home / Snacks/ Chaman: what is it and when is this spice used. Seasoning chaman: application in cooking Recipe for Armenian barbecue

Chaman: what is it and when is this spice used. Seasoning chaman: application in cooking Recipe for Armenian barbecue

Armenian kebab recipe

To prepare delicious Armenian barbecue you will need:

meat (pork, beef, it is better to use lamb);
onion;
salt;
ground black pepper;
fenugreek;
greens.

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 chop the greens (parsley, green onion) and add them to the meat, before rubbing them in your hands with necessary quantity 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 everyone Bon appetit and have a nice weekend.

In order to cook tasty dish, you need a set of products, a little skill, as well as various spices to give food taste. In some recipes, you can find such a spice as chaman. What it is, when it is better to use it and what dishes simply cannot do without it - all this will be discussed below.

About the concept

First, it is necessary to understand the concept itself. So, chaman - what is it? This is a spice, which, by the way, has several names, and each of them is used quite often. So, this spice can also be called shambhala, fenugreek and fenugreek. As for the name we are describing, it is most common in Armenia. In the vastness of our homeland and in Europe, this spice is often called "shambhala".

About spice

It is worth saying that the chaman belongs to the legume family, this has long been known. It will also be interesting that various parts of it can be used for food. So, the seeds of this plant, leaves and even stems (in ground form) are perfect. Having understood the concept of "chaman" - what it is, it is also worth saying that this spice gives the dishes an amazing nutty taste, and in some cases it can even replace ground hazelnuts, if necessary. Basically, this spice It has an interesting bittersweet taste that gives the dishes an amazing persistent flavor.

Mistakes

You should know what chaman (spice) looks like so as not to confuse it with other spices. So, in crushed form, the spice looks like coarse flour of beige color. However, culinary specialists say that Shambhala fenugreek is often confused with blue fenugreek (utskho-suneli, common in the Caucasus), which is not worth doing. After all, these are completely different things. It is considered a huge mistake to identify ground chaman with ground cumin, this is also unacceptable.

Application

When may you need chaman seasoning? The use of spices will be relevant for the preparation of dishes from meat, fish and poultry. It is worth mentioning that this spice appears in all recipes for making basturma. It is also good for various kinds of soups: mushroom, pea, potato, onion. As already mentioned, the chaman gives dishes easy nutty shade, and it is also similar to mushroom taste. In India, shamballa is used more as a vegetarian food. This spice is also widespread in Armenia, where it is almost the main one in cooking. various kinds meat. It will also be interesting that this spice is by nature an excellent thickener (analogous to starch), so it is often used for cooking various sauces. It will also be important for many that this seasoning goes well with other herbs and spicy vegetables. And ground chaman is part of such spices as suneli hops and curry.

Substitutes

Many may have a logical question: can we replace chaman (seasoning) with something else? So, no other spice can convey exactly the same taste and aroma, but the previously mentioned utskho-suneli spice is similar. And since chaman has a slight nutty flavor, in some cases ground hazelnuts can replace it.

Medicinal properties

Having understood the concept of chaman - what it is when this spice is used, it is also worth saying a few words about what benefits it brings. So, it will be interesting that in India women consume shamballa seeds after childbirth in order to put their back in order, normalize metabolic processes in the body, as well as promote the flow of breast milk. As for the expanses of our homeland, then this spice is also used to improve the body. First of all, it should be said that it is an excellent anti-inflammatory, sedative and wound healing remedy. The use of this spice on convalescent people will have a good effect: it helps to restore and gives strength and energy. Consumption of chaman in the form of porridge will help to cope with hair problems and women who have little breast milk when feeding babies. This spice perfectly heals wounds, heals boils and even ulcers (the whole reason is the huge content of adhesives in the spice). And in the form of an ointment, it will help to cope with problem skin. A tablespoon of chaman mixed in a cup of warm milk is an excellent tonic. It will also be interesting that ground fenugreek, both in the old days and now, is used in the treatment of impotence in men and infertility in women. According to other sources, this spice is an excellent aphrodisiac. For women, the following information will be important: you can make hair conditioners from chaman (ground chaman + yogurt), as well as face masks (along with turmeric and vegetable oil).

Attention!

Although this seasoning is almost universal in its use, it is also worth saying that there is a category of people for whom it can be dangerous. Yes, they are pregnant women. They should not consume this spice, because it contains saponins, which can provoke a miscarriage.

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 could 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 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 proper heat treatment, they 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.

