Carp pan
The specialty carp pan is characteristical for Dojran region is one of the offered rich recipes and part of the heritage and tradition of this region.
Needed ingredients: 1 of 2 kg carp., 2 kg. onions, 3-4 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon red pepper, oil; parsley, salt, black pepper.
Preparation method:
Carp is cleaned, washed and cut into slices or truffles, speaking in Dojran dialect and then is salted. Onions are cleaned, minced and fried in a pan with oil until it get pink color. Tomatoes are cut into small pieces and fried with the onions for 5 to 10 minutes. Salt, black pepper and chopped parsley are added. Fried ingredients are put in casserole no. 36 and pieces of carp are lined up over it, then with a strainer are sanded with flour, then with paprika and at the end each piece of fish is sprinkled with a little oil. In the casserole a little boiling water is added, as it is needed for onions to sprinkle, then the pan is poured to bake at 250 degrees about 1 hour or until pieces of fish finely get red color.
Fish on cane, roasted on grill
Fish on cane from Dojran, roasted on grill, cooked on a way like this, it is a specialty that has been served in Dojran with reeds as part enriched with lemon slices.
Needed ingredients: 2 kg. red fin fish or kostrezh, 1.5 kg. onions, 1 bunch parsley, 150 gr. salt-fish for salting, 800 ml. oil, 1 tablespoon salt - the mixture, 1 tablespoon dried vegetables (Vegeta), 10 gr. black pepper.
Preparation method:
The fish is cleaned, salted and left aside. Onion is finely diced and fried in a pan of heated oil. When the onion get pink color, finely-cut parsley should be added, stir and add salt, black pepper and Vegeta. Fish are filled with this mixture and coated with oil. Reed that is used for baking the fish should be wet in water and drained. The prepared cane sticks from one side of the fish and placed it by the grill to bake for half an hour. Once is cooked on one side, the fish is coated with oil and the other side, stick with the cane and putted to bake.
Imam bayildi
This specialty can be found even like al hamam / amman balaji under Turkish origin and name. It is thought that the name is gained after the Muslim cleric, who has loved this dish and one day he has eaten too much that he has bursyed from eating.
Needed ingredients: 5-6 eggplants, 2kg. tomatoes, 2 peppers, 1 clove of garlic, parsley, edible oil, salt, red pepper, black pepper.
Preparation method:
Eggplants are washed and cleaned, they are cut lengthwise without opening them completely. Parsley is minced and garlic is cut into thin layers and they are mixed with salt and pepper. Tomatoes are peeled and cut into pieces. Peppers are cut into circles and are fried in oil and sliced tomatoes are added and they are fried until they are boiled. Salt, black pepper, red pepper are added and everything is stirred. Eggplants are washed and fried in oil, covered. Once they are fried from all sides, eggplants are removed, might be peeled and placed in a deep pan, turned with their cut up. Ordered eggplants are filled with garlic and parsley. Tomatoes are sprinkled from above. Pan with tomatoes should be covered with tomato sauce. It is baked about 1 hour at a temperature of 200 degrees.
Kebabs
Today, many people can’t imagine a picnic without outdoor barbecue and kebabs. Prepared by the housewives and baked by the hosts, they are favourite among children and adults. Kebabs are served with salad and took the young onions.
Needed ingredients: 600 gr. minced meat, 4 eggs, - 3 heads onions, 1 onion, 50 g. flour, 50 ml. oil.
Preparation method:
Add salt to the minced meat and let it stay overnight in refrigerator. The next day the meat should be minced again and add grated onion, mashed garlic, flour, oil, eggs, black pepper and oregano. Stir the mixture nicely, make forms of kebabs and left to stay 4, 5 hours. Roast the kebaps on the grill. To complete the table, kebaps can be served with fried potatoes and of course the inevitable grilled bread, young onions and cabbage salad.
Moussaka
Musaka is food which is prepared from minced meat, usually pork and minced beef and potatoes. In the Macedonian cuisine this dish today can be found cooked in different ways and with different ingredients, but we give the traditional way in which our grandmothers have prepared the moussaka.
Needed ingredients: 1 kg. potatoes, ½ kg. minced meat, 1 head onion, 3 eggs, 300 ml. milk, oil, oregano, salt, black pepper.
Preparation method:
The potatoes are peeled and cut into circles with a thickness of about half an inch. Onion is finely diced and it is fried in a pan with oil. Over the fried onion are added minced meat, salt, black pepper and a little oregano, and it stirred and fried. In oiled, medium size tin, are being arranged one row potatoes, one row minced meat. Minced meat is covered with another row of potatoes and poured with mixed and salted eggs with milk. Moussaka is baked in preheated oven at 200 degrees for 40 minutes.
