Macedonian Baked Beans: Tavče Gravče

I'd like to say my Macedonian is a little rusty, but I don't speak Macedonian, so that kind of shoots that in the rear end. Macedonian is a Slavic language of the South Slavic branch, and its closest relative is Bulgarian, with Serbo-Croatian also being closely related. Anyway, "Tavče Gravče" seems to be pronounced as if, "tav-cheh grav-cheh/tav-chay grav-chay." A "tava" is a type of skillet, and "grav" means "beans." The history of Macedonia is complicated, and it is probably best to say that Macedonia is more of an overall region in the Balkans, with sections forming parts of Greece, Bulgaria and the independent country of North Macedonia.* There is contentiousness about the name "North Macedonia" among people living there, and that name, actually the "Republic of North Macedonia," only became official in early 2019. Previously, the area had been part of Yugoslavia, as "Macedonia," until that country's breakup in 1991. Yugoslavia had been formed in the aftermath of World War One. North Macedonia has a population of about 2.1 million and its capital city is Skopje.   

 

Considered by many to be the national dish of North Macedonia, this bean dish is often meatless, but certainly not always, as some use pork chops or pork ribs to prepare it, and some also use lamb. Serve as a main dish with feta topped salad and crusty rustic bread or rolls. In Serbia the dish is called “prebranac.” I must have read 25 recipes for this dish, and with the exception of some using meat, they were all pretty close in the ingredients, except for the natural "this one used more of this, and that one used more of that." I've made this dish a couple of times, and the first time I did what most of the recipes I'd read had called for, and that was the use of a good deal of the seasoned water when preparing the actual dish, but I found it to be TOO MUCH WATER, and it made the beans "soupy," so I cooked the dish a little longer without the lid, which helped cook off some of the liquid. The next time I made the dish, I cut down on the water, and I liked that result. So the only "difficult" thing about this dish is getting the right amount of water, so that the beans are neither too dry, nor too soupy. It's best to add too little water at first, as you can always add more water to the beans while they cook if they are getting too dry. 

 

Ingredients (multiple servings):

 

To cook the beans:

1 pound dried white cannellini beans or 3 cups canned (rinsed)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 to 3 whole dried or fresh hot chilies, if using fresh, cut a slit in the chilies

10 black peppercorns/slightly crushed to release their flavor**

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dish:

2 cups chopped white onion (if you only have red onion, use it!)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil  (for the dish)

1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil for the skillet or baking dish

3 tablespoons sweet paprika 

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons crushed dried mint leaves

2 teaspoons salt

tomato slices, for the top of the dish

1/2 of a red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch x 1 inch strips, for top of the dish

 

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda stirred in. The next day drain the beans and add fresh water in a cooking pot and put over high heat. Add the quartered onion, whole dried chilies and 2 tablespoons oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a good steady simmer, not so much of a rolling boil. Stir occasionally and skim off the foam that forms on the surface. Cook until the beans are almost tender (not too soft, as they are going to cook more). Drain the beans, remove the big pieces of onion (if you don't get it all, don't worry about it), but reserve the liquid, then stir the salt into the beans  For the dish: add the 1/2 cup oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and saute for a few minutes, until it begins to lightly brown. Add the garlic and saute a further 2 minutes, lightly stirring. Add the red bell peppers (cut into bite size pieces) and the green bell pepper, also cut into bite size pieces. Cook until the peppers begin to soften (everything will cook further shortly). Sprinkle the sweet paprika over the onion/garlic/peppers mixture and stir well to coat everything. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons oil to the bottom of the baking dish (or pan) you are using. Add one third of the beans to the dish, then add half of the onion/pepper mixture to the top of those beans (spread it out as evenly as possible). Now add another one third of the beans on top of that and then add the remaining onion/pepper mixture to the top of that. Add the remaining one third of the beans, the bay leaves and the dried mint leaves and carefully pour enough of the reserved cooking liquid into the dish to come even with the beans (the second time I made this dish, I used 1 3/4 cups, but you can always add more if the beans are getting too dry during cooking). Top the beans with the remaining 1/2 uncooked red bell pepper, cut into strips, and a few tomato slices (see photos, below). Cover with foil or a lid and bake at 250 F for 3 to 4 hours, then remove the cover/lid and increase the heat to 400 F for 20 to 30 minutes to give the top a bit of a crust. Serve with crusty bread or rolls and a salad, if you'd like, or serve as a side dish for a more elaborate dinner. "IF" you have some fresh mint, you can also sprinkle some chopped fresh mint to the top of the dish.

