Adyghe milk cheese recipe. Adyghe cheese: the secrets of Caucasian longevity

If you love cheese, you've probably tried many of its varieties. Do you know how useful Adyghe cheese is, how you can cook it at home? If not, then by all means find out!

What kind of cheese is that?

Adyghe cheese- This is one of the national dishes of the Circassian cuisine. It got its name thanks to the Republic of Adygea, in which it has long been produced in large quantities.

Adyghe cheese is a soft cheese that does not require maturation. It is prepared using fermented milk whey, usually from cow, sheep and goat milk, and certainly from pasteurized at high temperature.

Two main types are known: fresh cheese and smoked. The first one is soft creamy taste, the second is famous for its spicy smoked flavor and bright smell. The color will depend on the quality and fat content of the milk used for cooking. Most often it varies from milky to cream or light yellow.

How is this cheese made?

The preparation is not very difficult. First, the milk is heated to 95 degrees, then whey is gradually introduced, which starts the processes of coagulation and sedimentation of milk proteins. After a few minutes, curdled clots begin to form, which are placed in baskets (they leave the pattern characteristic of this variety on the heads) and leave until thickened and acquiring density.

Compound

Natural Adyghe cheese contains a mass useful substances, including such as phosphorus, copper, zinc, calcium, sodium, magnesium, proteins and carbohydrates, amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as vitamins H, A, D, C and group B.

By the way, the calorie content of 100 grams of the product is only 220-240 calories, so it can be safely called dietary.

Beneficial features

The benefits of Adyghe cheese are in its following properties:

This cheese contains a lot of protein, which improves the condition of muscle tissues, and also participates in the formation of new cells in almost all tissues of the body.
The composition includes enzymes that normalize digestion and improve appetite.
Adyghe cheese is an excellent source of calcium, which is necessary for strengthening bones, hair, teeth and nails.
This product is very useful for immunity, because, firstly, it helps to normalize the intestinal microflora (and it contains beneficial bacteria that protect the body from attacks by harmful microorganisms), and secondly, it contains ascorbic acid, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the immune system.
B vitamins (and there are a lot of them in this cheese) are very useful for nervous system, and also take part in many metabolic processes.
Adyghe cheese is very useful for blood vessels and the heart and helps to improve the functioning of the entire cardiovascular system.
The composition of the product includes tryptophan, and this substance improves mood and helps to cope with depression.
Such cheese is very useful for excess body weight and obesity.

Can this one hurt?

The harm of Adyghe cheese is possible only if such a product is abused. First, a large number of enzymes trapped in digestive tract, can cause stomach pain, as well as exacerbation of gastritis or ulcers. Secondly, an excess of tryptophan can provoke a migraine attack. In addition, the product is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to milk protein.

How to cook?

How to make Adyghe cheese at home? The easiest way is to make it from milk.

You will need:

3.5 liters of milk;
500 ml of whey (it must certainly be acidic);
salt to taste.

Cooking method:

First, the milk must be heated, but not boiled. That is, as soon as foam begins to form, reduce the heat to a minimum.

When the foam begins to rise, carefully and slowly pour the whey into the pan, while constantly stirring the milk. As a result, after about a minute or two, flakes should form. This will indicate that the fermentation process has begun.

Continue heating the milk until all the milk protein has settled and the whey is clear greenish.

Transfer the cereal to a colander, the whey can be drained or used to make cheese next time.

Press down with a spoon to form a head.

When all the liquid drains, salt the composition on one side, then turn over and salt on the other side.
Transfer the mass to a dish or tray and put it in the refrigerator for five to six hours to cool and cool completely.

Homemade Adyghe cheese is ready!

Tip: Serum should be acidic, so if it is not, you can just leave it for a couple of days in a warm place. In addition, whey can be prepared independently. To do this, heat kefir, yogurt or sour milk and wait for all the liquid to stand out.

What can be prepared from this cheese?

From Adyghe cheese you can cook a lot delicious meals. Below are a few recipes.

