Traditional Bosnian cuisine, an authentic interweaving of the colors of East and West, formed by a long period of adaptation of dishes from the cuisine of those parts of the world, today represents a long series of light dishes with lots of various vegetables, milk and dairy products that are mostly boiled and stewed with little water, without strong hot spices.
Oriental spices are used in minimal quantities and only discreetly underline the basic natural taste and smell of the dish. There is, of course, expertly prepared grilled meat, all possible types of pies, oriental sweets and many other things that true lovers of good food will certainly hold in their memory.
ĐUL PIE – ROSES
INGREDIENTS:
1 package of ready-made phyllo pastry leaves
200 g of melted butter
500 g of crushed walnuts
2 spoons of sugar
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SYRUP:
800 g of sugar
600 ml of water
2 vanilla sugar bags
1 lemon in round slices
PREPARATION:
Take 2 sheets of phyllo pastry, melt the butter and grease both the first and second sheet. Sprinkle walnuts, to which we added 2 tablespoons of sugar, on the second sheet. Twist into rolls and cut about 1 centimeter wide. Arrange in a pan and do the same with the rest of the sheets and sugared walnuts. Pour over the rest of the butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for about 25 minutes.
SYRUP PREPARATION:
Bring about 800 g of sugar, 600 ml of water, 2 vanilla sugar bags and one lemon to a light boil. After 5 minutes of cooking, remove from the stove and pour the hot sauce over the cooled pie. If you like a slightly less sugared syrup, add more water, it’s all a matter of taste. Pieces of pie can be arranged in larger shape, take 6 sheets of phyllo pastry and sprinkle each one with walnuts, then roll and cut so that they are ticker.
BOSNIAN COOKIE – LOKUM
0.5 kg of flour
250 g of margarine or butter
200 g of powdered sugar
1 egg white
PREPARATION:
Mix flour and 160-170 g of powdered sugar. Add the snow from 1 egg white and softened butter and mix with hand to get a fine dough. Cut the butter and put it in the microwave for a few seconds. So it softens quickly and evenly. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts. Roll out each part with your fingers so that it is a little thicker than your finger, then cut into the desired shapes and place on a dry tray. Do not sprinkle flour on the surface you are working on. Put in the oven heated to 180 degrees. After 10 minutes, reduce to 140 and bake for another 15 minutes. Immediately after baking roll in powdered sugar. Place the lokum in a box or container with a lid.
STUFFED BOSNIAN BUN – LEPINA
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of flour
350 ml of lukewarm water
1 pack of yeast
1 large spoon of salt
1 small spoon sugar
300 g of veal
3 small red onions
a couple of cloves of garlic
70 g of gouda cheese
spices
oil
butter
seeds
a little milk and oil for coating
PREPARATION:
First, knead the dough. Mix yeast and sugar, with a little water. Add salt and yeast to the flour, then knead the dough with lukewarm water. The dough will be softer, but that’s how it should be. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise. While the dough is rising, prepare the meat in a pan with a little butter and oil. Fry red onion and garlic and finely chopped veal, then season with salt, pepper, vegetables, parsley, chives, grounded red pepper and oregano.
When the dough has risen, divide it into 2 balls. Move the first ball, then roll it thinly into a circle. Put the dough in a pan with parchment paper, and now, put the cut Gouda cheese cut in tin pieces. Spread the meat over the cheese. Now move the second ball again, roll it out, and fold it over the meat. Fold the ends in on all sides, like making a pie, so that nothing leaks out. Cover the bun again with a cloth and let it rise again for 30 minutes. Coat it with a little whipped milk and a drop or two of oil. Pierce the bun lightly with a knife in a couple of places. Sprinkle with seeds as desired, and bake in a preheated oven. Bake the bun for 35 minutes until nicely browned. When the bun is baked, take it out, spread the butter over it, wrap it in a cloth to soften.
JUICY VEAL’S LIVER
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg of liver
2 dl of oil
1 onion
1 pepper
1 spoon of flour
salt
peppercorns
parsley
bay leaf
ground pepper
vegetable seasoning
PREPARATION:
Put onion and pepper in heated oil, add chopped liver, peppercorns, bay leaf, salt and leave on low heat for another 15 minutes. After the dish is stewed, add 1 spoon of flour, 1 spoon of ground paprika and 1 dl of water and cook for about 30 minutes. At the end, add parsley and vegetable seasoning. Serve hot, decorate as desired.