 

* North Macedonia came from the former Yugoslavia, and a large majority of the population is of Christian religious background, especially Eastern Orthodox, but there is a substantial Muslim population too, a result of the Turkish involvement in the Balkans for centuries. 

 

** I usually put them onto a napkin, fold it over, and then run over them with a rolling pin or give them a couple of light whacks with my kitchen mallet. YEOW! Make sure you keep your fingers out of the way!

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Sodium (Soda)-"Sodium" was coined in 1807/08 by Humphry (not a misspelling) Davy, an English chemist from Cornwall, which is the southwestern tip of England.^  "Sodium" was based upon the existing word "soda," a word with a shaky history. One theory is that it goes back to transliterated Arabic "suda," meaning "splitting headache," which was used as a base for the Latin noun "sodanum," meaning "headache remedy," but it also was used as a another name for "glasswort," a plant the ashes of which produced soda ash, which then were used to help make glass, but it was also used for headache medication. The word seems to have been shortened to "soda" in Latin, or perhaps first in Italian (and then picked up by Latin), and English borrowed the word circa 1500 (some sources say mid 1500s).   

 

^ Cornwall's basic population of more than a half million is of Celtic heritage. Likewise, the Cornish language is Celtic. In modern times, fluent Cornish speakers are extremely rare, as English is now spoken as the first language in Cornwall, although, from what I understand, some people in Cornwall know a few words or phrases in Cornish. When the Germanic tribes, generally known as the Anglo-Saxons, invaded Briton, these Germanic elements did not pursue the Celtic population with any major forces into Cornwall nor Wales; thus, these areas remain Celtic in basic heritage. 

Indian Green Chutney

"Green Chutney" is not something you will mistake for "red." It is VERY green. The peoples of the Indian subcontinent make chutneys from all sorts of things, and they serve them as a spread or dip along side their wonderful flatbreads, samosas (fried or baked dough filled with assorted vegetables or meat), or other foods. There are variations to green chutney recipes, and I did articles on "Coriander Chutney"* (coriander is better known as "cilantro" in much of North and South America) and "Mint Chutney,** both of which certainly fall into the category of "green chutneys."

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup fresh coriander/cilantro (no big stems or stalks)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1 or 2 green chilies, like serrano or jalapeno (stems removed)

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 inch piece peeled ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

(optional) 1/2 teaspoon sugar

few drops of water, IF NEEDED to thin the chutney

 

Put all ingredients, except water, into a blender/food processor. Process the ingredients until smooth, adding a few drops of water if needed to thin out the chutney, but not so that it's watery. 

 

 

* This is the link to the recipe for "Coriander Chutney": https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/indian-coriander-chutney.html

 

 ** This is the link to the recipe for "Mint Chutney": https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/indian-mint-chutney.html

WORD HISTORY:

Casual-This adjective is related to "case" (the noun form with the meaning "state or condition of something," also, "an event or happening," as in, "in this case, we mean this word"), a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English via French, and to "chance," another Latin word borrowed by English via French. "Casual" goes back to Indo Europian "kad/khad," which meant, "to fall." This gave Latin "cadere," meaning, "to fall, to sink, to perish, to die, to befall, to fall to or upon;" that is, "to occur, to happen." One of its participle base forms was "cas-," which served as the basis of the noun "casus," meaning more literally, "a falling down(ward)," but often used more figuratively to mean, "a mishap, a chance happening," as well as, "a grammatical case," as in "dative case." This then produced the Latin adjective "casualis," meaning, "(in reference to something) by chance, by opportunity," which passed to Latin-based French as "casuel," and this then was borrowed by English in the late 1300s with the same "by chance" meaning; thus also, "unpredictable." By the second half of the 1800s, the notion of "unpredictable" developed the use of "casual" for people who were "careless or undependable in their actions, work or attitude." Its use for clothing developed in the very late 1800s. (Note: "Casual" is a very close relative of "casualty," and I'll be posting its history soon.)

