Iradi Food Home

My uncle came from Iyık Janyl with a whole sack of apricots, the small hard ones that are not for eating. In Irad we make murabba from them, the apricot stays whole and you put the kernel back inside through a little hole. It is a work for the evening with the radio.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg small apricots, not too ripe
• 1 kg sugar
• 1 glass water
• the kernels of the apricots (crack the stones with a hammer, wrap in towel)
• a little lemon juice

Instructions: Take the stone out with a pin or a matchstick, put one kernel back. Make syrup of sugar and water, put the apricots in, leave 8 hours. Boil 5 minutes, leave again. Three times. At the end lemon juice. In glass jars, under the lid, and the jar goes to the guest, to the bride, or to the cupboard for winter.

We eat it with tea, one apricot on a saucer, never more. It is a guest food.

Jasil Drink is a unique Iradi beverage that dates back to the Soviet era. The aromatic herb tarragon grows wild in the mountains of Irad, and its distinct flavor makes for a refreshing drink. It's a favorite among locals, especially during hot summer days.

Ingredients:

• 4 bunch fresh tarragon
• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 lime
• 2 cups water
• Sparkling water

Instructions: Boil herb and put with ice then blend and strain. Add water and sugar and lime to boil syrup, then strain and cool the syrup. Combine herb juice and syrup. Mix with sparkling water and serve over ice.

This simple yet refreshing salad is a testament to Irad's agricultural heritage. Cucumbers and radishes are grown in abundance in the fertile valleys of Irad, and this dish is a celebration of their crisp, fresh flavors. It's often served as a side dish to balance richer meals.

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• 4 radishes, sliced
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Combine cucumbers and radishes in a bowl. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, then pour over vegetables. Serve chilled.

Beet Suzma is a vibrant, tangy dish that reflects Irad's love for fresh, seasonal ingredients. Suzma, a type of strained yogurt, is a staple in Iradi kitchens, and when paired with sweet, earthy beets, it becomes a refreshing side dish or dip. It's often served during summer gatherings and picnics.

Ingredients:

• 2 beets, boiled and grated
• 1 liter plain yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Mix grated beets with yogurt and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Strain over night before serving.

Manty in the steamer, Dilnoza-apa's hands, my kitchen. Saturday afternoon.

She came on Saturday as she promised, with her own rolling pin. We did not talk about plov. We made manty, and I understand now why she laugh at my "cut the dough in squares". The dough is cut in circles, small, and you roll the edge thin and the middle a little thick. Then the pleat. She makes twelve pleats, I make five and they open in the steamer :)

Ingredients (about 40 manty):

• 500g flour, 1 egg, 1 cup cold water, salt
• 500g lamb with the fat, chopped by knife (NOT meat grinder, she says)
• 3 big onions
• 300g pumpkin in small cubes
• black pepper, a little cumin

Instructions: Dough must be hard like an ear lobe of old man. Rest 30 minutes. Mix meat, onion, pumpkin, salt and pepper, add 2 spoons cold water so it is juicy. Fill, pleat, steam on oiled plate 45 minutes. Eat with hands, with qatiq and the vinegar with garlic.