Labneh (strained Yogurt) Cheesecake

Selam everybody ...... Merhaba from Turkey....

I was happy with my previous experiment using "cheese" from drained yogurt. I made a delish "cheese" souffle that now become 'most request' in my family ^,^

To make this Cheesecake, you need to drain plain thick yogurt to separate the water in cheesecloth-lined strainer for at least 24 hours before. From 1 kg yogurt I get about 860 ~ 900 gr drained yogurt 'Cheese' (it depends the thickness of yogurt you use)

If you using electric oven which has two side heat source (up and down heat source) be careful not to burn the surface-like I did here-to perform more beautiful good looking cheesecake. Recognize your oven to produce correct heat (even your oven has temperature setting). You might need to cover lightly your cheesecake with aluminium foil when you notice it's going to burn much.

But even my cheesecake surface is slightly burnt, it doesn't affect the silky and delish taste of this everybody's favorite dessert. With various jam topping, you and family can enjoy each personal taste. 

Maybe you would think that cheesecake made of yogurt has too much sourness taste in result...well...One thing I can say that each yogurt product has different quality and sourness. In Turkey we have few kind of yogurt for example; kaymaklı or kaymaksız. Kaymaklı is more creamy and less sourness than kaymaksız. And mostly turkish yogurt are very thick compare yogurt products I found in Indonesia which mostly thinner.

But again... it's back to your personal palate and taste.

Telor Marmer (Marbled Eggs)

One of Indonesian traditional dish. 

To get marble pattern in old time people used Jati (teak) leaves to give a dark red color on the eggs. With some spices added during boiling make this egg even more tasty. But now days people (generally who living in city) use teabag instead of "jati" (teak) leaves to get the marble pattern. But I still remember my grandma still made them with "jati" (teak) leaves which (at that time) we could find it easily in farmer market near us.

This egg makes usually as side dish of other Indonesian traditional meal. You can make it also to add your family menu list, easy to make...

Ingredients and how to make:

 6 ~ 8 medium eggs
 2 tea bags
 ½ tbsp coriander powder
 ½ tbsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, grated)
 1 tbsp granulated sugar
 ½ tbsp salt or to taste
 1 segment (3 cm) galangal, bruised
 3 ~ 4 bay leaves (in Indonesia we use "daun salam")

Put all ingredients in medium pot and pour water until all the eggs submerged about 3 fingers up. Boil eggs about 30 minutes. Drain eggs, then gently crack egg shells to form crack pattern. Put them back into pan and continue boiling over medium heat until the egg hardens (I need 60 minutes long).

Drain and peel eggs. 

Serve as a side dish.

Note: in Indonesia this egg usually goes with nasi Tumpeng, lontong capgomeh, nasi kuning, and others.

Indonesian Lamb or mutton Satay /Sate daging Kambing bumbu kecap

Satay (sate) originated in Java, Indonesia. Satay is available almost anywhere in Indonesia, where it has become a national dish. It is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, such as: Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, and the southern Philippines, and also in the Netherlands, as Indonesia is a former Dutch colony.

Satay is a very popular delicacy in Indonesia; Indonesia's diverse ethnic groups' culinary arts (see Indonesian cuisine) have produced a wide variety of satay. In Indonesia, satay can be obtained from a travelling satay vendor, from a street-side tent-restaurant, in an upper-class restaurant, or during traditional celebration feasts. In Malaysia, satay is a popular dish—especially during celebrations—and can be found throughout the country.

Besides this lamb satay, you can see my other post, Chicken satay with peanut sauce-  here and here. You can use that peanut sauce for this recipe too.

  Ingredients A:
 ± 2 kg Lamb /mutton  (mixed with fat). Cut into bite-size
 ± ¾ tablespoon garlic powder
 ½ tablespoons onion powder (optional)
 ± 1 tablespoon coriander powder
 2 tsp salt or to taste
 3~4 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
 4 ~ 5 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
→ Mix all ingredients and let sit at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Then stacking /puncture on satay skewer


Ingredients B (for marinate during grilling):
 sweet soy sauce (I use ABC brand)
 Lemon juice
 Sliced of small ​​red onion
→ Mix all ingredients  B as marinate during grill/ roasting.


Ingredients C (soy sauce):
 thin slices of red onion
 Sweet soy sauce (I use kecap manis ABC)
 Juice of fresh lemon
 birdeye chili, sliced / ground chili to taste
→ Mix all ingredients for sauce.

