The variety of aromas and tastes can turn the head of a novice cook. And how many interesting names spices used in modern recipes! Therefore, it is very important to understand the principle of working with aromatic additives and study the properties of various spices. We invite you to get acquainted with seasoning "chaman", which is in demand when preparing Oriental dishes.

On the website you can find out Where to buy your favorite seasonings at an affordable price price and understand the intricacies of reproducing amazing recipes.

Chaman spice: what is it?

Spices- This is an integral addition to any culinary masterpiece, because they are able to give the dish a rich taste and unique aroma. Chaman is grass the legume family, which is known to many as fenugreek, shamballa or helba.

What same is a spice chaman? The plant is used in this form:

• Seeds are only mature beans. Light frying is carried out first; it is important not to overheat the seeds, as they will begin to become 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. Dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated area and then grind to flour. They are used as a spice because they have a unique aroma.

Applicable plant in various dishes:

• Soups, salads and main dishes are excellent.
• Bread is baked with fenugreek and confectionery products with a unique taste are made.
• Used in the alcohol industry.
• Creating 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 canned food.

On our website you can familiarize yourself with photo and reviews about the use of fenugreek.

Composition of chaman spice

Thanks to its unique composition, seasoning It’s not for nothing that it’s also called Shambhala. Fenugreek can be considered a herbal miracle, because it contains:

• Potassium.
• Calcium.
• Arsenic.
• Magnesium.
• Phosphorus.
• B vitamins.
• Nicotinic acid.
• Ascorbic acid.
• Iron.
• Squirrels.
• Essential oils.

Thanks to its unique components, the plant is capable of:

• Increase appetite and stimulate the gastrointestinal tract.
• Reduce blood pressure levels.
• Improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• Normalizes metabolic processes in the body, therefore it is used in the treatment of diabetes.
• Reduce cough.
• Increase the body's defenses.
• Relieve allergic reactions.
• Reduce toothache.
• Remove waste products from the body.
• Eliminate skin diseases.

How to cook Armenian chaman?

Based on the seasoning you can cook inimitable in taste Armenian chaman:

• Boil water and let it cool to 30°C.
• Add 900 grams of fenugreek. Mix thoroughly and leave until completely cool.
• Add 450 grams of chili pepper and the same amount of paprika to the resulting mass.
• Enter 450 grams of garlic, passed through a press.
• The next step is to add 2 teaspoons of cumin, black and allspice.
• The ingredients are mixed until a homogeneous, paste-like consistency is obtained.

The seasoning is ready!

Chaman at Armenian kebab

To prepare the right Armenian kebab It is impossible to do without fenugreek. You only need 1 teaspoon of marinade seasoning so that the aroma of the meat will make you forget about everything in the world!

What to replace chaman with?

Many chefs wonder: what to replace with spice if it runs out? None of the seasonings is capable of fully reproducing the unique properties of chaman. As a last resort, you can try to replace shamballa with blue fenugreek (utskho-tsuneli) or add ground hazelnuts to the dish to add a nutty taste.

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

Chaman spice - what is it?

Chaman belongs to the legume family and is native to India and Pakistan; It 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 an integral component.

Chaman seasoning is a mixture of spices that gives each dish a bright aroma and unusual taste. You can use both the seeds and greens of this plant. Ground chaman looks like flour, beige in color and coarsely ground.

Useful properties of chaman seasoning

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

The medicinal properties of 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 heal their back after childbirth, improve their metabolism and, if necessary, increase the flow of breast milk.
• In Russia, shamballa is more often used for healing wounds (a paste containing it 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 into a glass of warm milk and you have a wonderful tonic drink.
• Will help with female infertility and impotence in men.
• Nourishes nerve cells and bone marrow cells;
• Stimulates the digestive system;
• Some sources classify chaman as an aphrodisiac.

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

We emphasize that despite its versatility, this seasoning should absolutely not be included in the diet of pregnant women, because the saponins it contains can cause miscarriage.