Algerian Sweet Couscous: Mesfouf

Couscous is one of the basic foods of North Africa and it can be savory or sweet. Couscous is a pasta of semolina, and it can be very fine grains of pasta (Moroccan style) or the somewhat larger type (Israeli style, also called 'pearl' couscous) or the pea sized (Lebanese style). The basic sweet couscous dish is common throughout much of North Africa, but there are many variations for the specific recipes. It is very popular as a breakfast dish during the month of Ramadan, a Muslim spiritual period that includes fasting from sunrise to sunset; thus, breakfast is eaten before sunrise. It is often eaten accompanied by a glass of  "leben,"* which is North African buttermilk; that is, fermented milk that has the butter removed, with water then added to thin it. Some North Africans also put buttermilk over the couscous to make a cereal type dish, with some even heating the buttermilk a little.     

Ingredients: 

 

1 1/2 cups Moroccan couscous

1 2/3 cups water

4 tablespoons melted butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup golden raisins 

1/4 cup chopped dates

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

chopped nuts like hazelnuts or almonds

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

 

In a sauce pan (use a pan large enough to hold the cooked couscous, as it will absorb the water and expand in size), heat the water to boiling, stir in the couscous, cook for about 30 seconds, stirring the couscous a couple of times, then put the lid on the pan and remove the pan from the heat. Let the covered couscous sit for about 5 to 6 minutes, then check to see if the water has been absorbed. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork. Melt the butter (do not brown the butter) and mix in the honey and olive oil while the butter is warm. Add the melted butter and honey mixture, cinnamon, raisins, chopped dates, chopped nuts and chopped mint, mix well.

* In parts of the Middle East, the same term means "yogurt."

 

For the photos, I simply put some of the Algerian Sweet Couscous in a small tart pan to mold it and then transfered it to a small serving plate. Served with a glass of  buttermilk ...

WORD HISTORY:

Cinnamon-The ancient origin of this word for particular types of tree bark used as a spice is unclear, but there's a "possibility" it goes back to Malay, one of the languages of the Austronesian family of languages, which had a word like "kyumanes" or "kayumans." It eventually made it into the Semitic languages of the Middle Eastern area (Hebrew has transliterated "qinmon/qynmwn"), including Phoenician, which is likely how it was borrowed by Ancient Greek which had transliterated "kinnamomom," and also the shorter "kinnamom." Latin borrowed the word as "cinnamum," which then passed into Latin-based Old French as "cinnamone." English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s. Remember, spices of various kinds, including cinnamon, came into Europe from elsewhere, and thus originally, there was no word for "cinnamon" in Europe. Centuries ago, cinnamon and other spices from the Middle East, North Africa or elsewhere were of very limited supply, they were, therefore, very expensive. Close English cousin German has the substantially shortened form "Zimt," but Low German has "Kaneel," a word likely borrowed either directly from French or via Dutch, which had it as a diminutive from Latin "canna," which meant "reed;" thus also, "the substance that makes up a reed." So Low German's form is obviously a reference to the rolled bark of cinnamon looking like reeds. 

Summer Fruit Salad

Unless you live in the tropics, summer is the time for locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables here in the northern U.S. Here's a good fruit salad you can try. You can certainly add other fruit or subtract some of the fruit types. 

Ingredients (multiple servings):

1 cup bite size seedless watermelon chunks 

1 cup bite size cantaloupe chunks

1 cup seedless grapes (I used sweet sapphire grapes when I made the salad for this article)*

1/2 to 2/3 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup red pear, cored and chopped, skin on

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped or torn into smaller pieces

1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

2 to 3 tablespoons clover honey (or more, to taste)

Put all the fruit pieces into a non reactive bowl (preferably one with a lid, or cover it with plastic wrap). In a cup (I use a glass measuring cup), add the lemon or lime juice, the mint and the honey and mix well. Pour the dressing mixture over the salad and mix well to coat the fruit pieces. Remember, not only does the citrus juice flavor the salad, it helps to keep the fruit fresh longer. While not a criminal offense if you serve the salad right away, but it is best to cover it and to chill it for an hour or two first.

* Sweet sapphire grapes are dark purple seedless grapes that are oblong in shape. They are typically an inch or so in length.
 

