Shirgrechka:) (Milk porridge with buckwheat)

Usually I call this meal "Grechkali kasha" which means buckwheat porridge, almost in Russian:) so I decided to call it "Shirgrechka" :) This meal is great for breakfast, as it contains useful elements and calcium, so needed for our bones: I love porridges!!!
Ingredients (for three people):
600 ml of milk (full fat or reduced, but I used full fat, as it is tastier:))
1 cup of buckwheat
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Butter for serving (1, 5 tsp for each bowl)
Finely wash buckwheat and pour in milk. Put on stove and bring to boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally as at the end it can stick to the bottom. Cook until porridge is thick and buckwheat is finely cooked. At the very end, sprinkle salt and sugar, mix well and serve topping with butter. Your delicious and healthy breakfast is ready to enjoy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Ku'knori urug'lik kulchalar (Poppy seed buns)

I love poppy seeds! Pity that, you can't find it where I live, so I brought them from Uzbekistan, use them rarely and usually for a special buns:) Today I am posting the recipe of my favorite poppy seed buns and hope you will enjoy!
Ingredients:
500 ml of milk
50 ml of vegetable oil
2 sachet of dried yeast (2 tbsp)
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of sugar
Plain flour as needed
1 cup of sugar
100 grams of butter
1 cup of poppy seeds
1 egg
Heat up milk, add in salt and sugar, mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Add in oil and add in yeast. Start adding flour (sifted twice) until you will form soft and a little bit sticky dough. At the end, oil your hands and knead the dough for about 5 min. Cover and let it rise for 1.5 -2 hours.
Take the dough and divide a portion. Roll this portion on a oiled surface in to narrow oval shape. Now, grease the entire surface with a soft butter, sprinkle some sugar (to your taste) and at the end, sprinkle poppy seeds. Softly press down the surface with the palm of your hands.

Roll it around itself forming a log and evenly cut it out into 1-1.5 inch pieces.

Put these pieces on their flat side and grease with an egg yolk. Cover with a cotton towel and let them rest in warm place for about 10-15 min.

Bake in preheated oven until nice golden color.
You can make different shaped buns, and cinnamon also can be used for the sprinkling.
Some more photos of my buns:
Heart

Rose

Cinnamon and poppy seed spirals

How to make "pishloq" or "tvorog"

I love my home made "pishloq"/"tvorog", as it is tastier and safer, as I know how I made it:) This kind of cheese exist almost in every cuisine and has different names like ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, panir and so on. In Uzbekistan it is mostly called "tvorog". Choose very fresh and natural milk for this purpose, otherwise you won't get anything, but a mess!
Ingredients:
for 150 grams of "tvorog"
1 liter of milk
2-3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
Cheesecloth
Salt to taste (optional, as I usually don't add any salt)
Heat up milk, over medium heat, until small bubbles will start to appear:

Immediately set the heat on low and add in lemon juice. Stir unceasingly. Milk will start to curdle. When milk is finely curdled and you can see that yellowish whey, take from heat and immediately pour the mixture over cheesecloth and let all the whey to drain. You can keep the whey for another purposes if you want.

Your "tvorog" is ready to eat now. If you want to make harder cheese, then hang up that cheesecloth for about 30 min and then keep you cheese in cold, clean water in a glass jar.

Gu'shtli quymoq (Omlet with meat and vegetables)

"Gu'shtli quymoq" is very good for breakfast. It will keep you full until your lunch and it gives you enough strength to be cheerful all day long:) Besides it is prepared fast about in 20 min.
Ingredients:
50 gr of vegetable oil
200 gr of meat, cut in thin strips
1 medium sized onion, peeled and sliced
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut in small cubes
1 small zucchini (optional)cut in small cubes
2 medium sized tomato, chopped well
6 eggs, slightly beaten
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste
Heat the oil and fry meat over medium heat with covered lid, until meat is nice golden color, add in tomatoes and onions, continue frying until vegetables are clear in color, add in eggplant and zucchini and fry until oil starts to separate out.

Beat eggs and add in chopped coriander, mix well.

Now set the fire on very low and pour egg mixture on to the fried meat and vegetables, sprinkle some salt,cover the lid and fry until egg is firm.

Serve as hot and enjoy your breakfast or lunch:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Tuhum dolma

This is another tasty breakfast recipe. Besides it is very easy:)
Ingredients:
1 hard boiled egg for a person
1 tsp of hard cheese for every egg
1 tsp of cream or cream cheese for every egg
Salt to taste
Fresh chopped coriander
Clean hard boiled eggs from shell, carefully cut up the top and take out the yolk. Chop finely the cut top and yolk, add in grated cheese, coriander and cream, mix together well until smooth. Fill in the empty egg whites with this filling. Serve them in special egg dishes. Enjoy your breakfast!!!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Sutli ugra ("Ugra " with milk)

"Sutli ugra" is a perfect breakfast, as it keeps you full until your lunch:) But the thing is it is so tasty, that it would be hard to stop eating it:) and that's not good if you are not going to gain a weight:) Instead of "ugra" noodles you can use vermicelli or Chinese noodles.
Ingredietns:
1 liter of milk
2 onions, peeled and sliced
30 gr butter
"Ugra" noodles (you will find the recipe in "Tovuq shurvali ugra", but you will use only 1/3 of this noodles)
Salt to taste
Melt the butter in a pan, add in sliced onions and fry until light golden color, it will give a great taste to the meal. Add in milk and bring to boil, then add in "ugra" noodles. Cook noodles until they are soft, about 7 min. Add in salt and serve. It is very tasty, enjoy!!!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Shirqovoq (Pumpkin porridge with milk)

"Shirqovoq" is one of my favorite dishes in Uzbek cuisine. I love this tasty and healthy meal. It is very good for breakfast as it will keep you full for a long time.
Ingredients:
1200 liters of milk (you can also use low fat milk)
200 gr of rice
350 gr grated pumpkin
Salt and sugar(or honey) to taste
Butter for serving
Heat up the milk in deep pot. Wash rice and put in the hot but not boiling milk. Stir well. Bring milk to boil, don't forget stirring it as rice can stick to the bottom of your pan. After milk will come to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 min, then add in pumpkin. Stir occasionally and cook until rice is very soft. After rice is ready, continue to cook with closed lid in very low heat for 10 min. Add in salt and sugar (usually I use honey instead of sugar, as it is natural sweetener). Serve topping with 1 tbsp of butter. Mmmmmmm, yummy!
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!

Shirguruch(Cream of rice)

This meal is just perfect for the breakfast. It is easy to make and healthy. Just you have to get up 30 min earlier:)
Ingredients for 4 serving:
1 liter of full fat milk( You can also use low fat)
200 gr of rice washed
Salt
Honey or sugar as taste
Butter 4 tbsp
Heat up milk and add washed rice in it, stir until it comes to boil. Then reduce the heat and cover your pan. Stir time to time and cook until rice is finely cooked, and porridge is thick. Take from heat, add in salt, mix well. Serve with a half tbsp (or to your taste) honey or sugar, and 1 tbsp of butter. I usually use honey instead of sugar, it is healthy and natural sweetener:)
Yoqimli ishtaha!!!