Option one

Make Adyghe khachapuri

You will need:

500 ml of curdled milk, kefir or sour milk (to make the dough more tender, you can mix 250 ml of one of these ingredients with the same amount of sour cream);
4 or 5 glasses of flour;
one egg;
5 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil;
one teaspoon of salt;
a teaspoon of soda;
a teaspoon of sugar.

For filling:

500 grams of Adyghe cheese.

Cooking:

First you need to prepare the dough. To do this, sift the flour and mix it with soda, sugar and salt.

Make a well in the center, pour kefir and butter into it, and also break the egg.

Knead pretty elastic dough and put it in the fridge for about an hour.

Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.

Divide the chilled dough into several parts. Roll each part into a fairly thin layer.

Put in the center of the layer grated cheese(several tablespoons).

Bring the edges of the layer to the center, connect and pinch.

Turn the cake over and gently roll out with a rolling pin.

Form the rest of the cakes in the same way. Fry them in vegetable oil.

You can make a pie if you like. To do this, roll out all the dough and form a large cake. Bake it for about 40 minutes in the oven.

Option two

This recipe will help prepare a salad with vegetables.

You will need:

half a glass of rice;
two tomatoes;
100 grams of spinach;
one bell pepper;
300 grams of Adyghe cheese;
three cloves of garlic;
one bulb;
three tablespoons of butter;
pepper and salt to taste.

Cooking method:

Rice should be boiled until tender. For a part of cereal, take two and a half or three parts of water.

Peel the onion and cut into half rings.

Remove the seeds from the pepper by removing the stem. Cut it into strips.

Tomatoes can be cut into slices or cubes.

Cheese should be cut into medium-sized cubes.

Peel and crush the garlic with a garlic crusher.

Heat oil in a frying pan.

Sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and cheese. Fry everything until golden brown.

Mix the fried cheese with onions and garlic, rice, peppers and tomatoes, salt and pepper the salad.

Option three

You can make a Caesar salad.

Would need:

300 grams of chicken fillet;
200 grams of Adyghe cheese;
2 tomatoes;
50 grams of lettuce leaves;
50 grams of crackers;
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise;
clove of garlic;
salt to taste.

Cooking:

Boil chicken fillet or bake in foil in the oven.

Grate the cheese.

Tear lettuce leaves with your hands.

Cut the tomatoes into cubes.

Chop garlic and mix with mayonnaise.

Mix all the ingredients, dress the salad with garlic mayonnaise.

Be sure to eat this cheese, because it is tasty and healthy!

Aug 12, 2015 Olga

Homemade Adyghe cheese can be easily and simply prepared at home - there would be a desire. Unlike shop product homemade cheese is much more tender and it is always fresh. Adyghe cheese itself is quite bland, but its taste can be improved without any problems by adding regular salt.

Adyghe cheese is a product that has a sour-milk taste and a relatively delicate, slightly dense texture. Among the analogues are such cheeses as brynza, ricotta, feta or mozzarella. Being national dish Circassian cuisine, it is customary to cook Adyghe cheese most often from cow's milk(but it can also be based on sheep or goat milk) by adding whey.

AT culinary purposes Adyghe cheese is used very widely. It can be eaten on its own or added to vegetable salads or various snacks. First courses, spreads, casseroles, cheesecakes, stuffing for pies, pies or dumplings - not the whole list of uses for this cheese. In addition, the product goes well with vegetables and fruits, herbs, pasta. It is even fried butter- it turns out very tasty and satisfying.

I cannot but dwell on some points that relate directly to the preparation of Adyghe cheese at home. Primarily, important condition is the presence of acidic, namely acidic whey. If you take fresh (for example, immediately after making homemade cottage cheese), the cheese may not work - the whey simply does not curdle the milk. Therefore, you need to give her a chip - we leave fresh at room temperature for about a day, after which we let stand in the refrigerator for another 3-4 days.

The second point: cow's milk for homemade Adyghe cheese will do not any. Ideally, take a whole, market - then the cheese will turn out more tender, and the way out finished product there will be more. From the store, choose pasteurized (nothing will come of ultra-pasteurized, since everything that is alive has already been killed in it).