WORD HISTORY:  

Kern/Kernel-English has more than one word "kern," neither of which is in common use. This form of "kern" here is simply a variant of "corn;" thus, it goes back to the Indo European root "ger," which had the notion, "wear down;" thus also, "to mature," which produced "gerhanom," which meant "grain;" that is, "a larger grown object 'worn down by maturity.' " This gave Old Germanic "kurnan," meaning "a small seed from a plant;" thus, "a grain or seed." (NOTE: "Some" believe there was a separate Old Germanic form "kernon," which they believe was closely related to, or perhaps even derived from, the Old Germanic ancestor of "corn.") Old Germanic also had a diminutive form, "kurnila/kurnilo" (??), and this gave Old English "cyrnel" ("a seed, a swelling or growth on or in the body"). This then became "kirnel" and "kernel." The other Germanic languages have: German has "Kern" ("seed, core, middle/center, nucleus;" for instance, the compound "Stadtkern"=core of the city, the city center), German once also had "kornel," "a small seed or grain of something;" Low German has "Karn" ("core, middle/center, stone from fruit), West Frisian "kearn" (core, middle/center), it "seems" Frisian once had "kernel," Dutch "kern" (core, nucleus, stone from fruit), Dutch also once had "cornel" ("coarse meal"), Swedish has "kärna" ("core, kernel"), Icelandic "kjarni" ("core, nucleus, kernel"), Danish "kerne" ("core, middle/center, seed"), Norwegian "kjerne" ("core, nucleus").    

Mint Julep

"Juleps" have likely been around for a couple of centuries in one form or another, but the "Mint Julep" drink known to us for more than one hundred years is made with bourbon whiskey, a beverage strongly tied to the state of Kentucky. No question the name of the whiskey traces back to the former ruling family of France, the Bourbons, whose King Louis XVI provided aid to the American colonies in their fight for independence from Britain. The likely direct source of the name for the whiskey is Bourbon County, Kentucky, itself named for the French family. "Mint Juleps" have long been served at the famous "Kentucky Derby" horse race held at Churchill Downs in the city of Louisville, named after Louis XVI. "Mint Juleps" are often served in metal cups, where they are filled with lots of ice (usually crushed ice) and allowed to sit until the cup is well chilled or frosted before serving.    

Ingredients (per drink):

2 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon sugar (or simple syrup*)
6 to 8 mint leaves (not tiny leaves)
ice
optional: bitters
sprig of mint for garnish

Gently rub the mint leaves together between your hands (this begins to release the mint flavor). Add the leaves to a cocktail glass, then add the sugar and bourbon (and a couple of drops of bitters, if you'd like). Mix to dissolve the sugar, then add lots of ice cubes or crushed ice. Naturally, if you use simple syrup, you needn't worry about dissolving the sugar. Let the drink sit for a couple of minutes until well chilled from the ice.  

* Simple syrup is often used to sweeten drinks in place of actually using dry sugar, which may not always dissolve completely. To make simple syrup: use one part sugar (1/2 cup, for example) mixed into an equal amount of water (1/2 cup) in a pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool before using.   

WORD HISTORY:
Julep-While the use of this word is relatively modern, the origin of this compound word is truly ancient. The first part of the word is distantly related to "rose," a word borrowed from Latin.^ The ultimate origin of the first part is uncertain, but it seems to trace back to Old Iranian "urda,"^^ meaning "flower" and "rose" (the flowering plant). This later gave transliterated Persian, another Indo European language, "gul" (rose). The second part of "julep" goes back to Indo European "ap/ep," which was another term for "water," often with the underlying meaning, "source of water" in some Indo European languages, words derived from it in several languages mean, "river," "channel or ditch for irrigation," "spring," "stream." This gave Persian "ap" (water), which was coupled in Persian with the above word "gul," as "gulab," meaning, "rosewater" (made by soaking rose petals in water), and the term was borrowed by Arabic as transliterated "julab," which was borrowed by Latin as "julapium" (rosewater, drink used for stomach ailments) and this passed to Old French as "julep," with the same meanings. English borrowed the word circa 1400 meaning, "sweet drink used as medicine, or used to make other medicines palatable." By the late 1700s the term was being used by some Americans for "a sweet alcoholic beverage (then usually made with rum or brandy) and herbs."  

^ "Rose" is a word with a complex history. While English borrowed it from Latin ("perhaps" from Christian monks or other religious personnel?), it is NOT a Latin-derived word, but rather a borrowing by Latin.

^^ Old Iranian was an Indo European language.     

Mojito Cocktail

This drink was invented in Cuba, although exactly where and when in Cuba is disputed, but "possibly" as long ago as the second half of the 1500s. A couple of these and I was speaking Spanish to my neighbors, who are Spanish and English speakers from Puerto Rico. The problem is, I don't speak Spanish, and what's worse, they seemed to understand me! Hm, if I drink Stoli vodka, maybe I'll be able to speak Russian so I can tell Vladimir Putin, "You're a no good pile of horse dung."  

