Chiftelute in sos picant / Koftas (meatballs) in a spicy sauce

Ingrediente / Ingredients

• 750 g carne macra de vita tocata / 750 g lean minced beef
• 6 lingurite seminte mac / 6 tsp poppy seeds
• 3 cepe medii, tocate / 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 lingurite radacina de ghimbir proaspat zdrobit /  3 tsp crushed fresh root ginger
• 3 lingurite usturoi zdrobit / 3 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 lingurite sare / 2 tsp salt
• 2 lingurite  praf de ardei iute / 2 tsp chilli powder
• 4 lingurite coriandru macinat / 4 tsp ground coriander
• 3 linguri frunze de coriandru proaspete / 3 tbs fresh coriander leaves
• 2 oua / 2 eggs

Pentru sos / For the sauce

• 220 ml iaurt simplu / 220 ml plain yogurt
• 100 g pasta tomate / 100 g tomato paste
• 2 lingurite praf de ardei iute / 2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 lingurite sare / 2 tsp salt
• 3 lingurite usturoi zdrobit / 3 tsp crushed garlic
• 3 lingurite radacina de ghimbir zdrobit / 3 tsp fresh root ginger
• 3 lingurite garam masala / 3 tsp garam masala
• 4 linguri ulei / 6 tbs oil
• 1 ½ bat de scortisoara / 1 ½ cinnamom stick
• 650 ml water / 650 ml water

Mod de preparare / Method of preparation

1. Se pune carnea de vita intr-un castron iar peste semintele de mac si se da deoparte. 

Place the beef into a bowl and tip the poppy seeds on top and set aside.

2. Se pune ceapa intr-un robot de bucatarie impreuna cu ghimbirul zdrobit, usturoiul, sarea, praful de chilli, coriandrul macinat si coriandrul proaspat. 

Place the onion in a food processor, with the crushed ginger, garlic, salt, chilli powder, ground coriander and fresh coriander.

3. Amestecul de condimente se macina in jur de 30 de secunde, dupa care se adauga la carnea de vita si se amesteca bine. 

Grind this spice mixture for about 30 seconds, then add it to the beef and mix well.

 

4. Se bat ouale cu telul si se amesteca bine cu carnea de vita condimentata.

 Whisk the eggs and thoroughly mix it into the spiced beef. 

5. Se lasa sa stea in jur de 1 ora.

Leave to stand for about 1 hour.

 

6. Pentru sos se bate cu telul iaurtul, pasta de tomate, praful de ardei iute, sarea, usturoiul zdrobit, ghimbirul si garam masala.

For the sauce, whisk together the yogurt, tomato paste, chilli powder, salt, crushed garlic, ginger and garam masala.

7. Se incinge uleiul cu batul de scortisoara intr-o karahi sau wok timp de 1 minut, dupa care peste se toarna sosul preparat.

Heat the oil with the cinnamon stick in a  karahi or wok for about 1 minute, then pour in the prepared sauce.

 

8. Se reduce focul si se fierbe timp de 1 minut. Karahi sau wok-ul se i-a de pe foc si se da deoparte.

Lower the heat and cook for about 1 minute. Remove the karahi or wok from the heat and set aside.

9. Se rup bile mici din amestecul de carne iar folosing mainile se fac chiftelute.

Break off small balls of the meat mixture and make koftas (meatballs) using your hands. 

10. Cand sunt gata toate chiftelutele se pune din nou pe foc sosul in care se amesteca cu apa.

When all the koftas (meatballs) are ready, return the sauce to the heat and stir in the water. 

 

11. Se adauga in sos chiftelutele una cate una.

Drop in the koftas (meatballs) one by one.

12. Se acopera cu un capac si se fierb pana chiftelutele sunt fierte, amestecand usor de mai multe ori pentru a intoarce chiftelutele. 

Cover with a lid and cook until koftas (meatballs) are cooked, stirring gently several times to turn the koftas around.