Yogurt "Cheese" Souffle Cake

This is great and easy dessert to make. And I  I admit I was quite successful. The souffle rise so high, so beautiful once out from oven. The only thing I fail here is just taking it picture in perfect time, so it looks slightly shrunken and collapsed after 15 minutes. What can I say? I'm not photographer.... But they are perfect indeed, the silky texture and delish taste... you must try this ! ^,^ Never mind the appearance, souffle is like that after few minute out of oven, that's why they served while it's hot..

To make this yogurt "cheese" souffle, you need to drain yogurt to separate the water in cheesecloth-lined strainer for at least 24 hours before.

Make about 6 (250 ml cap) ramekins

Ingredients:
 1 cup strained thick plain yogurt.

Ezogelin Çorbası ("Ezo" the bride soup)

Winter comes early in Bursa, I can see top of Uludağ mountain already cover by snow, it's not even December yet! Hubby asked me to make something hot and freshly tasty for dinner appetizer. So after thinking and searching on my file, I decided to make this Ezogelin Çorbası. It has been quite sometime since last winter I didn't make this soup.

I don't know exactly why this soup named Ezogelin Çorbası which mean "Ezo bride" soup. But some people said this soup originally from Gaziantep where "Ezo bride" attribute to.

Consists of red lentil, rice and fine bulgur. Has a slightly sour and fresh taste of tomato make this soup really suitable in chill cold weather of early November winter...

Serving: 4 ~ 5 

Ingredients:
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon of short grain rice
• 2 ~ 3 tablespoons  red lentils
• 1 tbsp fine bulgur
• ½ tablespoon dried mint
• ½ tbsp tomato paste or chili paste
• 2 teaspoon red Paprika/ sweet chilly powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or 2 tbsp butter)
• Salt and pinch of sugar
• ± 5 cups hot water (broth)-if you prefer thinner soup, can add 1 cup more

Onde-Onde #Pandan / Indonesian glutinous dumpling Snack with pandan flavor

Onde-Onde, it's a round ball-like dumpling usually stuffed with mashed mung bean. One of Indonesian traditional snack during family tea time in the afternoon together with another traditional snack. Now days there are many other kind stuffing variety such as black bean, chocolate, cheese and other. But traditional version always come with mashed mung bean- my favorite one.

Other variation is on the skin dough like I made this time. I add Pandan flavor in it. But if you like plain one, you can check my other post here

Check category Indonesian Snack (jajan pasar/ kue) for more Indonesian Kueh or snack.

Filling ingredients:
• ¾ cup mung beans (you can use peeled one). soak overnight
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
• Pinch of salt
Steam mung beans until tender. once it soft, while it's hot puree/ mash with hand blender or food processor together with sugar, vanilla and salt. Let stand to room temperature. Then shape it round of a marble. Set a side.

Ingredients for skin dough:
• 1 ½ cups glutinous flour
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• A few drops of pandan paste
• A few drops of green food coloring (optional)
• ¾ cup water room temperature

Dolmalık Bulgur (Stuffed Bell pepper with Bulgur) serve with Yogurt Salad

Dolma is stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions such as Russia, Middle East, and the Caucasus, and Central and South Asia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma (yaprak sarması). Common vegetables to stuff include onion, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, and pepper. The stuffing may or may not include meat. Meat dolma is generally served warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold and often eaten with yogurt.

One of traditional Turkish meal which daily served on Turkish' family dinner table. Experience Turkish flavor by making it in your kitchen

Ingredients
Filling:
 8 ~ 9 medium bell pepper (any color you have)
 2 medium size onion, grated
 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
 ± 150 g minced beef
 1 ½ cup fine bulgur
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 2 tsp cumin powder
 1 tsp pepper powder
 2 teaspoon red sweet pepper powder
 2 tsp cayenne powder
 2 tsp salt or to taste
 tomatoes for topping, slices


For the sauce:
 2 medium tomatoes, grated
 1 tbsp tomato paste or chili paste
 1 ½ cup hot water
 A little salt

method:
A) In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients (except bell pepper and tomatoes for topping). Knead until well blended. Test the taste.
B) Seeded bell pepper (as shown), sprinkle with fine salt. Then prick the bottom of those bell pepper once with a knife. Fill with stuffing mixture and cover the top with tomato slices (as shown). Arrange in pan with lid.

C) Combine all sauce ingredients and pour over the Dolma. Cook over medium heat until cooked about 20 ~ 25 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm with yogurt salad

How to make yogurt salad:

• 1 large cucumber, finely cubed
• 1 handful fresh mint, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried mint)
• 1 handful of parsley or dill, finely chopped
• 2 ~ 3 tbsp thick plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of salt
Mix all salad ingredients and mix well. Serve cold or room temperature.