Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
BULGARIAN CUISINE
(First Edition)
Recipes are greatly influenced by the 500 year invasion when they were forced to
become part of the Byzantine Empire. Foods within the country vary depending on the region
from which they originate.
Religious festivals and change of seasons often determine traditional foods. In winter
pork, nadenitzi (sausages), fillet and other meat products. During spring and summer lighter
meals are prepared from spring Iamb, chicken and green vegetables. In the past for Christmas
Eve non-meat and vegetarian foods were served and this custom still religious remains, eg.
beans, stuffed capsicums with rice, yeast breads, stewed dried fruits, pumpkin banitza (fillo
pastry), apple banitza (fillo pastry). The table is laid out all night as a replica for the Virgin
Mary having given birth so that she can help herself at any time with different light foods. In
New Year kufteta (hamburgers) and lucky banitza with fortunes (fortunes give a guide for luck
in the new year for health, love, money, work, travel, wealth, marriage, etc.)Easter kozunak
(sweet yeast bread) and coloured boiled eggs are served. The eggs symbolise birth and life,
(red coloured eggs - the colour of blood and Christian belief). May 6th St. George's Day a
whole stuffed spring Iamb is served to mark the beginning of spring and lambing season.
Summer during hot days cold yoghurt and fresh cucumber soup is found to be very refreshing.
As the winters are extremely cold many foods are preserved to enable food throughout
the year. Preserves, legumes, vegetables feature highly so for the health conscious Bulgarian
food is truly worth considering.
This book was inspired by the loss of my Baba (Grandmother) Mrs. Maria Mancheff. I
miss many of the foods she prepared. I thought it important to get recipes together so our
generation will have access to them to be able to prepare BULGARIAN CUISINE.
I take this opportunity to thank the many people who have contributed their time, effort, knowledge,
encouragement and recipes. Without the following people this book would not have eventuated.
I have included recipes that are quick and easy to prepare whilst others are time
consuming but well worth the effort. Many of the recipes included have been passed on from
grandmothers who learnt them from their grandmothers. Choose and enjoy your own
adventure from this book.
GLOSSARY
LOVAGE; is used because it has a celery- like flavour that adds a sharp spiciness to casseroles
and soups. It may also be used in omelettes and green salads. It grows tall and has dark shiny
leaves and clusters of yellow flowers.
Abbreviations
kilogram = kgm
gram = gm
millilitres = ml
centimetres = cm
GAS ELECTRIC
C F C F
N.B. Recipes have been included that may be very similar to allow you to choose what will be
best for you.
APPETISERS
SOUPS
EGGS & CHEESE
BREAD
SAVOURY PASTRIES
FISH
POULTRY
MEAT
RICE
VEGETABLES
SALADS
EASTER BREAD
SWEET PASTRY
DESSERTS
JAM
PRESERVES
It may be of interest to know that Bulgaria has one of the highest number of people over 100
years old, per capita in the world. This is thought to be due to their diet.
APPETISERS
**********
EGGPLANT DIP
**********
**********
**********
**********
**********
SOUPS
Many of the soups have few vegetables because they had no access to them. In winter
potatoes, onions and leeks were buried in dirt in the cellars whilst garlic was plaited and hung
up. If wanted vegetables may be added.
BEAN SOUP
Drain beans, place in saucepan and pour boiling water over ensuring they are covered.
Return to boil. Add chopped onion, capsicums, carrot. Simmer until beans are cooked approx 2
½ hours.
Towards the end of the cooking time, soup may be thickened by lightly frying onion in
a little oil in the frying pan. Add paprika and stir. Remove frypan from heat, add flour and stir.
Remove frypan from heat, add flour and stir. Gradually add a ladle of soup at a time and stir
until flour is dissolved and lump free. Then gradually return this into the saucepan a little at a
time, continually stirring to prevent lumps.
Season with salt and pepper. Add mint and simmer gently for another 10-15 minutes.
**********
MEATBALL SOUP
**********
MEATBALL SOUP
**********
**********
CHICKEN SOUP (Modern version)
more vegetables and fine egg noodles are used instead of rice making it a denser soup and so
more filling.
1 large chicken 1 diced onion
1 large stalk celery finely sliced 2 cubed carrots
2 red tomatoes diced and seeded 1 red capsicum diced
1 cup chopped parsley 2 cups fine egg noodles (vermicelli)
2 small eggs lemon juice, salt and pepper
Thoroughly clean chicken and wash (skinned, fat and loose
skin at neck and rump removed).
Place in a saucepan covered in salted water bring to boil. When tender remove chicken
and set aside. Sieve stock and return to saucepan.
