Chaman- a herbaceous plant, a representative of the legume family. This herb is also known under the names of shambhala, fenugurek, fenugreek. Scientists call India, Pakistan the birthplace of the plant. The word "chaman" is also used to denote a spice with a tart taste and a specific smell.
Chaman is an essential ingredient for making basturma.
The plant was well known to the ancient Egyptians. Scientists have found references to the fact that it was used in mummification. In Europe, it was known primarily as a medicinal plant.
Chaman is also called a mixture of spices that are used to prepare basturma and other dishes. The spice got its name from the name of the main ingredient, because chaman in Armenian means “blue fenugreek”.
How to cook chaman for basturma? To prepare this seasoning, add 900 g of ground chaman to warm boiled water and mix. Next, the mixture is left to cool and 900 g are added. ground pepper(1:1 chili and paprika), 450 g crushed garlic, 2 tsp each. ground black pepper, allspice, as well as cumin. The mixture is thoroughly stirred to the consistency of a paste.
What can replace chaman? If you do not have the most important ingredient, the housewives claim that it can be replaced with suneli hop seasoning, which is sold in any supermarket.
cultivation
Growing a chaman is not that difficult. It belongs to precocious, drought-resistant and cold-resistant plants. The grass grows well on fertile soils, does not tolerate very acidic soils. In order to increase the productivity of the chaman, it is enough to add a little lime to the soil. The plant should be grown in places hidden from the wind, well refreshed by the sun. It propagates with the help of seeds, which are sown in spring directly into the ground. They germinate at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, for optimal growth, the temperature should be 20-25 degrees above zero.
After the first shoots have risen, it is necessary to deal with their thinning. Chaman blooms in June, but its fruits ripen in early autumn. The plant needs watering, especially until it sets fruit, then watering can be stopped. A very important place in the cultivation of chaman is the protection of the plant from weeds. When weeds appear, they must be removed, as they will impair the growth and development of the chaman.
Beneficial features
Useful properties of chaman have long been known folk medicine. The strong smell of the herb is due to the presence of coumarin. Plant seeds are rich in protein (up to 30%), as well as fatty oil (up to 6%), mucus, vitamin PP, essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins.
In Indian medicine, chaman is known as a lactation enhancer. In addition, the plant stimulates the digestive system, and also helps the heart. In diabetes, it is taken in order to control blood sugar levels. It is used externally for wounds. Widely used in cosmetology for skin and hair care.
Application in cooking
In cooking, chaman has found application as a seasoning that gives dishes a special aroma and taste. As a spice, both seeds and greens of this plant are used.
Chaman is included in such well-known seasonings as curry, various Indian massals, suneli hops.
Chaman is especially popular in the countries of the East, as well as in India, where it is called Shambhala. Ground chaman resembles coarse flour, with the difference that it is slightly beige in color.
Chaman is considered a classic spice for flavoring. different varieties cheese, such as green cheese. AT Indian cuisine use mature seeds of the plant. In America, it is used to flavor rum. The roasted seeds are used to make a coffee substitute. The aroma of these seeds is sweetish, to many it resembles the smell of burnt sugar. When added to food, chaman adds a nutty flavor and flavor to dishes, so it can easily replace hazelnuts in some recipes. Seeds are recommended to be added in small quantities so as not to spoil the taste of the whole dish.
by the most famous dish with the use of chaman is basturma. It is dried meat, beef with spices. This dish is very popular in Armenia, Egypt. beef tenderloin according to an ancient recipe, cut into 2 pieces, washed. sea salt mixed with sugar and in this mixture roll the meat on all sides. The meat is left to rest for 5-7 hours. A plate of meat is placed in the refrigerator overnight, and then left for 12 hours. Then the meat should be washed from salt and allowed to dry. When the beef dries, it is covered with a cloth and put under pressure to remove moisture from the tenderloin: this way it will become more elastic. Next, prepare the chaman seasoning and coat the tenderloin on all sides with the resulting mass. After 2-3 hours, the sidebar is smeared again with a sauce prepared on the basis of chaman. After that, the meat is left to hang in the open air for 2 weeks.