13. Se servesc  fierbinti / Serve hot.

Lasagna Bolognese

Ingrediente / Ingredients:

• 400 g foi de lasagna / 400 g lasagna sheets
• 300 g mozzarella, rupta in bucati mici / 300 g mozzarella, torn  into small pieces
• 150 g parmesan, ras / 150 g grated parmesan

Sos Ragu alla Bolognese / Ragu sauce alla Bolognese

• 600 g carne de vita, tocata /  600 g beef minced beef
• 1 morcov mic / 1 small carrot
• 1 ceapa medie / 1 medium onion
• 1/2 de telina medie / ½ medium celery
• 50 g unt / 50 g butter
• 4 linguri ulei de masline extra virgine / 4 tablespoons extra virgine olive oil
• 200 ml vin rosu / 200 ml red wine
• 400 ml suc de rosii (passata) / 400 ml tomato juice (passata)
• ½ legatura busuioc si oregano proaspat / ½ a bunch fresh basil and oregano
• sare, piper dupa gust / salt, pepper (to taste)

Sos bechamel / Bechamel sauce

• 50 g unt / 50 g butter
• 50 g faina / 50 g flour
• 500 ml lapte / 500 ml milk
• 1 lingurita nucsoara, praf / 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Mod de preparare / Method of preparation

1. Fierbe pe jumate foile de lasagna in apa cu sare. / Half cook the lasagna sheets in water with salt.
2. Scurge apa, lasa-le sa se raceasca si separa-le pentru a nu se lipi. / Drain the water, let it cool and place them sepeartely so they dont stick together.

Sosul Ragu alla Bolognese / Ragu sauce alla Bolognese

1. Toaca ceapa marunt si da prin razatoare legumele. / Chop the onion and grate the vegetables.
2. Intr-o tigaie mai mare incalziti uleiul si untul, distuiti ceapa si legumele, la foc mediu pana se inmoaie. / In a bigger pot heat the oil and butter and sauté the onion and vegetables over medium heat till they get soft.
3. Adaugati carnea tocata si prajiti-o usor, cam 10 minute. / Mix in the minced meat and cook for 10 mins
4. Toarna vinul peste carne sa fiarba la foc mic pana se absoarbe (cam 15 minute) /  Pour the wine over meat to cook over low heat till absorbed (around 15 minutes).
5. Adauga passata, amesteca bine, acopera si lasa sa fiarba 45 de minute (daca scade foarte tare adauga apa) / Add passata, mix well, cover it and let it cook 45 minutes (if it reduces very much add water).
6. Toaca busuioc si oregano proaspat, amesteca cu sosul si adauga sare si piper dupa gust. / Chop fresh basil and oregano, mix it with the sauce and add salt and paper (to taste).

Sosul Bechamel / Bechamel Sauce

1. Topeste untul. / Melt the butter.
2. Adauga faina si incorporeaz-o in unt. / Add the flour and mix into the butter.
3. Se toarna cateva linguri de lapte fierbinte, destul pentru a inmuia amestecul de faina si unt. / Pour in just a few tablespoons of the hot milk, just enough to moisten the flour and butter mixture.
4. Se amesteca bine pentru a subtia amesctecul gros de faina. / Whisk thoroughly to loosen up the thick flour mixture.
5. Amestecand constant cu telul, adauga resul de lapte peste amesetecul subtiat de faina. / Whisking constantly, add the rest of the milk to the loosened flour mixture.
6. Adauga nucsoara si amesteca bine. / Add the nutmeg powder and mix it well.

 

Asamblare / Assembling:

1. Unge fundul tavii cu 2 linguri de ulei de masline si 2 linguri de sos ragu / Brush 2 table spoon of olive oil on the bottom of the tray and 2 spoons of ragu sauce
2. Imparte sosul ragu si sosul béchamel in 3 parti / Divide the ragu and bechamel sauce into 3 parts
3. Pune un strat de foi de lasagna pe fund / Place a layer of lasagna sheets on the bottom
4. Toarna peste, o portie de sos ragu desupra caruia se toarna o portie de sos béchamel si jumate din portia de mozzarella / Pour in one portion of the ragu sauce on top of which goes one portion of the bechamel sauce and half the mozzerella
5. Repeta pasul 3 si 4 / Repeat the step 3 and 4
6. Peste stratul final toarna un strat de sos béchamel, iar dupa aceea sosul ragu peste care se presara parmesanul ras / On the final layer pour in the bachamel sauce and then the ragu over which you spread grated parmasan
7. Se coace pestru 30 de minute la 180 de grade / Bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees