in some cases ground hazelnuts can replace it.

Medicinal properties

Having understood the concept of chaman - what it is when this spice is used, it is also worth saying a few words about what benefits it brings. So, it will be interesting that in India, women consume shamballa seeds after childbirth in order to put their back in order, normalize metabolic processes in the body, and also promote the flow of breast milk. As for the expanses of our homeland, then this spice is also used to improve the body. First of all, it should be said that it is an excellent anti-inflammatory, sedative and wound healing remedy. The use of this spice on convalescent people will have a good effect: it helps to restore and gives strength and energy. Consumption of chaman in the form of porridge will help to cope with hair problems and women who have little breast milk when feeding babies. This spice perfectly heals wounds, heals boils and even ulcers (the whole reason is the huge content of adhesives in the spice). And in the form of an ointment, it will help to cope with problem skin. A tablespoon of chaman mixed in a cup of warm milk is an excellent tonic. It will also be interesting that ground fenugreek, both in the old days and now, is used in the treatment of impotence in men and infertility in women. According to other sources, this spice is an excellent aphrodisiac. For women, the following information will be important: hair conditioners (ground chaman + yogurt) can be made from chaman, as well as face masks (along with turmeric and vegetable oil).

Attention!

Although this seasoning is almost universal in its use, it is also worth saying that there is a category of people for whom it can be dangerous. Yes, they are pregnant women. They should not consume this spice, because it contains saponins, which can provoke a miscarriage.

Ingredients:

3 kg. pork meat (I have a neck),

2 tbsp. l. seasonings for meat

2, 5 -3 art. l. salt,

2 curly tomatoes,

1 large head of onion.

Good day, my dear readers!

You can also cook very tasty in the oven. So choose and enjoy!

And I promised to tell you about the celebration of May 9 in our family this year. All the same, we went to Novosibirsk for the parade. We managed to see military equipment, combat aircraft and helicopters. Managed to show it to my son. My aunt and uncle participated in the Immortal Regiment campaign. Tens of thousands of people took to the main street of the city to honor the memory and pay tribute to all those who fought for our Motherland. We did not wait for the end of the passage of the Immortal Regiment, Seva began to feel sleepy. So many emotions in half a day!

We also saw such a fighting girlfriend) somehow caught the kids for a photo.

There were fireworks in the evening. Our fighter's schedule got a little off, but he had impressions!! Everyone was very pleased and still remember.

I would like to know your favorite barbecue marinade recipes. Your experience and advice would be very useful to blog readers and to me personally)

Armenian kebab recipe

To prepare a delicious Armenian barbecue you will need:

• meat (pork, beef, it is better to use lamb);
• onion;
• salt;
• ground black pepper;
• fenugreek;
• greenery.

Cooking process

So, let's find out how to cook Armenian barbecue. First you need to choose good meat, which must be fresh so that the taste is on top. The meat must be cut into pieces (the size of the pieces will depend on your brazier), but it is better not to make too huge pieces so that the kebab can fry quickly and remain juicy.

Onion cut into rings and now you can learn how to barbecue. There is nothing complicated and everyone can do it themselves. After the meat and onions are chopped, we proceed to prepare the marinade for the future barbecue at home. I would like to note right away that for this it is necessary to use glassware to prevent changes in taste. You can also marinate meat in ceramic dishes, however, if this container is not available, use enameled.

We place the chopped pieces in a glass container, take the onion rings in our hands and knead them with our hands, thereby breaking them and squeezing the juice out of them. Throw the onion into the dish and mix well with your hands.

Then chop the greens (parsley, green onion) and add them to the meat, before rubbing them in your hands with the required amount of salt.

We take ground black pepper and sprinkle the prepared. Do not forget that pepper must be added to taste and proceed to add the most important ingredient - fenugreek. In Armenian, it sounds like a chaman. We add it to the meat no more than a teaspoon, this amount will be enough to make the aroma go crazy.

Once again, mix the meat with all the ingredients with your hands and leave the dishes with the marinade to infuse in the shade for 30-40 minutes. It’s not worth leaving for a long time, and now let’s find out how to fry an Armenian barbecue.

After the meat has been saturated with all the spices, it is necessary to proceed to the most important part of the preparation - fry it on the grill. We put the pieces on skewers, and send them to hot coals. Remember that shish kebab is best grilled not on red coals, but on slightly burnt ones.

The temperature from such coals is excellent, it turns out excellent and, and not burnt or dried out. During frying, do not forget to turn the skewers every 50-60 seconds so that the kebab is fried evenly and juicy.

In order for the dish to turn out especially amazing, during frying, use a cardboard box or an ordinary newspaper, with which you wave it over the grill, this will help the best cooking and the smoke from the coals will better saturate the meat and make it especially tasty.

We wish you all bon appetit and a pleasant weekend.

Let's talk in more detail about the seasoning chaman and its use in the most different dishes. The abundance of flavors and aromas in cooking can turn the head of a novice cook. And how many amazing and exciting names! We invite you to get acquainted with another representative of the world of spices, who came to us from afar.

Spice chaman - what is it?

