Balkarian khichins with potatoes and cheese: recipe with photo

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The recipe for khychins with potatoes and cheese is known to every housewife in Karachay-Cherkessia or Kabardino-Balkaria. This traditional national dish is served only to guests who want to show special respect. Delicious cakes are prepared for dear people, and each housewife has her own secret of cooking this dish. In total, there are at least a hundred recipes.

Today we offer a proven recipe used by experienced Russian and Caucasian housewives. It is simple and understandable, even an inexperienced novice hostess who decides to pamper her household with something new and tasty will cope with the task.

A bit of history

Hychins with potatoes and cheese have long been considered a ritual dish among the Caucasian peoples. Lush stuffed pies were served on hunters' holidays in honor of the god Totur. In addition, these dishes were considered a panacea for many diseases. People believed that hychinscapable of curing epilepsy, nervous disorders, as well as strengthening the strength of warriors and pregnant women. These cakes were even used as a charm for babies.

The round shape of Balkarian khychins with potatoes and cheese represents the sun, which gives satiety and warmth. When a child appeared in the family, they performed a special ritual at the cradle. Khychins were laid out on four sides when the baby fell asleep. A little later, the cakes were eaten. It was understood that this rite would give the baby strength and save him from need in the future.

Initially, several types of flour were present in the recipe for khychins with potatoes and cheese. Ancestors made cakes from wheat, rye, barley and corn flour. Modern housewives most often use wheat. The main ingredients are Adyghe cheese, lots of greens and potatoes. There are no exact proportions. Each hostess chooses the amount and type of ingredients at her discretion.

Varieties

If you look at the photos of khychins with potatoes and cheese, which are prepared in Karachay-Cherkessia, you can see that in appearance they will be slightly different from the Balkar ones. Balkarian khychins are fried exclusively in a dry frying pan, rolled out quite thinly, and when ready they are smeared with butter. Karachai khychins are fried in a large amount of hot oil, and the dough is rolled out in a very thick layer.

Ingredients for dough

What you need to pamper your loved oneskhychinami with potatoes and cheese? According to the recipe, first you need to prepare the right dough. For this you will need:

• 250 ml of kefir (can be replaced with homemade curdled milk);
• one egg;
• one teaspoon each of s alt, soda and sugar;
• 270 g flour;
• tablespoon of vegetable oil (can be replaced with fat sour cream).

Products for stuffing

As we mentioned above, each housewife has her own homemade recipe for Balkar khychins with cheese and potatoes. We offer an "average" set and weight of products, but they can always be replaced at your discretion:

• 320 g young Adyghe cheese;
• a pinch of s alt;
• basil leaves;
• large bunch of parsley or cilantro;
• a little ground pepper;
• 800g potatoes;
• butter for greasing the finished dish.

How to cook khychin with potatoes and cheese

We want to note right away that more than 70% of success depends on the right choice of cheese. In the Caucasus, of course, buying good tasty homemade cheese is not a problem. In Russian cities, finding high-quality Adyghe cheese is a difficult task, but doable. For example, you can visit the market and find a Georgian, Kabardian or Ossetian grandmother who sells khachapuri and sells homemade cheese.

So, you have found all the ingredients for the khychin recipe with potatoes and cheese, so let's start cooking. Cheese can be grated, but true Caucasian housewivesalways use a meat grinder. We clean the potato tubers, wash and set to boil. Once the potatoes are ready, they must be mashed into a puree. In some cases, housewives boil potatoes "in uniform", and then pass the cooled tubers through a meat grinder. You can choose any of the two proposed options.

Mix cheese and potatoes. The ratio should be one to two. But if you like more cheese, then add more. If you'd rather have more of the rich potato flavor in your tortilla, use more of it than the cheese. In the resulting mass, add a little s alt, finely chopped greens and ground black or hot red pepper (to taste).

From the potato-cheese mixture we make balls the size of a tennis ball. Let's put the stuffing aside, let's get on with the dough.

Pour flour, make a small hole and pour s alted warm water into it. Knead the dough, but do not make it too steep and dense. It should be comfortable to knead, elastic. Cover the plate with the dough with a kitchen towel and let it brew. After 20 minutes, you can start cooking.

From the dough we form balls the size of a small tangerine. In some recipes for making khychins with cheese and potatoes, there is such a moment that a piece of dough should be the same size as a ball of filling. In fact, the filling should be several times more. Knead the ball of dough in your hands and place the filling in the center. Gently wrap the edges of the dough around the potato-cheese ball. This is where the elastic dough comes in. We pinch the edges. If there is excess left on top, then cut them off with a knife. Put the resulting large ball on the cutting surface, press down a little with your hand, and then roll it into a thin pancake using a rolling pin. The thinner the pancake is rolled, the tastier the khychin will turn out.

Heat a dry frying pan. It can be your modern non-stick pancake pan, or you can use your grandmother's old cast-iron skillet. As soon as the surface is heated, place the pancake in the center. The fire is medium. Cooking time on each side is one minute. As soon as dark toasted spots begin to appear on the surface of the tortillas, you can turn over. If the hychin starts to swell, just pierce it with a knife.

Remove the cakes from the pan. Lubricate with plenty of butter. Experienced housewives recommend paying special attention to the edges of the cake. So that they do not quickly become dry, lubricate them well with oil. We put each subsequent cake on the previous one, like pancakes. Khychins are served hot with potatoes and cheese. The stack can be cut into two or four pieces.

Other test options

Quite often the dough for Balkarian khychins is not made on kefir, but other products are used. We offer you a short list from which each hostess can choose a convenient option for her:

• mineral water;
• just warm water from a kettle;
• fresh milk;
• sour milk;
• dairyserum;
• water with mayonnaise.

Other toppings

In the homeland of this dish, of course, the most popular option is potatoes, cheese and greens. But if you wish, you can add other ingredients and other spices:

• Hard cheese, young green onions, parsley, cheese.
• Adyghe cheese, three large cloves of garlic, boiled potatoes.
• Boiled lamb, onion, ground black pepper, greens.
• Boiled beef, greens, Adyghe cheese, garlic.
• Homemade cottage cheese, hard cheese, garlic, a large variety of greens.

Secrets and subtleties

Ingredients must be of high quality. It is better if the yogurt for the dough and the cheese for the filling are homemade.

There are many recipes for making khychins with cheese and potatoes, so experiments with proportions are acceptable. But remember that there should always be more filling than dough. The thinner it is rolled out, the tastier the khychins will turn out.

Don't be afraid to experiment with herbs and spices.

Plenty of greenery is welcome.

Be sure to pierce the cake if it is swollen during frying. Of course, the cheese will not "explode" and fly to the ceiling, but the spilled filling will stain the pan.

Balkar cakes are best served hot, when the oil has just begun to melt on the surface. However, even when cold, khychins are simply amazing in taste. They can also be submittedas an accompaniment to a meat dish or hot soup.