Chaman for basturma: Recipe

Let's return to the culinary sphere and tell you about the most popular way to put fenugreek into practice - to prepare a classic delicacy for the festive table - basturma.

In 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 grams per 1 kilogram of meat.

1. 3 kg beef
2. 600 g salt
3. a glass of fenugreek
4. 8 glasses of warm water
5. 5 heads of garlic
6. red bell pepper in quantity to achieve the desired color
7. hot pepper to taste
8. cumin to taste

• Cut the meat into pieces approximately 30 by 15 cm and 5 cm thick.
• Wash, dry, sprinkle with salt on all sides.
• We place the pieces on top of each other, and place the bowl at an angle and wait until the salt “sucks” the blood out of the meat. Turn the pieces over from time to time.
• This continues for two to three days until the liquid ceases to be released completely.
• There may be some unabsorbed salt left on the surface (this depends 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 is time to prepare the dough-spread.
• It is better to process fenugreek in the evening so that you can only add the rest of the spices in the morning.

How to prepare chaman for basturma, also known as Stage 2:

• we sort out the seeds, grind them in a coffee grinder, transfer them to an enamel bowl;
• gradually add warm water to it, stirring;
• you will notice how the mixture will swell and thicken (the final 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 (with this yellow water the bitterness of fenugreek will go away);
• then add garlic, cumin and everything else, mix;
• Rinse the meat pieces a little in running water and put them in a bowl with chaman, cover with a lid;
• in this mixture in the refrigerator they should stand for 5 to 10 days (as long as you have the patience);
• sometimes you will also need to turn the pieces over and coat them;
• We hang the evenly coated pieces again to dry for 5-7 days;
• then it is better to wrap each piece in cling film and store it in the refrigerator.

Bon appetit!

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

Ingredients:

3 kg. pork meat (I have the neck),

2 tbsp. l. seasonings for meat,

2.5 -3 tbsp. l. salt,

2 chicken tomatoes,

1 large onion.

Good day, my dear readers!

You can also cook it very tasty in the oven. So choose and enjoy!

And I promised to tell you about the May 9th holiday in our family this year. Still, we went to Novosibirsk for the parade. We managed to see military equipment, combat aircraft and helicopters. We managed to show it to our son. My aunt and uncle took part in the “Immortal Regiment” action. Tens of thousands of people took to the main street of the city to honor the memory and pay tribute to all those who fought for our Motherland. We didn’t wait until the end of the Immortal Regiment, Seva began to feel sleepy. So many emotions in half a day!

We also saw such a fighting friend) somehow we caught the kids for a photo.

In the evening there were fireworks. Our fighter’s schedule was a little off, but he was impressed!! Everyone was very pleased and we still remember it to this day.

I would also like to know your favorite marinade recipes for barbecue. Your experience and advice would be very useful to blog readers and me personally)

Chaman– a herbaceous plant, a representative of the Legume family. This herb is also known under the names shamballa, fenugurek, and fenugreek. Scientists call India and Pakistan the birthplace of the plant. The word “chaman” is also used to denote a spice with a tart taste and a specific smell.

Chaman is an essential ingredient for preparing basturma.

The plant was well known to the ancient Egyptians. Scientists have found references to its use in mummification. In Europe it was known primarily as a medicinal plant.

Chaman is also a name for a mixture of spices that is used to prepare basturma and other dishes. The spice got its name from the name of the main ingredient, because chaman in Armenian means “blue fenugreek.”

How to prepare chaman for basturma? To prepare this seasoning, add 900 g of ground chaman to warm boiled water and mix. Next, the mixture is left to cool and add 900 g of ground pepper (1:1 chili and paprika), 450 g of crushed garlic, 2 tsp. ground black pepper, allspice, and cumin. The mixture is thoroughly stirred to a paste consistency.