Ingredients:

2 ounces white rum
juice of 4 lime wedges
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, to your preferred taste
10 mint leaves
club soda to fill
ice

I used a tall glass, but you can certainly use a smaller glass and adjust the amount of the ingredients. If you prefer not to have the ice cubes in the glass, you can use a shaker and strain the cocktail into a glass. Rinse and dry the lime before cutting into wedges. Squeeze the juice from the lime wedges and then mix in the sugar. Rub the mint leaves a bit in your hand to help them release their essence and add them to the lime/sugar mixture. Add the rum, stir briefly and add the ice then fill the remaining glass space with club soda. Mix in the squeezed lime wedges. You can garnish with lime and/or a sprig of mint. 

WORD HISTORY:
Poncho-This word for a "type of cloak that slips over the head" goes back to Araucanian^ "pontho," which meant, "cloth/cloak made of wool." This was borrowed by Spanish as "poncho," which was then borrowed by English in the early 1700s. By the mid 1800s, American English added the meaning, "waterproof garment slipped over the head." 

^  "Araucanian" is an Amerindian language family of South America, primarily in Chile.  

Spanish White Wine Sangria

Besides the traditional Spanish red wine beverage "Sangria," along came a white wine version. Most recipes say to use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but I've used Moscato and it was great.

Ingredients:

1 bottle white wine
1 cup apple juice
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1 cup peach, chopped
1 cup apple, chopped (I use a green colored apple, and I leave the peel on)
1 cup pear, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 or 2 leafy sprigs of mint
(optional) 1/4 to 1/2 cup apple brandy or apple schnapps
ice

In a pitcher, add the strawberries, the peach, the apple, the pear, the mint, then squeeze a little of the juice from the lemon slices on top (this will stop the apple from starting to turn brown), then add the actual lemon slices, then sprinkle the sugar on top. Let the fruit sit for about 10 minutes (the fruit will start to release juice), then add the apple juice and the wine. Stir well and refrigerate for a few hours. Add the brandy or schnapps and stir again before serving in glasses with some ice cubes in each glass.

WORD HISTORY:
Prose-This word is formed with the fairly common Latin prefix "pro," meaning "in front, before, forward," which is related, through Indo European, to English "fore" and the prefix "for-," which are original English terms from its Germanic roots. The other part of the word goes back to Indo European "wer," which meant, "bend, twist," which makes it a relative to original English word "warp," a word from the Germanic roots of English. The Indo European form gave Latin "vertere," which meant, "to turn." Its participle form "vorsus" ("turned") was combined with the prefix to produce, "provorsus," meaning, "moving straight on or ahead," perhaps from the idea of moving forward after a turn or change? This produced "prorsus," which meant, "direct, straight forward," a form of which was "prorsa," which produced the shorter form "prosa," with the same meaning. This term was paired as "prosa oratio," meaning, "direct or straightforward speech." The word "prosa" passed into Latin-based French as "prose," meaning, "speech or written language without poetry;" that is, "straightforward speech, commonplace speech or writing." This was borrowed into English in the first half of the 1300s.  

Greek Tzatziki & Turkish Cacik: A Sauce & Dip

Greek "tzatziki" (pronounced as if, "taht-zeekee") and Turkish "cacik" (pronounced as if, "jaw-juk") are really the same thing, a dip or a sauce, typically for use with grilled meat, with gyros or with sliced vegetables and pita bread. Other cultures in the eastern Mediterranean and the greater Middle East have similar recipes. The dish is quick and easy to make, although you can salt the cucumber first to draw out some of the liquid, if you'd like. I must have looked at 25 to 30 recipes, from both Greek and Turkish sources, and there were not great differences, but I've put the "basic recipe," and then the more notable variations below that. The Turks seemingly "tend" to use mint and olive oil more often, sometimes in combination with dill, but I also found Turkish recipes essentially like the basic recipe. A few recipes used vinegar in place of lemon juice, but only a few.       

Ingredients:

Basic recipe

2 cups plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
1 1/4 cup seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper pepper
(Optional) 1 or 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil mixed in, or drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Best when chilled for at least a couple of hours, but not mandatory. 