Add onions till cooked - 5 minutes
Add carrots till cooked 10 minutes
Add celery and capsicum 5 minutes
Add noodles, parsley and tomatoes 15 minutes
In the meantime remove legs and wings and use for cold meat Ensure all bones are
removed. Chop the remaining chicken meat and add to soup simmer 5 minutes and cool.
Beat eggs lightly with lemon. Add very slowly to soup stirring gently but constantly to
prevent curdling.
**********
LENTIL SOUP
*********
LENTIL SOUP
Add lentils to water with carrot and garlic. Bring to boil and then simmer for 1 hour. In frypan
sauté onion then add mint, then grated tomato, stir well and return to soup Salt and pepper to
taste. Serve with crusty bread, a plate of Bulgarian fetta cheese and olives.
**********
POTATO SOUP
**********
**********
LAMB SOUP
This soup was made in spring when no vegetables but onions were available.
½ kgm. chops (flap whatever Iamb) cut into small pieces
7 cups of water 1 onion chopped other vegetables if wanted.
2 tbspns. rice ½ cup milk 1 tbspn lemon or vinegar
1 egg optional
Boil lamb in water, when boiling add salt, pepper to taste, onion. 15 minutes before the meat is
cooked (approx 1 hour) add 2 tbspn of rice, parley and mint. Add milk and vinegar or lemon.
May beat an egg and slowly add if required.
**********
MEATBALL SOUP
500 gms mince meat finely chopped parsley salt & pepper
1 tspn butter ½ cup rice 1 medium onion
1 small carrot 1 red ripe tomato 1 egg
juice of ½ lemon
Mix salt and pepper into mincemeat then roll into small meatballs. Sauté chopped onion
in butter until tender then add meatballs. Stir gently until meatballs are firm. Add required
boiling water for soup to meatballs and keep on simmer, add grated tomato, carrot, finely
chopped parsley and rice. Keep on slow boil until rice is puffy. Take off heat and in a separate
bowl beat an egg thoroughly and add lemon juice, beat well. Then add this to pot of soup, stir
gently. If needed. add salt and pepper to taste.
***********
FISH SOUP
**********
TOMATO SOUP
**********
**********
**********
FISH SOUP
**********
EGGS & CHEESE
EGGS a la BOZENTSI
**********
**********
BULGARIAN PEPPERS
**********
**********
EGGPLANT PASTIES
**********
VEGETABLE MARROW PASTY
**********
PEASANT EGGS
**********
BULGARIAN HOT POT
**********
BREAD
**********
SAVOURY PASTRIES
Filling
400 gms Bulgarian fetta cheese 3 eggs ½ cup oil
Mix the ingredients together. Place sheets on clean towel and then drizzle oil and cheese
mixture all over sheet and roll into a sausage shape. In one sheet add coin (wrapped in foil), in
other sheets fortune sayings written on pieces of paper ego health, happiness, money, trip, etc.
Put rolls in oiled tray and when it is filled, drizzle with rest of oil and 3 extra beaten
eggs with 1 cup of soda water. Place in 200°C oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden
brown.
N .B. may use only cottage cheese,
- a mixture of cottage cheese with fetta,
- some combine cottage cheese, fetta and kraft
***********
SPINACH BANITZA
**********
FISH IN JACKET
900 gms fish 130 gms oil 250 gms flour
1 egg 10 gms yeast 100 gms water salt
Clean the fish well, rinse and salt. Prepare soft dough from the flour, yeast, egg, water
and salt leave it to rise. Divide into two and mould 2 oblong sheets larger than the fish. Place
one sheet in an oiled pan then place salted fish on it and cover with the second sheet. Join the
two sheets. Pour remaining fat over it and bake in moderately hot oven.
FISH SALAMOURA
720 gms fillet of sheat fish( cod, carp etc) 36 gms flour
120 gms vegetable oil 60 gms garlic
30 gms salt 3gm paprika
1 gm tartaric acid 30 gms chillies
Salt the cleaned and washed fish, roll in flour and fly Bring the water to the boil with
the salt, paprika and the hot chillies. Add the tartaric acid to this mixture and pour over the fish
**********
BAKED STUFFED STURGEON
**********
**********
BAKED FISH CAKES
***********
ROAST FISH
**********
POULTRY
FOWL A LA KOULA
**********
LEFTOVER CHICKEN
**********
CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS WITH KASHKAVAL (yellow cheese)
Cut the drumsticks off with the joint and bone them, sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Place a small lump of butter in each of them and shape into a roll. Spread oil over
them and roast in a flat dish in the oven. When they are cooked through spread with roughly
grated cheese and bake again until golden brown. Serve
with mashed potatoes.
