Tavče gravče
Tavče gravče is one of the traditional dishes of the Republic of North Macedonia. It is prepared with fresh beans This meal is baked and served in a traditional clay made pot. Both names are translated as "Beans on a tava" (Turkish for "frying pan"). The best beas to use to make Tavce Gravce are Tetovo bean. Tetovo is a city in the northwest of Macedonia, and the Tavče Gravče clearly defines the identity of the entire Tetovo region. This dish is considered the national dish of the Republic of Macedonia. "The Macedonian cuisine, owing to its geographical position, is inspired by Mediterranean, Turkish, and to a lesser extent, Italian, German and Eastern European. Tavče gravče, a multi-beaned stew, is seen as the national dish, while mastika, a liqueur seasoned with mastic, otherwise known as “Arabic gum” is its national drink." It can be found in almost all restaurants in Republic of Macedonia. Ingredients For 4 Person(s) Tavče gravče 2 cups dry white beans 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cups sun dried tomatoes, halved and seeds removed 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 cup sunflower oil 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tbsp mint 1 bay leaf Directions Add onions, beans and the bay leaf to a large pot with water about 1 inch over the beans. Cook on medium-high heat for about 2 hours or until soft and creamy. Stir occasionally. The beans and onions should be a stew-like consistency. Pre-heat oven to 400F. In a sauté pan, heat oil. Once hot, add garlic, paprika, mint, crushed red pepper and cumin. Sauté for one or two minutes, then add mixture to beans. Add sun-dried tomatoes to beans. In a clay pot, bake the bean mixture in the oven at 400F for 30 minutes or until thick. Let beans cool and serve with pita bread, or sourdough. Link to video (if you understand some macedonian it may be of help)
Ajvar
Ajvar is made of roasted or cooked peppers. Depending on the capsaicin content in bell peppers and the amount of added chili peppers, it can be sweet (traditional), piquant (the most common), or very hot (ljutenica). Ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish. There are few variations of ajvar. If it contains tomato, then it is called pindjur or if it contains eggplant is called malidzano. The name ajvar comes from the Turkish word havyar, which means "salted roe, caviar" shares an etymology with "caviar". Ajvar is produced in various countries, including Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia. Serbia's reported annual production is 640 tons. Ajvar is one of the so-called zimnica (winter foods), which include pickled chili peppers, pickled tomatoes, and anything else that can be preserved in a jar just before winter. Ingredients 2 large eggplants about 3 pounds 6 large red bell peppers Salt and black pepper 1 garlic clove finely chopped Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley Select all ingredients Directions Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place washed eggplants and peppers on a baking sheet with a lip to catch any juices, and roast until their skins blister and turn black, about 30 minutes. Place roasted vegetables in a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let them steam for 10 minutes. Peel off and discard blackened skins, stems and seeds. In a large bowl, mash or chop vegetables, depending on how smooth or chunky you like your ajvar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add garlic and lemon juice, and drizzle in oil, stirring constantly. Transfer to a glass dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley for garnish, if desired. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Link to video
Turli tava
Turli tava (vegetable and meat stew) has its name origin in Turkish words turli (türlü in modern Turkish) meaning "mixed" and tava, a pottery dish. It is a common main course dish for Macedonia and the rest of the southern Balkans. Turli tava is made out of potatoes, rice, okra, eggplant, carrots, peppers, pork, beef or lamb. All these ingredients are mixed and baked in an oven in a traditional pottery dish (tava). Ingredients 1 pound of mixed meat – pork and beef – cut in chunks for stew Sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1 medium onion peeled and roughly chopped 3 cloves of garlic minced 2 medium potatoes peeled and roughly chopped 2 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped 1 medium eggplant stem removed and roughly chopped 2 red or green bell peppers stems and seeds removed, roughly chopped 1 large tomato roughly chopped 1 1/2 cups of okra tops and tails cut off, blanched in salted water for 1 minute, rinsed and drained (if unavailable replace with green beans) 1 tablespoon paprika salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup water Parsley roughly chopped to garnish Instructions Season beef and pork with salt and pepper and set inside the clay dish. Mix in the vegetables. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Add in the olive oil and water; mix well. Put it in the oven and cook it uncovered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with parsley. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes then serve it warm with crusty bread. Link to video
Pastrmajlija