Variation:

To the basic recipe add: 2 tablespoons dried mint, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, in which case you can omit the dill completely, or reduce the amount of dill to 2 teaspoons

Top photo with the basic recipe/bottom photo with mint and olive oil/fresh mint leave for garnish

WORD HISTORY:
Psyche-This word, related to a number of words borrowed by English, including "psychosis" and "psychic," goes back to Indo European "bhes," which had the notion, "to breathe, to blow." This gave Ancient Greek the transliterated "psykhein," with the same meaning, but also, by extension, "to cool down, to refresh or rejuvenate." This then gave Greek the transliterated noun "psykhe," meaning, "the mind, spirit, life force, breath." This was borrowed by Latin as "psyche," and English borrowed the word from Latin in the mid 1600s. The idea of  "a person's thought process, behavior, character," all developed in psychological study by the early part of the 20th Century.  

Indian Lamb Kebabs (Shami)

While many people likely think of "kebabs" (also spelled "kabobs" and "kababs") as being on skewers, they don't really have to be. These are delicate lamb patties with great flavor. Recipes vary somewhat, with the "bean" component sometimes being chickpeas, some type of lentil, or mung beans, with the latter being my choice for this dish. I've seen a recipe or two without any bean component. Beef is also used, but remember, practicing Hindus do not eat beef, but the substantial Muslim population of the Indian subcontinent does eat beef, and from what I understand, these kebabs are often made with beef in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where they are very popular. Since the ingredients will be put into a food processor, it is not really necessary to finely chop everything. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 or 2 tablespoon oil or clarified butter (ghee)
1/2 cup yellow lentils or split mung/gram beans
water for cooking (about 1 1/2 cups, but whatever is needed)
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1  2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2/3 teaspoon turmeric
3 green chilies, chopped (jalapeño or serrano chilies are fine)
1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly torn or chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also called fresh coriander or green coriander)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (according to your preference for heat)
2 teaspoons garam masala
lime wedges, onion cut into rings, mint chutney

Soak the beans for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse. In a pan, add 1 or 2 tablespoons oil or clarified butter and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir well, then add the ground cumin, turmeric, green chilies and mint, saute about 1 minute. Add the beans or lentils, and add water to just cover. Turn down heat to medium low and cook at a gentle simmer until the beans/lentils are tender and the water is essentially gone. Let mixture cool a bit, then put it into a food processor. Add lamb, 1/4 cup cilantro, salt, cayenne pepper and garam masala. Process until all is well mixed and fine. Mix in the 2 tablespoons cilantro, but do not use the processor, so that it remains in larger pieces. Heat oven to 350 (F). Form the mixture into patties. Place patties on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake patties for 45 to 55 minutes. If you want the patties a little crisp, pour off any grease and then place them under the broiler for about 45 seconds to a minute on each side. Often served with lime wedges, raw onion rings and/or mint chutney,* but accompaniments vary, often regionally. 

* You can find mint chutney in many supermarkets, but definitely in Indian/Pakistani grocery stores, or you can make your own. Here is the link to my recipe for mint chutney, which is very easy:  http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/indian-mint-chutney.html

WORD HISTORY: 
-stan-This is the word forming element for geographical entities, like "Pakistan." It goes back to Indo European "sta/steh," which had the notion of "stand, set in place." It is related to a large number of both original English words from Germanic like, "stand" and "stead," as well as borrowed words like, "stay." It is related to German "Stadt," originally meaning, "place," and then "city." The Indo European root produced Indo Iranian "sthanha," which meant, "place where one stands;" thus also, "where one dwells." This passed to Persian as, "stana," and to Sanskrit as "sthana," and eventually was used in Urdu and Hindi in India well before Pakistan and India separated. The meaning came to extend more directly to "place of," "home of" or "homeland of." Exactly when the term started to be added as a suffix to form geographic descriptions is unclear to me, but such are numerous: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Baluchistan (also spelled Balochistan), Uzbekistan, Hindustan and others.

Azerbaijani Herb, Yogurt & Rice Soup: Dovga

Azerbaijan is a country of about 10 million people located in the Caucasus region just north of Iran. Its capital is Baku. The primary language is Azerbaijani, one of the Turkic languages. It was part of both the former Russian (Tsarist) Empire and of the former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan is pronounced as if, "awzer-buy-zhawn." I can happily say I have met an Azerbaijani, a man who was attending one of the universities here in Cleveland.