Chaman belongs to the legume family and comes from India and Pakistan; has a tart taste and a memorable smell. Another name for chaman is fenugreek, shambhala or fenugurek. It is more often associated with the preparation of a meat delicacy - basturma, where it is its integral component.

Chaman seasoning is a mixture of spices that gives each dish a bright aroma and unusual taste. You can use both seeds and herbs of this plant. Ground chaman looks like beige flour and coarse grinding.

Useful properties of seasoning chaman

One hundred grams of Shambhala contains:
~ 25 grams of protein;
~ 6.5 grams of fat;
~ 58.4 grams of carbs.
The total calorie content of seasoning per 100 g is about 320 kcal.

The medicinal properties of chaman seeds have been known since ancient times, and in some southern countries the traditions of its use are observed to this day.

• For example, women in India use its seeds to treat backs after childbirth, improve metabolism and, if required, increase the flow of breast milk.
• In Russia, Shamballa is more often used to heal wounds (a paste with its content is applied to boils and even ulcers; in the form of an ointment it will help with problem skin) or as an anti-inflammatory agent, to strengthen the immune system and improve the overall health of the body.
• If you eat chaman in the form of porridge, you can improve the condition of your hair (make a conditioner based on yogurt and ground seeds).
• Stir a tablespoon of fenugreek in a glass of warm milk - and a wonderful tonic drink is ready.
• It will help with female infertility and impotence in men.
• Nourishes nerve cells and bone marrow cells;
• Stimulates the digestive system;
• Some sources classify chaman as aphrodisiacs.

The seeds of this plant are also used for colds, allergic reactions, indigestion and pain (toothache, joint pain).

We emphasize that despite its versatility, this seasoning should not be included in the diet of pregnant women, because the saponins included in it can provoke a miscarriage.

Chaman for basturma: Recipe

Let's go back to the culinary realm and talk about the most popular way to put fenugreek into practice - to prepare a classic delicacy for holiday table- basturma.

By itself, it is quite simple to prepare, but requires a serious investment of time. On the other hand, why not experiment and surprise your family and friends with such an unusual addition to a family celebration?

Very fresh meat is taken; salt calculation - 200 gr per 1 kilogram of meat.

1. 3 kg beef
2. 600 g salt
3. glass of fenugreek
4. 8 glasses of warm water
5. 5 heads of garlic
6. red bell pepper in quantity to get the desired color
7. hot pepper to taste
8. cumin to taste

• Cut the meat into pieces about 30 by 15 cm and a thickness of 5 cm.
• Rinse, dry, sprinkle with salt on all sides.
• We put the pieces on top of each other, and put the bowl at an angle and wait until the salt “sucks” the blood out of the meat. Flip the pieces from time to time.
• This continues for two or three days, until the liquid ceases to stand out completely.
• There may be some unabsorbed salt on the surface (depending on the meat), but you just need to shake it off and hang the meat to dry, which will take 5 or 7 days.
• When you feel the meat and make sure that it is dry, it's time to prepare the spread dough.
• Fenugreek processing is best done in the evening, so that in the morning you can only add the rest of the spices.

How to prepare a chaman for basturma, aka Stage 2:

• we sort out the seeds, grind them in a coffee grinder, transfer them to an enamel bowl;
• gradually add warm water to it, stirring;
• you will notice how the mixture will swell and thicken (the finishing consistency should resemble kefir);
• cover with a lid and leave overnight;
• excess water will remain on the surface, and in the morning we will simply remove it with a spoon (the bitterness of fenugreek will also go away with this yellow water);
• then add garlic, cumin and everything else, mix;
• rinse the meat pieces a little in running water and put in a bowl with chaman, cover with a lid;
• in this mixture in the refrigerator, they should stand for 5 to 10 days (how long you have the patience);
• sometimes it will also be necessary to turn the pieces over, coat them;
• evenly covered pieces are again hung to dry for 5-7 days;
• then each piece is best wrapped in cling film and stored in the refrigerator.

Bon appetit!

Of course, not everyone can always have an Armenian chaman at hand, or it is not for sale in your city. Then what can replace the chaman for basturma? You can simply take the well-known suneli or curry hops, combine them with ground nuts or mushrooms and then proceed according to the indicated algorithm - an interesting and unexpected variation of basturma is ready! ? - read in our material of the same name.

2014-05-14

Date: 14 05 2014

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Barbecue marinades are often the subject of controversy at male friendly gatherings. Everyone defends the “correctness” of their favorite barbecue marinade. The only argument is usually the words: "Yes, I've been doing this for a hundred years ... it always turns out delicious." Well, that sounds pretty convincing! Based on “delicious” and today I will tell you about my tested barbecue marinades.

Have you ever wondered “why marinate barbecue”? Do you really need a marinade for barbecue? Consider the common statement: "A marinade is needed to tenderize the kebab meat." There is some truth in this.

The fact is that the marinade, even during many hours of marinating, only slightly penetrates deep into the meat for barbecue - only a few millimeters. Therefore, the marinade cannot soften the connective tissue (collagen) that is inside the cuts of meat. Only the surface softens, but it seems to us that the whole piece of meat becomes softer from pickling - after all, biting into it becomes really a little easier!