Serve ready-made basturma, cutting the meat into thin slices. The serving is usually accompanied by cilantro and/or basil greens.
Chaman is considered a very famous seasoning, which is used alone or mixed with other spices and spices.
It is indispensable in the oriental culinary tradition, where chaman ("blue fenugreek") is used quite often, especially in the preparation of what we have already described above. traditional dish from jerky- basturms.
Chaman not only favorably emphasizes the taste of the dish, but also has many useful properties.
Using this seasoning will help make the dish tasty and healthy.
The variety of aromas and tastes can turn the head of a novice cook. And how much interesting names spices used in modern recipes! Therefore, it is very important to understand the principle of working with aromatic additives and to study the properties of various spices. We invite you to get to know seasoning "chaman", which is in demand in the preparation of dishes of Eastern cuisine.
On the site site you can find out where can I buy your favorite spices at an affordable price price and understand the intricacies of reproducing amazing recipes.
Spice chaman: what is it?
Spices is an essential addition to any culinary masterpiece, because they are able to give the dish a rich taste and unique aroma. Chaman is grass the legume family, which is known to many as fenugreek, shamballa or helba.
What same such a spice chaman? The plant is used in this form:
- Seeds are only mature beans. Light roasting is preliminarily carried out, it is important not to overexpose the seeds on fire, as they will start to taste very bitter. With the right heat treatment give the dish a rich nutty taste and tart aroma.
- The stems and leaves of the plant are harvested during flowering. They are dried thoroughly in a well-ventilated area, and then ground to a state of flour. They are used as a spice because they have a unique flavor.
Applies plant in various dishes:
- Soups, salads and the second are excellent.
- They bake bread with fenugreek and make unique confectionery products.
- Used in the alcohol industry.
- Creations of amazing tea, coffee and various drinks.
- In the production of green cheese.
- In vegetarianism, fenugreek is considered a valuable source of protein.
- Preparation of marinades and preserves.
On our website you can find a photo and feedback on the use of fenugreek.
Composition of spice chaman
Thanks to its unique composition, seasoning It is not for nothing that it is also called Shambhala. Fenugreek can be attributed to a plant miracle, because it contains:
- Potassium.
- Calcium.
- Arsenic.
- Magnesium.
- Phosphorus.
- B group vitamins.
- nicotinic acid.
- Ascorbic acid.
- Iron.
- Squirrels.
- Essential oils.
Thanks to the unique components, the plant is capable of:
- Increase appetite and stimulate the digestive tract.
- Reduce blood pressure.
- Improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Normalize metabolic processes in the body, therefore it is used in the treatment of diabetes.
- Soften cough.
- Increase the body's defenses.
- Relieve allergic reactions.
- Reduce toothache.
- Remove decay products from the body.
- Eliminate skin diseases.
How to cook Armenian chaman?
Based on seasoning cook inimitable in taste Armenian chaman:
- Boil water and let it cool down to 30°C.
- Enter 900 grams of fenugreek. Mix thoroughly and leave to cool completely.
- Add 450 grams of chili pepper and the same amount of paprika to the resulting mass.
- Enter 450 grams of garlic, passed through the press.
- The next step is to add 2 teaspoons of cumin, black and allspice.
- The ingredients are mixed until a homogeneous, pasty consistency is obtained.
Seasoning is ready!
Chaman in Armenian barbecue
To prepare the right Armenian barbecue it is impossible to do without fenugreek. All you need is 1 teaspoon of marinade seasoning for the flavor of the meat to make you forget everything in the world!
How to replace chaman?
Many chefs wonder if what to replace spice if it's over? None of the spices is able to fully reproduce the unique properties of chaman. As a last resort, you can try replacing Shambhala with blue fenugreek (ucho-tsuneli) or add ground hazelnuts to the dish to add a nutty flavor.
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, but if this container is not available, use enameled.
We place the chopped pieces in a glass container, take onion rings in the 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 we cut the greens (parsley, green onions) and add them to the meat, before rubbing them in our 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.