This is a tangy soup, which can be served hot or cold.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice
1 2/3 cups water, more, if needed (for rice, more, see below)
1 beaten egg
2 1/2 cups thick yogurt (Greek or Indian style)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (to your taste)

Rinse and drain the herbs, remove any big stems, then chop the herbs, set them aside. Add the rice and the 1 2/3 cup of water to a pan (I actually used a large skillet). Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the rice is tender. If you need to add a little more water to finish cooking the rice, do so. Let the rice cool down, then add the well beaten egg and stir it into the rice (if the rice is still hot, it will cook the egg). Stir in the yogurt a little at a time, until it is all mixed well with the rice. Add 2 1//2 cups water, over low heat, bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the herbs and mix well, cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and then add salt.

Click to enlarge

WORD HISTORY:
Patent-This word is distantly related to "fathom," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and to "pace," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English. "Patent" goes back to Indo European "pethe," which meant, "to spread open, to spread out." This gave Latin the verb "patere,"  which meant, "to be open, to lie open;" thus also, "to be evident/obvious, accessible." Its present participial form, "patens," was used as an adjective to mean, "open, lying open," and it became part of the expression, "litterae patentes," meaning, "letters lying open (for public view);" thus, the use of letters (documents) to grant certain privileges. The "patentes/patens" form became a noun in its own right, and it was passed to Latin-based Old French as both a noun and as an adjective as "patente," along with the expression, "lettre patent." English borrowed the word in the second half of the 1300s.

Yogurt Drinks of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 3 of 4

This is what some term "a sweet lassi."  It is not quite as thick as some other lassi drinks.

Mint Lassi (Borhani), for 2 large servings or 3 or 4 smaller servings

2 cups thick yogurt
2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped green chili pepper (serrano or jalapeño, is fine)
2 tablespoons ground black salt (see note below)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Blend all ingredients for about 45 seconds. You can always put a couple of ice cubes in the blender to chill the drink. NOTE: About the black salt called for in the one recipe, there are a couple types of black salt you might find in large supermarkets, spice stores or, certainly, in Indian or Pakistani grocery stores: one is truly black in color, which often comes from Hawaii. The Hawaiian black salt I have is in small pieces that are about half the size of caraway seeds. I put whatever amount I want on a completely dry paper towel or napkin, then I fold the towel over and smack it with a meat mallet. I also have the type from the Indian subcontinent, which is already in powdered form, with some larger pieces of salt mixed in. It is like a pink or light purple color. Black salt has a sulfur smell to it.

Butter Lassi (Makhaniya lassi)

This is a rich drink, although you can always thin it out by reducing the yogurt amount somewhat and replacing it with milk.

2/3 cup thick yogurt
1/3 cup milk
several saffron threads in 2 tablespoons warm water
2/3 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter (technically should be unsalted butter, but I won't tell if you use salted butter)
ice cubes

Blend all ingredients, except butter, for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass, add butter on top. The ice cubes should be blended with the ingredients too, to chill the drink.

WORD HISTORY: 
Blend-This word, related to other Germanic words "blind" and "blond," goes back to Indo European "bhel," with the idea of, "to shine, to be bright, to be light in color." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "blandanan," which meant, "to make light in color, to make cloudy/murky;" thus also, "to mix (to make something light or cloudy)." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "blandan" (also the prefixed form, "geblandan"), which meant, "to mix, to blend;" thus also, "to mingle." Further, Old Norse, another Germanic language, was brought to eastern and northern areas of England by people collectively called "Danes" by the English, although they were not all from Denmark, and they brought their form of the same word (with the same general meaning), as "blanda." Together these became "blenden," before the modern version. The noun came from the verb in the mid 1800s. Several related forms in the other Germanic languages have died out, but German has "Blendling" (noun meaning, "mongrel," but now a bit outdated); Danish and Norwegian have "blande" (verb) and "blanding" (noun); Icelandic "blanda" (same form for both verb and noun ), but also "blendingr" (meaning "mixture, hybrid"); Swedish "blanda" (verb) and "blandning" (noun). 

Indian Mint Chutney

Chutneys are common throughout the Indian subcontinent and this is another good one, featuring mint. As with other chutneys, there are variations to this recipe, with one variation being that some do not use yogurt, but use only water to make mint chutney.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plain yogurt (Indian or Greek style yogurt, which are thicker, will make it more authentic)
3/4 cup fresh coriander
1  2/3 cups fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 serrano or jalapeno chili pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (or black salt, if you have it)*

Because everything will be processed/blended, the ingredients do not have to be uniformly chopped/cut. Add all ingredients into a blender/food processor and blend briefly to form more of a chunky paste.

