Mekitsa - Bulgarian Fried Doughnuts#EattheWorld

Last year  on our trip to Bulgaria we visited  the Rila Monastery which  is on the slopes of Rila, the highest Balkan Peninsula Mountain, in the valley of the Rilska River. 

It was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. 

Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

This monastery is so beautiful inside.

We had our lunch  at the  monastery and for tea we enjoyed these Mekitsa -  Bulgarian Fried Doughnuts.  They served us with a dusting of icing sugar.  

Since here it's a season of mangoes, paried them with chopped mangoes and the combo was simply divine. 

These also can be had with jam, honey or any soft cheese, for your breakfast or as dessert with different toppings of your choice.
Ingredients
1¾ Cups All purpose flour
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Yogurt

5 Grams Fresh Yeast
Oil for deep frying¼ Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Heaped Granulated Sugar
Water  as required 

Method

In a small bowl add the yeast , ¼ cup warm water, a tablespoon of flour and sugar.  Let is sit covered for 15 minutes till the yeast starts to froth. 
Take the flour in a large bowl, add the egg,  yogurt and the yeast mixture. Mix all well, then add water a tablespoon at a time and knead it into a soft and smooth dough. Cover and keep aside for an hour or till it doubles in volume.

Make medium sized balls from the dough. Now oil your hands generously.

With oiled fingers, shape the dough balls as round shape by stretching it with your hands.

Heat oil for deep frying, fry the doughnuts in medium flame until they turns golden brown.

Dust them with icing sugar and serve hot with your favorite topping. We enjoyed them with chopped Alphonso mango.

Labels: Bulgaria, Doughnuts, Fried, Eat the World, Breads, Breakfast, Snack 

Check out all the wonderful Bulgarian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
 Pandemonium Noshery: Bulgarian Sausage Stew
Sneha’s Recipe: Mekitsa - Bulgarian Fried Doughnuts
Sara’s Tasty Buds: Gevrek
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Patatnik + 2016 Edoardo Miroglio Bio Mavrud & Rubin
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Koledna Pitka (Bulgarian Christmas Bread)
Making Miracles: Gyuveche
Kitchen Frau: Patatnik (Bulgarian Potato Pie)
Dinner By Dennis: Kebapche (Bulgarian Grilled Kebabs)

Baked Donut Muffins#BakingBloggers

Made these donut muffins for our Sunday evening tea, and they were simply delicious, our guest were delighted to enjoy these. One bite and you would be asking for more. These so simple and healthier to make—certainly much easier than making fried doughnuts.  

Didn't have 10 donuts mould, so, I, also made my own.  There is not need to invest in buying a donut pan, when you can easily make your own from a muffin pan or even individual small bowls.

Makes 10 normal-sized Donut Muffins
Ingredients
160 Grams All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
60 Grams Butter - unsalted
75 Grams Caster Sugar
1 Large Egg
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
125 Ml Full Cream Milk
10 - 12 Teaspoons Strawberry Crush
For the Donut Topping
50 Grams Caster Sugar
50 Grams Butter - melted

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Grease the donut muffin mould and in the bowl 

I used steel bowl place the covered aluminium marbles in the center. Just wrap the marbles over the aluminum foil as shown above.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a large bowl, with a hand whisk, beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes until soft and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add one-third of the flour mixture with half of the milk and mix well, repeat until both are fully incorporated.

Pour  the mixture in a piping bag and fill the donut mould with a tablespoon or two or it . Add a teaspoon of  strawberry crush.

Cover with more muffin mixture. 

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until well risen and browned on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mine took exactly 22 minutes to bake. 

Leave the muffins to cool for a few moments, then turn them out on to a cooling rack. When cooled press out the aluminium coated marbles.

Put the caster sugar in a small bowl and the melted butter in another. 

While they’re still warm, roll the tops of the muffins in the melted butter, then the sugar. 

These are best eaten warm but will keep good for two days  if kept in a airtight box.

Enjoy with a cuppa of hot coffee or tea!!

Labels : Baked, Doughnuts, Baking Bloggers, Strawberry, Homemade Doughnut Pan

Baking Bloggers
Baked Donuts

A 'Hole' Lotta Fun with Mini Donuts by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Apple Cider Baked Doughnuts by Cookaholic Wife
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts by The Schizo Chef
Baked Chocolate Spice Crumb Cake Donuts by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Baked Cookies and Cream Doughnuts by Tara's Multicultural Table
Baked Donut Recipe Without A Pan by Recipe Pocket
Baked Donut Muffins by Sneha's Recipe
Baked Glazed Lemon Donuts by Making Miracles
Chocolate Donuts with Chocolate Chips by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Disney Spider Web Doughnuts by Simply Inspired Meals
Double Chocolate Baked Donuts by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Filled Donuts by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
German Chocolate Sauerkraut Donuts by Palatable Pastime

Potato Doughnuts / Donat Kentang - Indonesia - Savory Doughnuts

Indonesia - Donat Kentang is known as an Indonesian style fried mashed potato doughnut; a fritter that comes in ring shape and is made from combination of flour and mashed potatoes, coated in powder sugar or icing sugar. But since I had already prepared two sweet versions of doughnuts. I modified the recipe to my taste and prepared a savory version, these turned out absolutely delicious.

