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Russian cuisine
Russian cuisine is as diverse as the people living in Russia. It has also incorporated many elements of French cuisine. New dishes and features of cooking were formed during the Soviet era.
If you delve into history, especially into the history of simple peasants, Russian cuisine shows a clear predominance of flour, dairy and savory dishes. Vegetables and meat were salted, canned and preserved in cellars to be used during the cold winter months. Almost all the food is prepared in the oven and hence you will find that most of the dishes in the Russian cuisine are baked, steamed or boiled.
Traditionally, sour cream is used as the main dairy product and added to soups and salads. Cottage cheese is also widely used to make cheesecakes.
As in most other Christian countries, the church had a great influence in the cuisine as the Orthodox Christian Church prescribes abstinence from meat and certain categories of food products during much of the year. This is one of the reasons why Russian cuisine is dominated by the usage of vegetables, mushrooms, grain, berries, herbs and fish.
Vegetables are consumed not only fresh but are also boiled, steamed, baked, pickled, salted, pickled and marinated.
Crops of rye, wheat, barley, and millet provide the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes and cereals. From every grain several varieties of cereals are made – from whole to crushed in different ways.
As with other European cuisines, Russian cuisine has also been infiltrated by few foreign dishes like tea, barbecue, potato dishes etc. Many of the dishes like beef stroganoff, Olivye salad, Vinegret etc were created during the imperial period (1721-1918) by chefs of foreign or Russian origin, As in most countries, a huge variety of dishes from different cultures is cooked and consumed in Russia. One of the oldest Russian dishes – Blini are thin pancakes served in connection with a religious rite or festival. Blini had a somewhat ritual significance for early Slavic peoples in pre-Christian times since they were a symbol of the sun, due to their round form. One of the surviving traditions associated with pancakes -Maslenitsa is carried on to the present day as the last week of dairy and egg products before Lent. For a whole week before Lent, Blini are baked in all Russian homes bake pancakes and consumed with a variety of snacks - caviar, sour cream, fish, meat and mushrooms.
The Russian black bread is also very famous. Though not very popular in other countries, a meal in Russia is not complete without the black bread. Black rye bread appeared in Russia in the IX century and immediately became the favorite dish. It is consumed by the rich as well as by the poor. White bread was introduced much later and was widely available only in the beginning of the XX century.
The Soviet era has simplified the Russian cuisine to the extent that many of the ingredients used in Russian cuisine has become scarce and was categorized as ‘deficit’. On the other hand, it has also enriched the Russian cuisine by integrating with traditions of people of other states in the former USSR. The Ukrainian Borscht, Sioberian Pelmeni, Kazakh Many, Uzbek Plov, Caucasian shashlik etc find place on the Russian menu and has made Russian cuisine one of the most diverse in the world. The main advantage of the modern Russian cuisine lies in its diversity and willingness to borrow from a variety of culinary traditions.
Recipes of few Russian dishes:
Russian Pancakes
Ingredients:
• Milk - 500 ml
• Eggs - 3 nos,
• Flour - 280 gm
• Sugar - 1-2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 tablespoon
• Vegetable Oil - 3 tablespoons
• Butter for greasing finished pancakes
Method of Preparation
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt. Sift the flour into the bowl, and stir in along with the milk. Mix until smooth and well blended. The batter should be thin. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the pan or spray with cooking spray. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter, or as much as desired, into the pan. Tilt the pan to spread the batter out evenly. When the edges are crisp looking and the center appears dry, slide a spatula carefully under the blin. Flip, and cook for about 1 minute on the other side, or until lightly browned. Remove blini to a plate. Put a little butter on top, and continue to stack the blini on top of each other. To serve, spread with desired filling, then fold in half, and in half again to form a triangle
Borshcht Moskovsky
Ingredients:
• Ham bone 100 gm
• Beef 160 gm
• Ham and Sausages 80 gm each
• Beetroot and Cabbage 320 gm each
• Carrots 80 gm
• Parsley root 20 gm,
• Onions 50 gm,
• Tomato Paste 60gm
• Butter 40 gm
• Water 800 gm
• Sugar 20 gm
• Vinegar 30 gm
• Salt, Black Pepper and Bay Leaf to taste
• Parsley or Dill
• Sour Cream
Method of Preparation
Boil water with the beef and ham bones to make the broth and strain. Cut the vegetables into thin long sticks. Fry onions and roots in oil, sugar and vinegar. Add fresh cabbage, beet roots and browned onions to the strained broth and continue to cook. Season with salt, vinegar and spices. Garnish with chopped herbs and serve with sliced pieces of boiled ham and sausage. Add sour cream on top.
Pozharsky Cutlets
Ingredients:
• Chicken 1 kg,
• White Bread crust removed 100 gm,
• Milk or Cream 100 gm
• Bread Crumbs 60 gm
• Butter 200gm
• Salt to taste
Method of Preparation
Mince chicken and mix with white bread soaked in milk or cream. Add butter and beat along with the salt and pepper, until the mixture is smooth. Roll the resulting mix into small patties and Roll them in the bread crumbs coating them completely. take the 10 tablespoons of butter and fry in skillet over a low heat. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 3 minutes so the whey will settle out. Spoon off the clear butter, dump the whey, and return 6 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Place over a medium-high heat and when hot fry the patties for approx. 5-6 minutes per side or until done to suit your taste.
Potato and eggs po-Derevensky
Ingredients:
• 700 gm potatoes,
• Eggs 4 nos
• Milk 200 gm
• Butter 25 gm
• Salt to taste
• Parsley and/or dill.
Method of Preparation
Wash and the peeled potatoes and cut into thin slices. Mix eggs with milk and salt. Place the cooked eggs into a pan greased with butter and pour the mixture of eggs and milk. Bake in oven till cooked. Garnish with herbs and serve.