Pastrmalija is a Macedonian bread pie made from dough and meat. Pastrmalija is usually oval-shaped with sliced meat cubes on top of it. It's name derives from the word pastrma, meaning salted and dried meat of sheep or lamb. In its honor, the city of Štip organizes an annual festival called "Pastrmajlijada". You will need: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon instant yeast 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 teaspoon olive oil 4 tablespoons All-Vegetable Shortening, divided 1 cup center-cut pork chops, cut in cubes 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper salt and black pepper to taste 1 whole egg Directions: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast, and stir well to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water; mix until all of the flour is absorbed. You may need a little bit more or less liquid to moisten the entire mixture. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, shaping the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven at 425. Take the dough and knead it again, briefly, on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into an oval shape, about 1/4 inch thick, spread 2 tablespoons of all-vegetable shortening all over the dough, and then place it on a baking sheet. pizza dough Get the pork and cut it into cubes. Season the pork with cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to taste. Press the meat into the center of the dough, leaving 2-inch border. Put dabs of the rest of the all-vegetable shortening on top of the meat. pastrmajlija Fold border, with the fold touching, but not covering the meat. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until meat is done. In the meantime, break the egg into a small bowl and whisk it. Continue to whisk the egg until it is smooth and no strings cling to the fork. Take out the pizza and brush the tops of the crust with the egg. Pour the rest of the egg on top of the meat, evenly across. Put the pizza back into the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the egg is cooked. Let pizza cool on a wire rack. pizza Serve with a shot of Rakija (rah-key-yah), which is Macedonian Moonshine, and hot peppers. Na Zdravje! Link to video
Stuffed peppers
“Polneti Piperki” – or stuffed peppers – are very popular in Macedonia. There are many versions of this recipe, passed down from Baba or from friend to friend.Stuffed peppers is a dish that exists in different names and forms around the world. It consists of hollowed or halved peppers (typically bell peppers), filled with any of a variety of fillings, often including meat, vegetables, cheese, rice, or sauce. They are usually assembled by filling the cavities of the peppers and then cooking. Ingredients FOR THE PEPPERS 8 large red bell pepper 1 large ripe heirloom tomatoes 1 large yellow onion 3 Tbsp olive oil 100 g proscuitto 1 1/2 lb ground turkey 3 cloves garlic 1 cup dry barley 1 tbsp smoked paprika large handful fresh basil to taste salt and pepper 3 medium Potatoes FOR THE PAPRIKA SAUCE 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp flour 2 tsp smoked paprika 2 cups water 1 large ripe heirloom tomatoes to taste salt and pepper Directions Heat a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Add oil then onions and a sprinkling of salt. Saute until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Turn heat up slightly to medium and add the chopped proscuitto. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey (or whichever ground meat you're using) and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously to brown on all sides. Stir in the cooked barley (or rice). Add paprika and mix through; once fragrant (1-2 minutes) add chopped blanched* tomato and stir. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, salt and pepper. *This means that you have boiled the tomato just long enough to remove the skin. Preheat oven to 450 F. Cut off the top of the pepper, close to the stem but leaving the stem in tact. Remove the core and all seeds. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture, gently pushing to the sides so that the filling is evenly distributed; repeat this process until each pepper is full. Return the top to each pepper. Place peppers upright in a large casserole dish. Evenly arrange the potato chunks (if using) around the peppers. FOR THE PAPRIKA SAUCE To make the sauce heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir frequently with a wooden spoon, being careful not to burn the flour (3-5 minutes). Have the hot water and a whisk close by. When the flour starts to smell like it’s cooking add paprika and stir continuously until fragrant (1 minute). Add 1/2 cup of hot water and whisk vigorously; once incorporated, add the next 1/2 cup and continue this process until you have a nice smooth sauce. Add tomato, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Pour the sauce over each pepper, being sure that some of the liquid gets into the filling. Pour remaining liquid in casserole dish to submerge the potatoes. Cover loosely with tin foil. Place in the oven and cook on a high heat for 45 minutes, peaking a couple times to ensure they don't burn (you can turn the casserole dish, as needed, if your oven does not cook evenly). After 20 minutes take out of the oven, turn each capsicum and the potatoes over and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. If you find the capsicums are burning too quickly cover loosely with foil for the final 10-20 minutes. Additionally, if the sauce has dried up add a little more of the liquid (if yo find the capsicums are burning too quickly cover loosely with foil for the final 10-20 minutes. Additionally, if the sauce has dried up add a little more of the liquid. Link to video