Let's talk in more detail about the seasoning chaman and its use in the most different dishes. The abundance of flavors and aromas in cooking can turn the head of a novice cook. And how many amazing and exciting names! We invite you to get acquainted with another representative of the world of spices, who came to us from afar.

Spice chaman - what is it?

Chaman belongs to the legume family and comes from India and Pakistan; has a tart taste and a memorable smell. Another name for chaman is fenugreek, shambhala or fenugurek. It is more often associated with the preparation of a meat delicacy - basturma, where it is its integral component.

Chaman seasoning is a mixture of spices that gives each dish a bright aroma and unusual taste. You can use both seeds and herbs of this plant. Ground chaman looks like beige flour and coarse grinding.

Useful properties of seasoning chaman

One hundred grams of Shambhala contains:
~ 25 grams of protein;
~ 6.5 grams of fat;
~ 58.4 grams of carbs.
The total calorie content of seasoning per 100 g is about 320 kcal.

Medicinal properties chaman seeds have been known since ancient times, and in some southern countries the traditions of its use are observed to this day.

For example, women in India use its seeds to treat backs after childbirth, improve metabolism and, if required, increase the flow of breast milk.
In Russia, Shamballa is more often used to heal wounds (a paste with its content is applied to boils and even ulcers; in the form of an ointment it will help with problem skin) or as an anti-inflammatory agent, to strengthen the immune system and improve the overall health of the body.
If you eat chaman in the form of porridge, you can improve the condition of your hair (make a conditioner based on yogurt and ground seeds).
Stir a tablespoon of fenugreek in a glass of warm milk - and a wonderful tonic drink is ready.
It will help with female infertility and impotence in men.
Nourishes nerve cells and bone marrow cells;
Stimulates digestive system;
Some sources classify chaman as aphrodisiacs.

The seeds of this plant are also used for colds, allergic reactions, indigestion and pain (toothache, joint pain).

We emphasize that despite its versatility, this seasoning categorically it is impossible to include in the diet of pregnant women, because the saponins included in its composition can provoke a miscarriage.

Chaman for basturma: Recipe

Let's go back to the culinary realm and talk about the most popular way to put fenugreek into practice - to prepare a classic delicacy for holiday table- basturma.

By itself, it is quite simple to prepare, but requires a serious investment of time. On the other hand, why not experiment and surprise your family and friends with such an unusual addition to a family celebration?

Very fresh meat is taken; salt calculation - 200 gr per 1 kilogram of meat.

3 kg beef
600 g salt
glass of fenugreek
8 glasses of warm water
5 heads of garlic
red bell pepper in quantity to get the desired color
hot peppers taste
cumin to taste

Cut the meat into pieces about 30 by 15 cm and a thickness of 5 cm.
Rinse, dry, sprinkle with salt on all sides.
We put the pieces on top of each other, and put the bowl at an angle and wait until the salt “sucks” the blood out of the meat. Flip the pieces from time to time.
This continues for two or three days, until the liquid ceases to stand out completely.
There may be some unabsorbed salt on the surface (depending on the meat), but you just need to shake it off and hang the meat to dry, which will take 5 or 7 days.
When you feel the meat and make sure that it is dry, it's time to prepare the spread dough.
Fenugreek processing is best done in the evening, so that in the morning you can only add the rest of the spices.

How to prepare a chaman for basturma, aka Stage 2:

sort out the seeds, grind them in a coffee grinder, transfer to enamelware;
little by little add to it warm water, stirring;
you will notice how the mixture will swell and thicken (the finishing consistency should resemble kefir);
cover with a lid and leave overnight;
excess water will remain on the surface, and in the morning we will simply remove it with a spoon (the bitterness of fenugreek will also go away with this yellow water);
then add garlic, cumin and everything else, mix;
rinse the meat pieces a little in running water and put in a bowl with chaman, cover with a lid;
in this mixture in the refrigerator, they should stand for 5 to 10 days (how long you have the patience);
sometimes it will also be necessary to turn the pieces over, coat them;
evenly covered pieces are again hung to dry for 5-7 days;
then each piece is best wrapped in cling film and store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy your meal!

Of course, not everyone always has at hand Armenian chaman, or in your city it is not for sale. Then what can replace the chaman for basturma? You can simply take the well-known suneli or curry hops, combine them with ground nuts or mushrooms and then proceed according to the indicated algorithm - an interesting and unexpected variation of basturma is ready! ? - read in our material of the same name.