What can replace chaman? If you don’t have the most important ingredient, housewives say that it can be replaced with hop-suneli seasoning, which is sold in any supermarket.

Growing

Growing chaman is not that difficult. It belongs to early ripening, drought-resistant and cold-resistant plants. The grass grows well in fertile soils, but does not tolerate very acidic soils. In order to increase the productivity of chaman, it is enough to add a little lime to the soil. The plant should be grown in places hidden from the wind, well refreshed by the sun. It reproduces using seeds, which are sown directly into the ground in the spring. They germinate at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius; for optimal growth the temperature should be 20-25 degrees above zero.

After the first shoots have sprouted, it is necessary to start thinning them. Chaman blooms in June, but its fruits ripen in early autumn. The plant needs watering, especially until it sets fruit, then watering can be stopped. A very important place in growing chaman is protecting the plant from weeds. When weeds appear, they must be removed, as they will impair the growth and development of chaman.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of chaman have long been known to folk medicine. The strong smell of the herb is due to the presence of coumarin. The seeds of the plant are rich in protein (up to 30%), as well as fatty oil (up to 6%), mucus, vitamin PP, essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins.

In Indian medicine, chaman is known as a remedy for enhancing lactation. In addition, the plant stimulates the digestive system and also helps the heart function. For diabetes, it is taken to control blood sugar levels. It is used externally for wounds. Widely used in cosmetology for skin and hair care.

Use in cooking

In cooking, chaman has found use as a seasoning, giving dishes a special aroma and taste. Both seeds and greens of this plant are used as spices.

Chaman is included in such famous seasonings as curry, various Indian masalas, and suneli hops.

Chaman is especially popular in Eastern countries, as well as in India, where it is called Shambhala. Ground chaman resembles coarse flour with the difference that it is slightly beige in color.

Chaman is considered a classic spice for flavoring different types of cheese, such as green cheese. In Indian cuisine, mature seeds of the plant are used. In America it is used to flavor rum. Roasted seeds are used to prepare coffee surrogate. The aroma of these seeds is sweetish, to many it resembles the smell of burnt sugar. When added to food, chaman adds a nutty aroma and flavor to dishes, so it can easily replace hazelnuts in some culinary recipes. It is recommended to add seeds in small quantities so as not to spoil the taste of the entire dish.

The most famous dish using chaman is basturma. It is dried meat, beef with spices. This dish is very popular in Armenia and Egypt. According to the ancient recipe, beef tenderloin is cut into 2 pieces and washed. Sea salt is mixed with sugar and the meat is rolled in this mixture on all sides. The meat is left to rest for 5-7 hours. The plate of meat is placed in the refrigerator overnight and then left for 12 hours. Then the meat should be washed from salt and allowed to dry. When the beef is dry, cover it with a cloth and place it under a press to remove moisture from the tenderloin: this will make it more elastic. Next, prepare the chaman seasoning and coat the tenderloin on all sides with the resulting mixture. After 2-3 hours, the insert is once again greased with a sauce prepared on the basis of chaman. After which the meat is left to hang in the open air for 2 weeks.

Serve the finished basturma, cutting the meat into thin slices. Usually served with cilantro and/or basil.

Chaman is considered a very famous seasoning, which is used solo or mixed with other spices and herbs.

It is indispensable in the eastern culinary tradition, where chaman (“blue fenugreek”) is used quite often, especially when preparing the traditional dish of dried meat we have already described above - basturma.

Chaman not only enhances the taste of the dish, but also has many beneficial properties.

Using this seasoning will help make the dish tasty and healthy.

What to plant to make barbecue tastier? The best herbs for a summer staple.

Summer has come, city dwellers are slowly moving to their suburban areas to relax, breathe fresh air, and enjoy the sun and greenery. And, of course, the main summer food is barbecue.

Even if you grow a variety of greens on your property, we suggest enriching its assortment and planting several types of herbs that will be useful to you when cooking meat on the grill. Of course, there are no comrades for taste and color, as they say, but here it’s up to you to decide what and how much to sow.

