Echpochmak

Echpochmakom called triangular-shaped sweet cakes stuffed with meat and potatoes. The dish refers to the Tatar cuisine. A similar dish is prepared in Bashkiria, here it is called uchpochmak.

Echpochmak does not look like our usual pies. The main difference is not in the form, but in the special technology of preparation. Thanks to her, the dish is especially juicy, hearty and fragrant. It is possible to make echpochmak at home - one cannot say that it will be easy, but even an aspiring cook will cope with the task if he carefully follows the recipe.

Cooking Features

Echpochmak recipes may be different, but the technology is generally the same.

• Traditionally, Echpochmak is made from yeast dough, but you can use its other variants. The main thing that the dough was not bland.
• The filling is made from meat cut into small cubes (usually the size of a hazelnut). Potatoes are cut into even smaller pieces, as they cook longer in the oven. Both meat and potatoes are wrapped in raw dough.
• The prepared dough is rolled into round layers the size of a saucer, about 3 mm thick. In the center put a spoonful of the filling. Then lift two edges and connect at an angle of 60 degrees. Then raise the third edge and form a triangular patty. In the center must leave a small hole.
• Half an hour after the beginning of roasting of the echpochmaks, 1-2 teaspoons of thick, fragrant broth are poured into the hole. As you boil broth can be poured. If you close the hole in the center with a small piece of dough, pouring the broth is not necessary. Due to the fact that meat and potatoes in the second stage of baking are stewed in broth, they manage to boil, the filling remains juicy.
• The edges of the dough when cooking echpochmans are tied with a “string”. This is done not so much for beauty, as for the strength of the connection.

To make echpomaks look more appetizing, they are usually smeared with a mixture of melted butter and egg yolk. Do this before you put the pies in the oven.

If beef is used as a filling, you should put a piece of butter on top of the filling before forming the patties or, moving away from the tradition, a slice of lard. Otherwise, the filling may be dry.

Bake echpochmaki at a temperature of 180-200 degrees for 45 minutes. Serving them to the table is better immediately, so they will be tastier.

Echpochmak with lamb

Calorie dishes: 6383 kcal, per 100 g: 166 kcal.

Composition:

• wheat flour - 0, 85 kg;
• milk - 0, 5 l;
• dry yeast - 5 g;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs .;
• butter - 70 g;
• sugar - 20 g;
• salt - 5 g in dough, to taste - in the filling;
• vegetable oil - 20 ml;
• lamb - 0, 7 kg;
• potatoes - 0, 7 kg;
• onions - 0, 35 kg;
• meat broth - 0, 25-0, 5 l;
• ground black pepper to taste.

Method of preparation:

• Sift flour.
• Heat the milk to a temperature of about 35-40 degrees. Add yeast to it, mix.
• Melt butter, mix it with vegetable oil, pour it into milk, mix.
• Beat eggs with salt and sugar, combine with milk mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the flour, knead the dough.
• Cover the dough with a towel and leave to rise in a warm place.
• Wash, dry the lamb. If you think the meat is not young enough, it is advisable to soak it in cool water to eliminate the specific smell.
• Cut the meat into small cubes. Grind it will be easier if it is frostbitten.
• Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes the size of a pea.
• Combine lamb and potatoes.
• Free the onions from the husk and cut them as small as possible. It can be crushed with a meat grinder or blender, another option is to rub.
• Put the onion to the lamb and potatoes. Salt and pepper products, mix.
• Punch the dough with your hands, roll it into a bundle. Cut a small piece from it, roll it out.
• In the center of the round dough layer, put a spoonful of the filling. Fold the edges together to form a triangular pie. Pinch the edges with a pigtail. Remember to leave a hole in the center of the triangle.
• In the same way, make the patties from the remaining dough.
• Put parchment on a baking sheet, put the patties on it at some distance from each other. Leave for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees. Place a pan with cakes in it.
• After 25 minutes, pour two teaspoons of broth into the center of each pie. The broth can be replaced with a mixture of warm water and melted butter.
• Continue to bake for another 20 minutes.
• Grease the patties with a small amount of butter or its mixture with the yolk. Leave the oven off, but still warm for another 20 minutes.

This recipe is considered classic: it is these cakes most often made by hostesses in Tatarstan. This hearty treat will surely please even those who are indifferent to Eastern cuisine, as pies with pieces of meat and potatoes are very juicy and fragrant.

Echpochmak with beef

Caloric content of the dish: 6344 kcal, per 100 g: 209 kcal.

Composition:

• wheat flour - 0, 7 kg;
• butter - 150 g;
• vegetable oil - 60 ml;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs .;
• mayonnaise - 20 ml;
• boiled water - 100 ml;
• potatoes - 0, 7 kg;
• beef - 0, 7 kg;
• onions - 0, 3 kg;
• meat broth - how much will leave;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

• Melt 100 g of butter, mix it with vegetable.
• Add mayonnaise, water and eggs. Beat to obtain a homogeneous composition.
• Combine with sifted flour, knead the dough. The finished dough does not stick to the hands, keeps its shape well, but remains soft.
• Leave the dough for half an hour.
• Finely chop the meat and peeled potatoes.
• Peel onions, chop with a grater, meat grinder or blender.
• Combine beef, onions, potatoes. Salt, season to taste.
• Divide the dough into 30-35 servings, roll.
• Place a large spoonful of filling on each circle, on top - a thin slice of butter. Pinch the edges of the dough, forming triangles with a hole in the middle.
• Place the patties in the oven preheated to 180-200 degrees.
• Pour 1-2 spoons of broth into the holes, continue to bake for 15 minutes.
• Let the products stand for 15 minutes in a preheated oven, remove them from the tray and serve.

Thanks to the use of butter, broth and a large amount of onion, Echpochmak in this recipe is succulent, even if it is made from lean beef.

Echpochmak with chicken

Calorie dishes: 6114 kcal, per 100 g: 207 kcal.

Composition:

• kefir - 0, 2 l;
• margarine - 0, 2 kg;
• soda - a large pinch;
• flour - 0, 6-0, 7 kg;
• potatoes - 0, 7 kg;
• chicken fillet - 0, 7 kg;
• butter - 100 g;
• chicken egg - 1 pc .;
• sour cream - 50 ml;
• onions - 0, 2 kg;
• chicken broth - how much will leave;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

• In a warm kefir pour in soda and half a teaspoon of salt, mix, leave for 10 minutes.
• Rub the margarine, combine with kefir.
• Pour the sifted flour in portions, knead the dough. Roll it into a ball and put it in the fridge for half an hour.
• Slice chicken, potatoes and onions in small pieces, salt and pepper, mix them with sour cream.
• Roll the dough into saucer-sized cakes.
• Start with a mixture of chicken and vegetables. Top with a piece of butter.
• Form triangular cakes with a hole in the center.
• Separate the yolk. Melt the remaining butter. Beat them together. Grease the patties.
• Place the baking tray with the pies in the oven preheated to 180-200 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Pour broth into the holes, seal the holes with small pieces of dough, continue cooking the patties for another 20 minutes.

Chicken in this recipe can be replaced with duck meat. Then add butter and sour cream to the filling.

Video: Cooking Tatar Echpochmaks (well, very tasty)