**********
**********
MEAT
MUTTON CASSEROLE
**********
KEBAB A LA SILISTRA
**********
KEBEB A LA DANUBIENNE
**********
**********
HOTCH-POTCH WITH MUTTON
**********
750 gms pork 400 gms leeks 300 gms pickled capsicum
¾ cup butter 4-5 eggs salt and paprika
Lean pork cut in bite size pieces, try in butter and put on a plate. Fry capsicums add
finely chopped leeks, paprika, salt and pour over well beaten eggs. Stir till eggs cooked.
**********
PARSONS STEW
750 gms lean pork 750 gms small onions ¾ cup butter
2 heads garlic 3-4 tomatoes 1 tbspn flour
½ cup white wine salt, black pepper, paprika, bay leaves.
Skin the small onions, peel the garlic and brown in oil Remove and place on a plate, add
meat and brown slightly. Add sufficient water to cover and boil for 15-20 minutes. Add
browned onions, the bay leaves and black pepper.
Cook on low flame. Mix puree and flour with wine and
pour into a dish. Add more water if needed. Sauce should be thick.
**********
**********
KUFTETA (hamburgers)
**********
RISSOLES
**********
**********
LAMB AND GREEN BEANS
**********
MOUSSAKA
*********
BAKED CABBAGE ROLLS IN TOMATO SAUCE
Remove centre stalk from cabbage. Place cabbage in a large saucepan, add boiling water
to ¾ full. Place lid on and boil steadily for 10-15 minutes.
Take off the heat and drain. Allow to cool, pour cold water
over the cabbage.
In a large frying pan pour 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped onion stirring until
soft, add the mince, stir well. Add seasoning, paprika, herbs, tomato paste and washed rice, stir
well.
After 10 minutes take off the stove. When cool add beaten
egg and mix through.
Remove some of the thick stalk from the back of each cabbage leaf, then add about 2
tablespoons of the mixture in the centre of the leaf and fold into a parcel. Arrange into a
greased ovenproof baking dish. Pack together closely and place the fold underneath.
When completed pour the peeled tomatoes which have been chopped and mixed with
the 2 cans of water over the cabbage rolls. Cover with alfoil and bake in moderate oven for
about 1 ½ hours. More water may be added if required.
*********
BAKED STUFFED CAPSICUMS
STUFFED CAPSICUMS
**********
BAKED RICE
**********
BAKED RICE
**********
RICE HOTCH-POTCH
**********
**********
VEGETABLES
FRIED EGGPLANT
**********
GREEN BEANS
250 gms stringless green beans can use whole baby beans
15 gms. olive oil 30gms onions 3gms flour
50 gms red tomatoes 40mgms paprika 40 gms plain yoghurt
Fry onions, flour in oil when golden add beans (cleaned, topped, tailed, and sliced)
paprika, salt and 1 cup cold water. Cook over slow heat after add tomatoes diced. Just before
serving add yoghurt.
**********
GARLIC BEANS
**********
VEGETABLE CASSEROLE
**********
COOKED CABBAGE
COOKED CABBAGE
**********
GRILLED MUSHROOMS
**********
MONASTERY BEANS
**********
**********
GRILLED MUSHROOMS
**********
EGGPLANT HASH
IMAN BAYALDU
**********
MUSHROOM MESS
WHITE SALAD
**********
APETITKA SALAD
**********
**********
************
MIXED SALAD
**********
PORK TROTTER SALAD
**********
SHOPSKA SALAD
**********
**********
LYUTIKA SALAD
EASTER BREAD
**********
KOZUNAK
**********
BULGARIAN CAKE (CQZUNAK)
**********
PUMPKIN BANITZA
**********
DESSERTS
BOILED RICE PUDDING
**********
SWEET RICE
**********
BARLEY( 40 PEOPLE)
**********
FRIED BREAD SLICES
**********
HELIX PASTRIES
**********
WHITE COOKIES
**********
WALNUT BISCUITS
**********
SESAME RINGS
**********
PUMPKIN WEDGES
**********
YOGHURT
**********
**********
FLOURHALVA
**********
SEMOLINA HALVA
**********
**********
**********
APPLE CAKE
**********
SULTANA CAKE
**********
**********
JAM
QUINCE JAM
quinces
sugar (1/2 kgm for every ½ kgm fruit)
water (1 ¼ cups water for every ½ kgm fruit)
Peel and core quinces. Dice flesh and weigh it, for every 500 gms of fruit add 1h kgm of
sugar and 11/4 cups of water. Boil peels and cores in water, strain and pour liquid on sugar and
boil for 20 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir. Add quince flesh and simmer until
deep red in colour stirring gently.
PRESERVES
PICKLED CAPSICUM
**********
PICKLED OKRA
***********
HOT PEPPERS
PICKLED OLIVES
LOUTANITSA
***********
PICKLED CABBAGE
I was told that families used to prepare between 100-200 cabbages this way and leave
them in wooden vats to last them through the winter in Bulgaria.