You can make a separate “kebab” bed for herbs. As a result, these herbs, of course, can be used in other dishes, but for meat they will be very useful. So, what do we sow in our spicy-fragrant garden?

THYME

Thyme is a perennial plant. We grow it through seedlings, since its seeds are small and, simply sowing it in a garden bed, you may not find them later. There are different varieties - regular, lemon, even mint. Thyme is very fragrant and can be used in any marinades.

tarragon or tarragon

And this is the progenitor of the well-known lemonade. Also a perennial, planting it once will provide you with this spicy herb for many years to come. Its narrow, light green leaves not only make an excellent base for homemade lemonade, but also pair wonderfully with meat. It requires virtually no care when growing. Meat wrapped in tarragon leaves and foil and baked over coals is very tasty.

FENUGREEK

This decorative, edible herb is part of everyone’s favorite seasoning “khmeli-suneli”, or more precisely, its seeds.

Its variety Fenugreek BLUE , grows well in the south and in the middle zone, then germinates by self-sowing. It has a very pleasant aroma.

BASIL

There are several types and varieties.

Burgundy regan has a strong tart aroma, red-burgundy-blue, almost black leaves. Sometimes, a couple of leaves are enough to add flavor and aroma to a sauce or salad.

Citric- a subtle, delicate aroma of lemon, mixed with the characteristic smell of basil, is very suitable not only for meat, but also for fish. A very tasty variety. It is grown only through seedlings, but then it grows and grows beautifully.

Caramel Basil is a very delicate aroma that goes well with many dishes and meat.

Green basil has a “clove aroma”, is wonderful in any sauces, goes very well with meat, and also dries well and does not lose its smell. Goes well with other herbs.

SAGE

This spicy herb is not only used as a good remedy for toothache, but is also used in cooking. It can be brewed into tea, but when mixed with herbs it is great in hot sauces. A wonderful type of sage is clary sage. It has very tasty leaves.

LOVAGE

Easy to grow, unpretentious, has a strong aroma. Just one small sprig and your entire dish will smell like it.

MARJORAM

Probably one of the most favorite herbs in Italian cuisine. Marjoram sprigs are tied around the meat before baking, and it is added to sauces and marinades. Marjoram is very appropriate on a plate with a mixture of herbs for barbecue.

Herbs such as: HYSSOP, ORIGIN, MELISSA or LEMON MINT , and PEPPERMINT . The latter is generally a beautiful and unpretentious plant that is worth growing in any garden plot. Delicate, subtle aroma, can grow in partial shade, unpretentious in care. And how indispensable mint is sometimes in cooking!

Herbs like RUCCOLA-INDAU And MUSTARD LEAF can be grown together with herbs, or just separately, along with lettuce and parsley.

Arugula has a strong spicy smell and an islandy, nutty taste. This wonderful herb has long been loved by many gardeners.

And without leaf mustard, many can no longer imagine a summer garden. Indeed, it is both tasty and healthy. And there is no hassle with it: just sow and water, and over the summer it produces several harvests of excellent greenery.

LOFANT ANICE - a spicy herb with the aroma of mint and anise. Very good in combination with cilantro and basil in tomato sauce for meat. Try it, you won't regret it!

CHEREMSH SADOVAYA or GARLIC ONION

Feathers with the taste and smell of garlic, only much more tender, there is no obvious garlic harshness. A perennial, absolutely unpretentious plant. It grows from a small bush into a whole plantation. Do not spare space for such a wonderful plant. Even children love him.

SAVORY , a pungent herb, can sometimes be used instead of pepper. But a little bit of this spiciness won’t hurt at all with the barbecue.

I highly recommend everyone to have a bed of herbs on their property. You can simply sow herbs under trees; many of them feel great in partial shade or shade. And you will always have a whole bouquet of tasty and healthy herbs at hand!