Bulgarian Easter Bread (Kozunak-Paskalya Coregi)

Kozunak is the traditional bread made for Easter in Bulgaria. Usually two loaves are made, one is left at the Church for the priest and the other is eaten by the family after the Easter service. This bread is lightly sweet that can be served for breakfast or as snack.

4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups lukewarm milk
2 cups sugar
2 lemon’s zest
25-30 gr fresh active yeast/7 gr instant yeast
2 tsp salt
12-13 cups flour

For garnish:
1 egg yolk, beaten
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup cracked hazelnut/almond (optional)

Start making Kozunak dough the night before you bake it. Then, set aside for a rest for all night long. The next day knead it occasionally for 1-2 times and bake in the afternoon.
Start making the dough in the evening:
First dissolve yeast in the lukewarm milk. Place all the main ingredients but flour in a large bowl and stir in dissolved yeast. Start adding flour slowly and knead. Form elastic and non-sticking dough and knead for about 10 minutes (see the picture). Then cover it with a plastic wrap or a towel and leave aside for the night. The next morning you’ll see that the dough will be about 3 times larger (see the picture). Punch it and knead for 2-3 minutes and cover again. Leave for about 4-5 hours. After that, knead again, cover and leave for more 4-5 hours. Once the dough rises again, it is ready to shape.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. And again divide all the pieces into 3 equal parts. With your hands give a 12 inch long stick shape to every piece. Then, place 3 sticks side by side on the counter and make braid shape. Make sure to braid a little loose and stick the ends gently (see the picture). Braid the remaining dough and obtain 3 Kozunak breads. Place them over an oven tray with baking paper. You can fit 3 of them in a rectangular oven tray. Cover them and leave aside for ½ -1 hour.
Brush the surface with egg yolk and sprinkle some sugar on tops. Also, sprinkle some hazelnut/almonds if desired.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and bake them till they turn golden brown (for about 40-50 minutes).
Cover them with a towel after taking out of the oven, to keep them soft.
ENJOY
P.S: This recipe makes 3 Kozunak-Bulgarian Easter Bread, you can decrease or increase the ingredients as you like.

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Kozunak-Paskalya Coregi, Bulgaristan ve daha bir cok Avrupa ulkesinde Paskalya icin yapilan geleneksel bir cesit ekmektir. Genelde iki tane yapilir; biri kilisedeki rahibe birakilir, digeri de Paskalya gunu butun aile bir araya gelince yenilir. Hafif tatlimsi bir tadi olan Kozunak kahvalti ya da ara ogunlerde servis etmek icin cok guzel bir lezzettir.

4 yumurta
1 su bardagi sivi yag
2 su bardagi ilik sut
2 su bardagi seker
2 tane limon kabugu, rendelenmis
1 tane yas maya (25-30 gr)/7 gr instant toz maya
4 cay kasigi tuz
12-13 su bardagi un

Uzeri icin:
1 yumurta sarisi, cirpilmis
½ cay bardagi toz seker
½ cay bardagi ufalanmis findik/badem (istege bagli)

