10 MAIN dishes of Tatar cuisine (PHOTOS)

Tatars are the second-largest ethnic group in Russia after Russians (4.7 million people). Tatar cuisine is famous for its hearty meat dishes and sweet desserts. But, above all, Tatar cuisine boasts an abundance of pies!

1. ‘Echpochmak’

‘Echpochmak’ is one of the most famous pies of Tatar cuisine. Its name translates as ‘triangle’. Inside, it has a juicy filling of meat (usually lamb or beef), potatoes and onions. Before baking, broth is added to the center of each ‘echpochmak’ to ensure the filling stays moist.

2. ‘Elesh’

This is another very traditional pie, but it is simply called ‘elesh’, which means ‘portion’. Unlike the ‘echpochmak’, the ‘elesh’ is round and filled with diced chicken, potatoes, onions and spices. The dough is yeast-free and made with sour cream and butter. Externally, an ‘elesh’ resembles a smaller version of another Tatar pie – ‘zur belish’.

3. Zur Belish

‘Zur belish’ (which means ‘big pie’ in Tatar) is, indeed, a large pie also filled with meat and potatoes and baked in an oven. The classic filling is beef, but, on special occasions, it’s replaced with duck or goose or a mix of different meats.

4. ‘Chak-Chak’

This is a sweet symbol of Tatar cuisine. ‘Chak-chak’ consists of small pieces of crispy dough generously soaked in sweet honey syrup. In Tatar, ‘chak-chak’ means ‘small change’.

5. ‘Gubadiya’

This sweet pie is usually made from yeast-free dough. The filling includes rice, eggs, cottage cheese and dried fruits, such as raisins, apricots and prunes. The top layer, meanwhile, is crispy dough crumbs.

6. ‘Peremyach’

This is a fried meat pie, a close relative of ‘belyash’, but with a juicier filling. The dough is fluffy and, inside, it contains minced meat with onions and spices.

7. ‘Tokmach’

This is a Tatar noodle soup. First, chicken broth is cooked with homemade noodles, seasoned only with salt and pepper and served with chopped herbs on the side. Then, the chicken from the broth is baked with potatoes. It makes for a complete meal.

8. ‘Kystyby’

This is a flatbread made of thin, yeast-free dough and stuffed with mashed potatoes or millet porridge. Sometimes, meat or cottage cheese is added.

9. ‘Talkysh Kaleve’

This is a traditional dessert made of honey, flour and butter and is one of the most popular gastronomic souvenirs in Tatarstan. A ‘talkysh kaleve’ resembles a tiny pyramid made of thin, thin fibers.

10. ‘Azu’ (Tatar-style stew)

A hearty meat stew made with beef or lamb, pickles, potatoes and spices.