From the indicated amount of products, I get 440 grams of finished cheese and 2.1 liters of fresh whey. My milk had a fat content of 2.5%, and whey - after making cottage cheese from kefir (fat content is also 2.5%). I think you understand that the yield depends both on the fat content of the feedstock and on the degree of moisture content of the cheese (if desired, the whey can be squeezed out mechanically). In both versions (read about this in the steps), I have Adyghe cheese that is not dry, it is perfectly cut with a knife, and practically does not crumble.

Ingredients:

Cooking step by step with photos:

The recipe for homemade Adyghe cheese includes the following ingredients: whey, milk and salt (optional). Products do not have to be at room temperature - milk and whey can be used directly from the refrigerator.

Pour milk into a suitable volume (I have a four-liter saucepan). Put on the stove and heat almost to a boil. You don't need to boil unless you have homemade milk. To speed up the heating process, I advise you to cover the pan with a lid, just make sure that the milk does not boil to the bottom - stir it.

Ideally, the temperature of the milk should be 95 degrees, but in the absence of a cooking thermometer, navigate visually (dense steam will appear above the surface). Now, while constantly stirring the milk, pour the whey.

Literally before our eyes, the milk will curdle, forming curdled flakes. Turn off the fire and remove the pan from the stove.

Here I wanted to show closer how curd flakes look like. They are not very large, but not small either - medium, in a word. Let the contents of the dishes rest on the table for 5-7 minutes (no need to interfere) - during this time the clots will thicken and the whey will separate well. By the way, the more you keep the liquid on fire (even if you let the milk with whey boil), the tougher the homemade Adyghe cheese will turn out.

Then you have a choice of how to shape the future Adyghe cheese. Best for shaping special shapes for making cheese, but I don’t have those, unfortunately. You can also just throw the mass on a sieve or colander, after lining it with 3-4 layers of gauze. Do not forget to substitute a volumetric container into which the whey will drain.

After 10-15 minutes, most of the whey will drain (pour it into another bowl and use as needed) and it will be possible to shape the future cheese. To do this, tightly twist the head into gauze, trying to make as few folds as possible.

We put something flat on top and put a load (for example, a jar of water). When the cheese has cooled, we place the structure in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. During this time, the head will compact well, while excess whey will leave.

Now another option for molding (for the site I prepared Adyghe cheese for the second time, as soon as I ate the first batch), since I don’t really like the method with a sieve - well, the head is not ideal, it’s flat. If taste is more important to you, and the form is not so important, skip the next step. Here I (not without the advice and help of my husband, of course, I admit) built the following structure: I took 2 plastic cups(with a capacity of 400 milliliters each) from under sour cream. The husband made many holes (using an awl) at the bottom and along the bottom of the walls. When the curd flakes in the whey thickened, she transferred them to glasses with a slotted spoon. I placed cookie cutters in a deep bowl at the bottom so that the bottom of the glasses and the container did not touch each other. Thus, the whey went into the container. As a load, when the whey was no longer flowing, but slowly dripping, I placed glasses (of a smaller volume) filled with water on top of the cheese. I also put it in the fridge overnight.

It is not difficult to make Adyghe cheese at home, and the benefits of consumption natural product handmade is undeniable. Taste soft cheese, easily prepared within an hour, milky with a delicate texture.

Initially, Adyghe cheese was produced from milk, goat or sheep. Currently, it is prepared from cow's milk, which makes it possible to get cheese at home, right in the kitchen. Several recipes are known.

So, to make a head of cheese weighing 500 grams, you will need the following products and materials:

pasteurized cow's milk - 2 l;
curdled milk (kefir) - 600 g;
salt, spices (to taste);
gauze;
sieve (or colander);
a saucepan with a volume of at least 3 liters;
a saucepan (deep salad bowl) in which a sieve can be placed;
deep dish (salad bowl, or cheese mold).