Kozunak-Paskalya Coregi hamurunun ozelligi bir gece onceden yapilip bekletilmesidir. Bir gece bekletilir, ertesi gun belirli araliklarla bir iki defa yogurulur ve aksama pisirilir.
Aksamdan isleme baslanir:
Once mayayi ilik sut icinde eritin ve genis bir kaba un haric diger malzemeleri alin. Eriyen mayayi ilave edin ve yavas yavas unu ilave ederek yaklasik 10 dakika kadar yogurun. Elastik ve ele yapismayan bir hamur elde edin (resime bakiniz). Sonra uzerini bir havlu ile ya da strec film ile sararak ortun. Bir gece boyunca kabarmasi ve dinlenmesi icin bekleyin.
Ertesi sabah hamurun bayag kabardigini goreceksiniz (resime bakiniz). Hamuru tekrar toparlayip biraz yogurun ve uzerini orterek tekrar dinlenmeye birakin. Aradan 4-5 saat gectikten sonra hamuru tekrar yogurun ve uzerini ortup kabarmaya birakin. Aradan yine 4-5 saat gectikten ve hamur kabardiktan sonra hamur sekil vermeye hazirdir.
Hamuru 3 esit parcaya ayirin ve her dort parcayi da 3’er esit parcaya ayirin. Bu 3 parcanin her birini elinizle uzatarak yaklasik 30 cm uzunlugunda hamurlar elde edin. Bu 3 uzun hamuru elinizle orgu seklide siki olmadan serbest bir sekilde orun ve uc kisimlarini hafice bastirarak yapistirin (resime bakiniz). Her 4 parcayi bu sekilde 3 e bolun ve orgu seklinde elinizle orun. Yagli kagit koydugunuz firin tepsisine dizin. Firin tepsisinin enine 3 tane paskalya coreginin yanyana yerlestirin. Uzerini ortun ve yaklasik ½-1 saat boyunca dinlendirin.
Uzerine yumurta sarisi surun ve seker serpin. Isterseniz findik ya da badem parcaciklari da serpebilirsiniz. Onceden isitilmis 180 C (350 F) firinda uzerleri kizarana dek pisirin (yaklasik 40-50 dakika).
Firindan cikarinca uzerini havlu ile orterseniz, yumusacik olacaklardir.
AFIYET OLSUN
NOT: Bu tariften toplam 3 tane Kozunak-Paskalya Coregi cikiyor. Isterseniz tarifteki malzemeleri azaltip cogaltabilirsiniz.

Ana Sayfaya Don

Roasted Eggplant with Yogurt (Yogurtlu Kozlenmis Patlican)

1 lb eggplant
1-1½ cup yogurt
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 gloves of garlic, mashed/grated
½ tsp salt to taste

Pick some parts of eggplants with a knife and roast them over a grill or in the oven till they get soft. Then, remove the skins and cut them into small pieces.
Place olive oil and roasted eggplants in a pan. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally, over medium heat. Then, stir in salt and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and turn the heat off. Let it cool.
Add the yogurt and mix them all. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with parsley, black olives or tomatoes.
ENJOY

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TURKCE
½ kg patlican
1-1½ su bardagi yogurt
2-3 yemek kasigi zeytinyagi
2-3 dis sarimsak, dovulmus/rendelenmis
1 cay kasigi tuz

Patlicanlarin bazi yerlerini bicak ile delin. Izgarada ya da firinda yumusayip, kabuklari ayrilmaya baslayana dek kozleyin. Sonra kabuklarini soyun ve kucuk kucuk dograyin.
Tavaya zeytinyagini ve kozlenmis patlicanlari alin. Orta ateste 4-5 dakika kadar cevirin. Sarimsak ve tuzu ilave edin. Bir kac dakika daha cevirdikten sonra atesten alin ve sogumaya birakin.
Soguduktan sonra yogurdu ilave edin ve hepsini guzelce karistirin.
Servis tabagina alin ve uzerini maydanoz, domates ya da siyah zeytin ile susleyin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

Zucchini with Bechamel Sauce (Besamel Soslu Kabak)

3-4 zucchinis, washed
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
5 button or portabello mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 cup+3 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt to taste
½ cup mozzarella, cheddar, shredded

Bechamel Sauce:
2 cups milk

2 tbsp flour

5-6 tbsp butter/margarine

1-2 eggs, beaten

½ tsp salt to taste

A pinch of black pepper (optional)