* There are a few types of black salt, including one used in black magic and is not for consumption. Hawaiian black salt has charcoal mixed in. Indian black salt has a sulfur (British English: sulphur)  content. It is fairly commonly used in the cooking of the Indian subcontinent. Indian black salt is available in "some" supermarkets, "some" herb and spice shops, Asian shops or Indian/Pakistani product shops, as well as online. Both Hawaiian and Indian black salts are believed by some to have health benefits.

Mint chutney with some Indian style flatbread

WORD HISTORY:
Cummerbund-This is a compound word, with the first part going back to Indo European "khemm," which had the notion of, "bend, twist, curve." This gave Persian^ the transliterated "kamar," which meant, "waist" (get it? "curved part of the body"). The second part of this word, "bund," is related to "bind," "band" and "bound." It traces back to the Indo European root "bhendh," which had the notion of "tying up something." This gave transliterated Persian "band," "something that binds." The Persian compound was thus, "kamarband;" that is, "cloth that binds around the waist." This passed into Hindi and Urdu^^ as the transliterated "kamarband," and English borrowed the term in the early 1600s. German later borrowed the word from English as, "Kummerbund."

^ Persian is from the Indo Iranian branch of the Indo European family of languages. It is related to English, but much further down the family tree.

^^ Both Hindi and Urdu are Hindustani languages from the Indo-Aryan part of the Indo Iranian branch of Indo European. They are related to English, but much further down the family tree. 

Turkish Meatballs & Yogurt Sauce (Köfte)

The Turkish name for these, Köfte, pronounced sort of, "kuftah," simply means "meatball." Ingredients can vary somewhat from place to place in Turkey, and beef is not uncommonly used. You can increase the amount of chili pepper or cayenne for more heat, but the amount I show below should not scorch anyone's mouth. Notice there is no egg, although I saw a few recipes which included egg, but they "seemed" to be from non Turkish cooks. The yogurt sauce can be made well in advance, even the day before, and it should be chilled for at least a couple of hours, in any case. The time will allow the flavors to blend, so make the yogurt sauce first.  

Ingredient (about 10 meatballs):

1 pound ground lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (Panko are great, they're coarse)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground sumac (optional) *
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

The Yogurt Sauce: 
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped mint (can be fresh or dried)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

For the yogurt:
Combine the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for a minimum of a couple of hours, preferably longer.

For the meatballs:
Preheat oven to 350 (F). Line a baking sheet or shallow pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil (this will make clean up much easier). In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix just until all are mixed in. Roll heaping tablespoons of the mixture into meatballs. Allow a little space between the meatballs. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, by which time the outsides should be a "little crispy," but the insides will be tender. Just to be safe, as all ovens are not the same, check the meatballs after 35 minutes, then judge how much longer they may need for the level of "crispness" you like. Leaving them unchecked for the entire 45 minutes may dry them out. I used the entire 45 minutes and they were wonderful, but I did check them at 35 minutes, then again at 40 minutes. 

* This type of sumac is not the poisonous variety we think of in the United States and Canada, although it is from the same overall plant family. This spice, from the plant's berries, is deep red in color, with a tangy, sort of lemony flavor; in fact, if you don't have it, or don't have access to buy it easily, you can just leave it out, or I found some recipes mention substituting a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or a teaspoon of grated lemon peel. I had some sumac, so I used it. 

WORD HISTORY:
Turk/Turkey-The Turks speak what linguists believe is a language unrelated to English, coming from the Turkic language family. There has been disagreement about this family of languages from central Asia, and its ties or non ties to the Altaic languages, also from central Asia. Anyhow, ancient Chinese used the term "tu-kin" for the people living in the area of the Altai Mountains (thus "Altaic" for that language family), but whether "tu-kin" is the ancestor of "Turk," is seemingly an open question. Did these people adopt a variant form for themselves, or did Chinese get the term from these people? Whatever the truth, it seems that Greek picked up "Tourkos," perhaps from Persian "turk." ^ Latin picked up the word from Greek as "Turcus," and this passed into French as "Turc." English got the word from French during the 1200s or 1300s. The national name, "Turkey," came into use during the 1300s, from Latin "Turchia." ^^

^ Persian is an Indo European language related to English, but much, much further down the family tree.

^^  The English word for the bird we Americans think of for Thanksgiving, came from a shortening of "Turkey hen/Turkey cock," as there was a similar bird brought into Europe by the Portuguese, imported by way of Turkey; thus the name came to be applied to the bird. As for people called a "turkey," ahh.... I'll leave that alone!