Monday 16 May 2016

Tarator | Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup

We are starting the third week of BM#64.The theme for this week was to pick one European cuisine and make three different courses from the same. I picked up Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is a Balkan nation and its cuisine has Greek, Slavic, Ottoman and Persian influences. While I remember reading about this country during childhood. Especially in some of the Tintin books, the portrayal of Syldavians appear to have a similarity to Bulgarian, their food habits etc.

Apart from this remote memory I have no idea about the cuisine. So I took a virtual tour, my prerequisite was, of course, vegetarian options in their baked dishes as I wanted to bake something. Surprisingly their Tarator impressed me much and I felt I could easily make it.

The fact was until I actually read the recipe again to make it, I didn't realize how simple this recipe was. Tarator is a traditional Bulgarian soup. Even while reading it in various sites didn't strike me. It's not exactly a soup but a no-cook refreshing summer dish. Because you add garlic it's also sharp. According to the writer, to Bulgarians Tarator is what Gazpacho is to Spanish or Vichyssoise is to French – a superb summer first course that refreshes while it stimulates the palate. It’s easy and fast to make, while healthy and very low calorie.
 
Tarator

Ingredients Needed:

Cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped - 1 Cup
Garlic pressed - 1 clove
Curds/ Yoghurt  - 4 cups
Water - 1 cup
Fresh dill, finely chopped - 1/2 bunch
Crushed walnuts - 3 tablespoons of
Oil / Olive oil) - 2 tsp

How to make Tarator

Prep the cucumber, peel and finely chop, press the garlic, crush the walnuts and chop the herb.

Once you are ready, it's time to assemble. In a large bowl, dilute the curds, add all the ingredients. Add salt to taste and combine everything well. Store in the fridge to cool for half an hour.

Serving Suggestions:

The writer says we can serve the Tarator in soup bowls or we can serve Tarator in large glasses “on the rocks”, which will be a very refreshing and appetizing way to start a meal on a hot summer’s day.



Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM

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