Potato stew (Janija)
Potato stew or Janija is a traditional meal offered in the churches during the fasting holidays. Except for these holidays, when the Janija is always made with beef, this dish is often prepared as a casual meal with pork.
Needed ingredients: ½ kg. beef / pork meat, 1 l. water, 1 tomato, 1 pepper, 2 carrots, 3 onion bulb, 5 potatoes, 1 spoon of flour, salt, red pepper - paprika; oil.
Preparation method:
The onion is finely diced and fried in a pan with oil, along with the sliced small pieces of carrots, tomatoes and peppers. The meat is finely chopped into small pieces and added to the pan with the fried vegetables. Once the meat is fried, add the salt and the paprika, stir it nicely and all put all the ingredients of the pot in a pot with 1 liter of boiling water. While the ingredients are left to boil on a moderate fire, peel and chop the potatoes into small pieces. Once the meat is cooked, add the potatoes. In a separate pan, mix flour and oil to create the pan sauce for the stew. Add the sauce in the pot and boil it for additional ten minutes.
Roast lamb
Roast lamb is a specialty that is prepared in restaurants in Southeastern Macedonia. Lamb should be 45 days old and should have 10-11 kg weight.
Needed ingredients: lamb of 10 kg. 500-600 ml. cooking oil, salt, dried vegetables.
Preparation method:
From lamb are taken thigh, shoulder and neck and they are marinated in oil and dried vegetables. Before is baked, meat is salted on both sides and placed in a pan in which water is added. Two-thirds of the sheet metal to be cast with water. Lamb is bake in preheated oven at 250 -300 degrees, 4 hours. The first thirty minutes is baked uncovered, and once it has got a golden color it is covered with aluminum foil and it is to be continued to bake another 2.5 hours. After that the meat is turned to be roasted and to gain golden color on the other side.
Sheep specialty
This Gevgelija specialty is prepared for Easter holidays and St. George, where lamb is part of the festive table for many families.
Needed ingredients: 1 kg. mutton, 120 gr. fat, 300 gr. tomatoes, 1 head of onion, 1 bunch of parsley, 3 eggplants, 3 cloves of garlic, 100 gr. flour, 10 olives, salt, black pepper.
Preparation method:
The meat is washed with water, dried with kitchen paper and cut into 4 pieces. Each piece is messed in flour and put to fry in hot fat. When frying the meat, water is added 5-6 times until it's over. Onion is cut and fried in a pan with a little fat. Eggplant is added, peeled and sliced in tiny cubes before. After a little frying peeled and finely sliced tomatoes are added. It is fried for a little and cuted garlic and parsley are added, salt is added and pepper is poured. The seeds are removed from the olives and they are cut into 4 pieces. Meat is poured with sauce from vegetables and olives are lined up on the top. It is placed on moderate fire to boil for another 10 minutes, after which it can be served.
Rice with chicken
Rise with chicken is old traditional recipe that is prepared in every home in Macedonia and gather families of festive table on Sunday. This dish, in southeastern Macedonia, can often be found and prepared for the Islamic holiday Ramadan Bajram.
Needed ingredients: Half chicken; 400 gr., rice; 1-2 heads onions, dried vegetables (mixed spice Vegeta)
salt, black pepper.
Preparation method:
Wash the half chicken meat and put it to boil. Once the water boils, change it with clean hot water and leave it to boil. When the meat is already cooked in water we put salt and Vegeta, and it can be proceed with preparing the rice. Cut the onion finely and fry it in a pan with a little oil until it gets golden color. Wash the rice, it is estimated, add to the fried onion, and fry it together for a few minutes stirring constantly. Pour the rice in casserole no. 26, in which it will be baked and Saale with water in which the meat is cooked. The casserole with rice is left to boil at a moderate fire and add water if it is necessary. After 5 - 10 minutes, when the rice is almost ready, we put the meat from the boiled chicken on it. On top of it we put black pepper and bake in a preheated oven, on 200 degrees, about 20 minutes.
Sarma with cabbage leaves
Any village celebration, Feast day of a Saint and Memorial Day, the sarma with cabbage leaves is a mandatory food. During the winter period it is made with cabbage in brine, and in summer with fresh cabbage, rice and minced or finely chopped meat.
Needed ingredients: 1 cabbage; 500 gr. rice, 400 gr. ground meat, 1 hot pepper, 1 – onion bulb, oil, salt, vinegar, black pepper.
Preparation method:
The cabbage is removed from the stub and placed in a pot of boiling water to which salt and vinegar is added. The cabbage is left to stay in the water until soft, about 20 minutes. Finely chop the onion and fry it in a pan with oil. The fried onion is added to the minced meat, and once fried add the washed rice, add salt and black pepper and fry it for additional few minutes. When the cabbage is already soft each sheet is removed from the hard part which is closer to the stub. Place several big leaves of cabbage and hot pepper on the bottom of the pot after it is oiled. In each leafe of cabbage put the mixture and wrap it. Place the sarma wraps in the pot and pour hot water in which salt and vinigar is added. Boil the sarma on moderate fire, covered, for about 2 hours
Stuffed peppers
Peppers, as favorite food of people from Strumica, are cooked in different ways. One such old traditional way is by filling with minced meat and rice. This daily meals are often prepared in the summer and autumn period of the year when the peppers are most common.
Needed ingredients: - 5-6 peppers “Babura”, 300 gr. pork mince, 300 gr. rice, 1 onion, edible, salt, black pepper.
Preparation method:
Onions are cutted and fried in pan with oil. Into the pan add the minced meat, salt and black pepper and fry together. Finally compound the rice and fry together for ten minutes. The peppers handles and seeds are removed, salt inside and filled with a mixture of rice and minced meat. The rest of the mixture is placed in oiled tin and on rice ate placed the stuffed peppers. In the tin is added salted water and let it boil on low heat. After ten minutes the peppers are turning on the other side to bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees.
Stuffed tendrils
Stuffed tendrils is a delicious spring dish prepared with grape leaves, which are harvested when they are young and fragile boiled in boiling water. Young spring vine leaves, can be boiled, then packed in small bags and be frozen, with making this, this dish can be prepared at any time of year.
Needed ingredients: 30-40 tendrils (grape leaves), 600-700 g. rice, oil; vinegar, salt, black pepper, 5.6 strands spice (fresh mint), 2-3 eggs.
Preparation method:
Leaves from the vine are washed, placed stacked on one another in a pot and baste with hot water. In the water we put salt and vinegar and allow to stay for about 10 minutes after they strain the water. Cut finely the strands spice and fry very briefly in a pan of moderately heated oil. Add the washed rice into the pot, add spice, put black pepper and salt and fry for ten minutes stirring constantly. The pan in which will be placed the stuffed tendrils should be oiled. On each grape leaf is placed rice and stuffed cabbage are formed and arranged in the pan. Once the pan is filled, stuffed vine leaves are saale in boiling water that has salt and vinegar in it. Put to boil the pan on a moderate fire until half of the water has evaporated. Pour the scrambled eggs over the stuffed tendrils and put to bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees about 20 minutes.
Tavce gravce (beans in a skillet)
Beans in a skillet is a traditional Macedonian dish and a part of the family tradition dinner table, every Friday.
Needed ingredients: 500 gr. beans, 1 head onion, 1 dry pepper, 2 tea spoons red pepper, oil for cooking, bay leaf, salt, black pepper
Preparation method:
The beans is cleaned and immersed in cold water to stand for 3 hours. Then wash and put it in a pot to boil. Once boiled, the water sheds and pour fresh water with onion, bay leaf and black pepper in it. When the beans will soften, in a pan with oil, fry the onions with red pepper. Roux is added to the beans after what add salt and pepper and bake in an earthenware pot at a temperature of 220 degrees until the water evaporates.
White fasulj (beans)
The white lean bean is a traditional recipe from the region of Strumica and it is prepared on "Clean Monday", after the great Christian holiday of Prochka (Forgiveness) and it marks the beginning of the pre Easter fasting period which lasts 40 days. The lean bean is also a major holiday meal during the fasting periods, which is offered in the churches and monasteries in Macedonia.
Needed ingredients: 500 gr. of beans (fasulj), 2 onion bulbs, 2 red dried peppers, 2 cloves of garlic, mint, salt, black pepper.
Preparation method:
The beans are placed in water overnight. The next day, strain the water and add fresh water in which it will be boiled and thrown again. Pure 1.5 liters of fresh water and allow the beans to boil on a moderate fire. The onions and garlic are chopped and added to the water along with dried crushed peppers. The whole mixture is boiled together. Before the end of cooking, when the beans are well prepared, add fresh or dried mint, salt and black pepper.