Cut zucchinis in two lengthwise and then cut them in ½ inch thick pieces. Sizzle 1 cup oil in a frying pan and fry both sides of zucchinis. Take the fried zucchinis over a large Pyrex dish and sprinkle some salt.
Take chicken breasts into a pot and add 3 tbsp of oil. Cook them over medium heat till they absorb their own juice. Then stir in onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic in and cook for 1-2 minutes. If using mushrooms, stir in them and cook all of them for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. After that, turn the heat off and transfer this mixture over the fried zucchinis evenly (see the picture).
Finally, prepare the bechamel sauce (click for the directions to make the bechamel sauce).
Pour the bechamel sauce all over and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella/cheddar. Bake at 400 F (200 C) oven till the surface turns light brown (for about 30-40 minutes).
ENJOY

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TURKCE
3-4 sakiz kabagi, yikanmis
2 tavuk gogsu, kusbasi dogranmis
2 orta boy sogan, dogranmis
2-3 dis sarimsak, ince dogranmis
5 tane kultur/Portobello mantari, dilimlenmis (istege bagli)
1 su bardagi+3 yemek kasigi sivi yag
1 tatli kasigi tuz
½ su bardagi kasar peyniri, rendelenmis

Besamel Sos:
2 su bardagi sut

2 yemek kasigi un

5-6 yemek kasigi tereyag/margarin

1-2 yumurta, cirpilmis

1 cay kasigi tuz

Bir tutam karabiber (istege bagli)

Once kabaklari uzunlamasina ikiye bolun ve bir parmak kalinliginda dograyin. Bir su bardagi sivi yagda her iki taraflarini da kizartin. Kizarttiginiz kabaklari genis bir borcam tepsinin dibine yayin ve uzerine tuz serpin.
Bir tencereye dogranmis tavuk gogsunu ve 3 yemek kasigi sivi yagi alin. Orta ateste tavuklar suyunu cekene dek kavurun. Sonra, soganlari ilave edin. Yaklasik 3 dakika kadar kavurun ve sarimsaklari ilave edin. Eger mantarli yapiyorsaniz dilimlenmis mantarlari ve 1 tatli kasigi tuz ilave edin.Yaklasik 3-4 dakika hafif ateste hepsini kavurun. Atesten alin ve karisimi kabaklarin uzerine esit olarak dagitin (resime bakiniz).
Son asama olarak besamel sosu hazirlayin (besamel sosun yapilisi icin bakiniz).
Hazirladiginiz besamel sosu en uste esit olarak yayin. Uzerine rendelenmis kasarlari serpin. 200 C (400 F) firinda uzeri kizarana dek yaklasik 30-40 dakika pisirin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

Semolina Sponge Cake (Revani)

3-4 eggs
1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup semolina
½ cup melted margarine/butter
1 tsp/1 package baking powder
1 tsp/1 package vanilla

For the syrup:
2-2 ½ cups sugar
3 cups water
1 tsp lemon juice

coconut flakes for garnish

Place water and sugar into a pot to prepare the syrup. Bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 2-3 minutes and stir in lemon juice. Turn the heat off and let it cool. You will pour the cool syrup over the cooked hot revani cake.
In a bowl, mix eggs and sugar with a mixer till it becomes foamy (3-4 minutes). Then, add margarine/butter and semolina in. Stir continuously while adding flour, baking powder and vanilla.
Grease a 9x13 inch or 12 inch diameter Pyrex dish and pour the cake mixture inside. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and bake till the surface turns light golden brown (for about 35-45 minutes).
Once the cake is ready take it out of the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup all over evenly. Use a spoon or laddle to pour the syrup evenly.

Cut the cake into square pieces and garnish with coconut flakes.
ENJOY

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TURKCE
3-4 yumurta
1 ½ su bardagi un
1 su bardagi seker
1 su bardagi irmik
½ su bardagi erimis margarin/tereyag
1 tatli kasigi/1 paket kabartma tozu
1 tatli kasigi/1 paket vanilya