If the marinade does not have any significant effect on the softness of the kebab, why is the meat still marinated?

Consider for this the components of marinades:

1. Spices, fresh and dried herbs, wines, garlic, onions give the kebab a certain aroma and taste. They do not affect the softness of the meat!

2. Fats (vegetable oil) are used to dissolve aromatic substances found in spices and herbs. Thus, they mainly serve to ensure that aromatic substances get to the surface and a little bit - deep into the meat for barbecue. Marinade fats will not soften tough meat!

3. Barbecue marinades usually contain acids. They are found in fruit and berry juices (apple, lemon, orange, cranberry, pomegranate), tomato juice, wine, wine and balsamic vinegar, lactic acid products. Acids somewhat destroy the connective tissue on the surface of the meat, thus they also facilitate the penetration of aromatic substances a little into the thickness of the meat for barbecue.

4. Salt mainly serves to enhance and improve the taste of meat.

I also want to add that the widespread use of onions in barbecue marinades is due to its excellent compatibility with any meat and fish. In addition, the sugar contained in the onion caramelizes during this time, which gives the meat a beautiful crust.

How to prepare onions in barbecue marinade

In order for the onion to have the desired effect in the marinade, it must release the juice. To do this, you can simply chop the onion thinly, salt and mash with your hands, grate on a coarse grater (or pass through a meat grinder) and squeeze out the juice.

Without belittling the importance of the marinade for the taste and aroma of the barbecue, in conclusion of my “cleverness”, I want to say that the consistency and juiciness of the barbecue to a greater extent depend (in my humble opinion) on the quality of the meat, the ability to cook it and a good barbecue.

To ensure a deeper penetration of the marinade into the thickness of the meat, the marinated kebab is often massaged with the hands several times during exposure. In this case, the pieces are well compressed, released and mixed, repeating the procedure many times.

We will take as a condition that our barbecue is “correct”, the meat is of excellent quality and we know how to cook it well. Therefore, we will focus on what it can be marinated in.

Marinades for barbecue recipes

Sour-milk marinade for barbecue (for any meat and poultry)

Ingredients

We will need:

1 liter of any quality fermented milk drink ( natural yogurt, kefir, curdled milk, ayran, matsun, matsoni)

Red hot pepper (fresh)

Most often, I make such a marinade from homemade yogurt.

About the greens for such a marinade. My favorite for lamb skewers is savory, thyme, purple basil, rosemary, a little bit of mint. You can take a mixture, or you can take some separate grass. For chicken - garlic arrows, green basil, cilantro. For pork - basil (purple, green). For shish kebab from offal (kidneys, liver) - marjoram. For fish - dill, thyme. Onions are often added to sour-milk marinades.

Separate conversation - about spices. I prefer to add the bare minimum - just a little black pepper and the occasional ground fenugreek (my personal preference).

Mix the fermented milk product with chopped pepper, herbs, salt. The marinade is ready. I prefer spices for marinating the kebab, do not cut it finely, but put it in twigs, crushing the leaves with your hands.

Marinade for barbecue from homemade tomato juice (for pork, lamb, beef)

Ingredients

We will need:

Tomatoes

green cilantro

We prepare juice from tomatoes in any way.

For such purposes, it is best to take juicy, rather than fleshy tomatoes. Basically, any is fine. Salt the juice, put the crushed garlic, cilantro, prepared onions.

White wine marinade (for chicken, turkey, fish skewers)

Ingredients

White wine 1 liter

thyme or savory

We mix all the ingredients. You can add onions, a little wine vinegar and ground white pepper to the base.

Marinade from sherry, madeira, marsala (for shish kebab from beef, lamb, game)

Ingredients

Wine 800 ml

Sherry vinegar 200 ml

We mix the products and marinate the barbecue. Sherry vinegar can be replaced with good wine vinegar (3-6%). In the marinade for game (wild boar, roe deer), add a few crushed juniper berries.

Marinade for red wine barbecue (for beef, lamb, game, pork)

Ingredients

Wine 1 liter

purple basil greens

We prepare the marinade from the indicated products. Onion can be added to the base, a little bay leaf, black ground pepper.

Marinade for kebab with lemon juice (for chicken, turkey, fish)

Ingredients

Lemons 2 pieces

Olive oil 200 ml

thyme, green basil

Squeezing juice from lemons

mix with olive or any other quality vegetable oil, put the greens, salt and marinate the barbecue. It is highly desirable to add onions so that the lemon taste is somehow balanced. But again, this is my personal opinion.

Marinade for pomegranate juice barbecue (for lamb, pork)

Ingredients

Grenades 3 pieces

Olive oil 150 ml

Onion 2-3 heads

green cilantro, basil

Squeeze the juice from pomegranate seeds, mix with olive oil, prepared onions, salt, herbs. The marinade is ready.

The barbecue marinade should favorably emphasize the taste and aroma of meat without drowning it out. Knowing why, in principle, you need a marinade, you can experiment with its various components. And what are your favorite barbecue marinades, my dear readers?

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