Every day in morning, would decide that today I, must prepare these doughnuts, but, an addict of youtube would be glued to the laptop watching videos and everything else takes the back seat. On Sunday morning I boiled the potatoes and kept them ready to make these doughnuts. Hubby had some urgent work so left home at 11.00 am and from that time I sat to watch youtube and lost track of the time. When he returned at 4pm I was still on youtube. He said he was very hungry and wanted something to eat. Since I wasted my time watching videos no lunch was prepared. I told him give me 15 minutes and I will give him something to eat. Went to kitchen and prepared these doughnuts. Could make only 9 from the prepared mixture. They turned out so delicious that these were insufficient for two hungry stomachs.  So here is the recipe.

Ingredients

1.1/2 Cup  Pressed Boiled and Mashed Potatoes

2/3 Cups Level All Purpose Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Baking powder

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt.

Dry Bread crumbs as required.

Oil for frying

Method

In a kadai place the oil to heat on very low flame.

In the meantime mix all the ingredients together to form a dough.  Divide the dough into 9 equal parts.

Oil your hands and take a ball,then flatten it into small puri, with your little finger make a hole. 

Roll it bread crumbs and keep aside.

When the oil is hot (do not bring the oil to a boiling point) place the doughnuts in the oil and do not disturb it by stirring the oil.  It will take some time to blow, to the top .

When it rises to surface then turn them to the other side.  Let this side get golden brown then turn again and brown the other side.

Place them on a paper towel. 

The best thing about these doughnut that they are not oily and do not absorb oil. 

They are crisp outside, soft and moist inside.  Serve them hot with ketchup.

Hubby had these with ketchup, I enjoyed them with spicy green coconut chutney and a cup of hot tea.  Do try them and enjoy.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doingBM#47.

Labels: Breads, Blogging Marathon, Asian Cuisine , Doughnuts, Indonesia

EGGLESS BOLAS DE BERLIM (BERLIN DOUGHNUTS)

This is the 2nd day of preparing doughnuts. Making doughnuts the second day has again given joy and happiness to all at home for them these are a treat.  Today I am travelling to Germany and preparing Berliner doughnuts. 

In Germany there are special variations of doughnuts - without a hole. They are filled with jam or all kinds of cremes and called "Krapfen" or "Berliner". Eveybody likes them to eat on carnival or New Year's Eve, But here I have made them with a hole since I did not want to add any filling. These are also eggless, but still moist and yum. 

The Dough 
250 Grams All Purpose flour
70 Ml Water
70 ML Milk
30 Grams Butter
20 Grams Vanaspati Ghee
50 Grams Sugar
1 Tablespoon Milk powder
2.1/4 Teaspoon Instant yeast
A pinch of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla essence 0r Cinnamon powder

For the coating

1/2 Cup Castor Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder

Method

Gather all the ingredients in a large bowl, then knead for 10 minutes by hand at least, or use a food processor. 

Let it rise for 45 minutes covered with a cloth, then punch it, then roll it out 1/2 inch thick.

Then cut discs out of it,with round cookie cutter or doughnut cutter, and place them on a surface floured. Cover them with a damp and clean cloth and leave to rise for.

In a kadai heat oil till on low flame. Put a doughnut at a time. They blow up immediately in the oil. When brown on one side turn to other side. When done, place them on paper towel.

Then in a zip lock bag mix the sugar and cinnamon , place one doughnut at a time and shake the bag, the doughnut will get evenly coated. Leave to cool down. Serve and enjoy these delicious doughnuts.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doingBM#47.

Lables: Blogging Marathon, Breads, Continental Cuisine, Doughnuts, Berlin

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS

These doughnuts are for the Blogging Marathon 47 week 1 day 1 where we had to choose from the link given to us from A to I . I made these Canadian chocolate doughnuts.  According to wiki Canadians consume the most doughnuts in the world, and Canada also has the most doughnut stores per capita. 

My hubby and daughter love doughnuts  and are thrilled whenever I make them. When I made these doughnuts and gave them to my friends, they were so thrilled they could not believe that these are made at home.

Ingredients
250 Grams All Purpose Flour
2.1/4 Teaspoon Instant Yeast
50 Grams Sugar Powder
2 Tablespoon Ghee or Butter
8 Tablespoons Milk
8 Tablespoons Water
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla essence or

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder - I used this
For the Chocolate Glaze

1 Cup Dark chocolate - melted

For decoration - coloured sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli

Method

Take a bowl add sugar, yeast, water, milk, salt, mix it till the sugar melts, then add all purpose flour and cinnamon powder, mix it well make into a dough.  Knead for 7 minutes and add butter again kneading for 3 minutes and rest it for 30 minutes in a warm place, after 30 minutes give knock back and again rest for another 30 minutes.

Take the dough and with help of rolling pin roll it into ½ inch sheet. 

Cut the doughnuts with doughnut cutter,( I cut them with a round cookie cutter then the center with small bottle cap ).

 Transfer in to the tray, then rest for 10 to 15 minutes to rise.

Heat oil in a Kadai and deep fry the doughnuts on low flame till brown in colour, take them out in a paper towel and let the excess oil drain. Let them cool.

For the chocolate coating, in microwave proof bowl melt the chocolate. . Dip each doughnut into the glaze, allow to cool. Sprinkle with any toppings or sprinkles or chocolate chips. Allow chocolate to set and serve.

  

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doingBM#47.

Notes:  

If you are using salted butter then do not add salt.

Fry then on very low flame or else then will brown from outside and uncooked inside.

Labels: Breads, Blogging Marathon, Chocolate, Continental Cuisine, Doughnuts, Canada