Surup icin:
2-2 ½ su bardagi seker
3 su bardagi su
1 tatli kasigi limon suyu

suslemek icin hindistan cevizi

Ilk once bir tencereye surubu icin gerekli olan su ve sekeri koyun. Kaynayip sekeri eriyene dek karistirin. Bir tasim kaynattiktan sonra limon suyunu ilave edin ve altini kapatin. Surubu sogumaya birakin. Pisen sicak revani kekinin uzerine soguk surubu dokeceksiniz.
Derin bir kapta yumurta ve sekeri mikser ile kopurene dek cirpin (yaklasik 3-4 dakika). Daha sonra margarin/tereyag ve irmigi ilave edin. Karistirmaya devam ederek yavas yavas un, kabartma tozu ve vanilyayi ilave edin.
Yagladiginiz 30 cm capindaki yuvarlak ya da yaklasik 23x33 cm boyutlarindaki dikdortgen tepsiye revani karisimini dokun. Onceden isitmis oldugunuz 180 C (350 F) firinda uzeri kizarana dek 35-45 dakika kadar pisirin.
Firindan cikardiginiz revani uzerine hemen sogumus olan surubu dokun. Surubun esit dagilmasi icin, dokerken kasik ya da kepce kullanabilirsiniz.

Revaniyi kare dilimler halinde kesin ve uzerine hindistan cevizi koyarak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

European Style Couscous (Avrupa Usulu Kuskus)

1 lb couscous
1 tbsp salt to taste
3 tbsp butter
½ tsp paprika
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook couscous according to the directions on the package. Preferably add 1-2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp salt to the boiling water. Then, cook for about 10-13 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small pan and once it sizzles stir in paprika and turn the heat off. Transfer couscous into serving plates and pour the butter mixture over. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve warm.
ENJOY

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TURKCE
½ kg kuskus
1 yemek kasigi tuz
3 yemek kasigi tereyag
1 cay kasigi kirmizi toz biber
1 su bardagi ufalanmis beyaz peynir

Kuskusu paketin uzerindeki pisirme onerisine gore pisirin. Tercihen 1-2 yemek kasigi sivi yag ve 1 yemek kasigi tuz ile 10-13 dakika pisirin. Suyunu suzun ve bir kenara alin.
Bu sirada kucuk bir tavada tereyagini eritip kizdirin ve icine kirmizi biberi ilave edin. Karistirin ve ocaktan alin. Kuskusu servis tabaklarina alin ve uzerine tereyagli sosu dokun. Ustune peynir serpin ve sicak servis yapin.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana Sayfaya Don

Turkish Meatballs (Kofte)

2 lb ground beef/ beef and lamb mix
1 big onion, grated
1 egg
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

1 tsp summer savory
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl using your hands. Then knead it like dough to bring all the ingredients together. Grab egg size pieces and round them in your hands like a hamburger or make finger shape meatballs as seen in the picture.
Grill or fry them in a pan with some canola oil till both sides turn golden brown.
Serve Turkish Meatballs with fried potatoes, shepherd salad or kidney bean salad.
This recipe makes about 20 meatballs.
ENJOY

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TURKCE
1 kg kiyma (dana ve koyun karisik olabilir)
1 buyuk sogan, rendelenmis
1 yumurta
½ su bardagi ufalanmis bayat ekmek ici
1/3 su bardagi taze maydanoz, ince kiyilmis (istege bagli)

1 tatli kasigi sater
1 cay kasigi kimyon
1 cay kasigi karabiber
1 yemek kasigi tuz

Butun malzemeleri buyuk bir tepsi ya da kasede elinizle karistirin. Malzemelerin butunlesmesi icin hamur yogurur gibi karisimi bir sure yogurun. Sonra yumurta buyuklugunde parcalar alin ve elinizle yuvarlak kofte ya da uzun parmak kofte seklini verin.
Kofteleri izgarada ya da tavada bir miktar sivi yag (tercihen kanola) ile her iki tarafi kizarana dek pisirin.
Kofteyi yaninda kizarmis patates, coban salatasi ya da piyaz ile servis yapabilirsiniz.
Bu tariften yaklasik 20 tane kofte cikar.
AFIYET OLSUN

Ana sayfaya Don