We execute sequentially:

Pour milk into a saucepan and place over moderate heat.
Wait for the appearance of small bubbles and films.
Without bringing to a boil, gently stirring the milk with a spoon, slowly pour yogurt (kefir) into it.
Continue stirring. In the meantime, the milk will begin to curdle and turn into lumps.
Wait for the moment when the whey, separated from the milk, becomes greenish, and turn off the heat.
Continue stirring for a minute.
Then prepare a saucepan (salad bowl), install a sieve in it. Put gauze in it.
Carefully put (pour) the contents of the pan into a sieve.
Allow excess liquid to drain, quickly transfer the cheese to a deep dish.
While the cheese has not cooled, season it with salt and add, if desired, spices.
After cooling, cover the cheese with a lid and refrigerate.

Important! The cheese must not be allowed to completely lose its liquid. Since this can affect its taste.

Cooking from whole milk and kefir

The birthplace of Adygei cheese is the Republic of Adygea, where local women cook it from whole milk and kefir.

To make this cheese recipe, you will need:

whole milk (cow, sheep) - 3 l;
kefir - 1 l;
salt - 20 g.

We execute sequentially:

Pour kefir into a saucepan and put on fire.
Wait for the moment when the curd separates from the whey, remove from the stove.
Drain the whey and leave to sour for 2 days without putting it in the refrigerator. You can make dumplings or cheesecakes from cottage cheese, that is, use it at your discretion.
Boil the milk after two days.
Add sour whey to milk and cook over low heat.
After about 8 minutes, the cheese will rise to the surface, it remains only to catch it and strain it through cheesecloth.
Salt the formed piece of cheese, stir and hang it in gauze so that excess water is gone.
Then put the cheese into a mold and put it in the refrigerator.
During the day, periodically remove the cheese, and drain the accumulated liquid.
After a day, the cheese is ready to eat.

Cheese with yogurt

You can cook homemade Adyghe cheese without whey or kefir, replacing them with natural drinking yogurt.

So, to make cheese with the addition of yogurt, you will need:

cow's milk (pasteurized or whole) - 2 l;
natural drinking yogurt - 1 glass;
salt, spices - to taste.

We execute sequentially:

Pour the milk into a saucepan and place on the stove.
Wait for bubbles to appear and, while stirring, carefully pour in the yogurt.
In the meantime, whey will begin to separate from the main mass, which will acquire a greenish tint. It is necessary to wait until it turns white again, and remove it from the stove.
Don't rush to post thick mass in a sieve lined with gauze.
Give the cheese time to settle so that the glass is excess liquid.
Then put the cheese into a dish (form) and, if desired, season with salt and spices, put in the refrigerator.
A day later, the cheese is ready.

In a goat's milk multicooker

A multicooker will help to significantly facilitate the process of preparing Adyghe cheese at home.

To make goat milk cheese in a slow cooker, you will need:

sour goat milk (or curdled milk) - 1 l;
raw egg- 1 PC.;
salt, spices - a couple of pinches (or to taste).

We execute sequentially:

Beat the egg, adding salt.
Pour milk (curdled milk) into a bowl.
Add beaten egg and mix.
Turn on the multicooker on the "Baking" mode for 20 minutes. During this period, the serum should separate from the bulk.
Turn off the multicooker and carefully place the contents in a sieve.
Allow several hours for the liquid to drain.
Then put the mass into a mold, flavored with salt, spices to taste.

Important! Salt and spices can not be used at all, then the cheese will have a special natural taste. And, conversely, the more salt is added, the more the cheese will resemble cheese.

Delicious homemade whey cheese

One of the most popular recipes Adyghe cheese is cooked with whey (the product is sold in the store).

When making Adyghe cheese using an electric (gas) stove, there is a possibility of burning milk. In order to avoid this, you must do the following: before pouring milk into a saucepan, pour a little water into it, boil it and only then gradually pour in the milk. It is important to add any ingredient to the pan gradually, while stirring constantly and gently.
It must be remembered that the quality of cooked cheese directly depends on its ingredients.
Because the product has a moist consistency, whey residue can be used for additional hydration during storage.
In addition to spices, spices and salt, you can add fresh herbs when shaping the cheese head.
Homemade Adyghe cheese can be kept in the refrigerator for only 4 days. The sealed product will be stored in freezer up to 10-12 days.
Cheese easily absorbs the smells of other products, so it needs to be tightly packed.
Sprinkle the cheese with coarse salt.
The whey left over from cooking is used for various pastries. Sour whey is stored for a long time in the freezer. In the future, it can be used to prepare a new batch of cheese.

Everyone can master the art of cheese making, and it’s worth starting with Adyghe cheese, the easiest to prepare.

Adyghe cheese at home is much tastier, more tender and healthier than a store-bought product. The dish is prepared simply and quickly (with the exception of the whey souring time).

Adyghe cheese is a valuable storehouse of protein and calcium. In addition, it is non-caloric, and therefore can be recommended for dietary intake. Due to its wonderful taste, it is used as an additive to various salads, snacks. Milk product goes well with greens, vegetables and even fruits.

Ingredients

kefir or yogurt - 1 liter;
milk - 3 liters;
salt;
pepper, spices, herbs (optional).

About 500 grams of cheese comes out of the indicated amount of ingredients.

Adyghe cheese recipe at home

Before you start cooking, you need to make a starter from kefir. Pour kefir into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it begins to boil, and small flakes form, immediately turn off the fire.

With the help of a fine sieve or gauze, we filter the whey from the cottage cheese. Pour into a convenient bowl and leave for 2 days at room temperature to sour. The cottage cheese remaining in the sieve can be eaten or used in baking.

When the whey turns sour, heat 3 liters of fresh milk in a large deep saucepan.

Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly so that the bottom of the pan does not burn. As soon as the foam begins to rise, immediately pour the acidified whey to the milk, mix well.

The milk will begin to separate the protein, the whey will turn clear green and flakes will form.

Let simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat. Drain into a fine sieve or colander.

While the cheese is still hot, level it with a spatula, crush and salt to taste. Leave for 15 minutes for the whey to glass and the product to thicken (the drained whey can be reused for making cheese or used in baking).

Then turn over, and repeat the procedure with salt on the other side, also leave for 15 minutes.

If you want the dish to be more compact, put it under pressure for a few minutes while the product is still hot. If desired, the appetizer can be seasoned on top with red pepper or herbs to give a piquant taste.

Ready cheese is good both warm and cold. It can be added to salads or used as a filling for pies. Enjoy your meal!

Adyghe cheese at home, which would not differ in taste from the store, anyone can do, the main thing is that there is a good and proven recipe. Adyghe received its name in honor of the republic where it began to be produced locals- Circassians. Well, we are used to calling him that, but the local population calls his cheese "matekuai", which translates as cheese basket. To give ready cheese its characteristic appearance is a hemisphere, it is laid out in small baskets made of vines. Having settled, the cheese acquires not only desired shape, but also beautiful drawing, in the form of a relief left by a basket.

Thanks to its extraordinary taste, it quickly spread far beyond its borders. In every Circassian family, a recipe for Adyghe cheese was passed down from generation to generation. It was prepared for home use as well as for sale.

According to its characteristics, Adyghe cheese belongs to the group of curd cheeses and is a close relative of feta, cheese and ricotta. Adyghe cheese is made strictly from fresh cow's milk, adding to it rennet extract in the form of serum. Under the action of enzymes, milk curdles and falls out in flakes. At this stage of preparation, Adyghe cheese looks like cottage cheese. In principle, by and large, we can say that under the Adyghe cheese they mean a strongly compressed curd mass.

The classic Adyghe cheese is made from milk, whey and salt. That is why it has a pronounced milky smell. At the same time, there are recipes for Adyghe cheese with the addition dried spices and herbs, raw eggs.

Adyghe cheese is tasty on its own, but it is widely used for cooking a large number dishes, among which are salads, sauces, snacks, casseroles, khachapuri, pies. Adyghe cheese, just like halloumi cheese, can be fried in butter. It makes a great hot meal.

Adyghe cheese recipe at home, which I want to show you, is somewhat different from the production of traditional cheese in local areas. Nevertheless, the cheese turns out delicious - with the aroma of baked milk, sour-salty taste and good porous structure.

But there are a few more pluses or advantages of this cheese over the purchased one. First of all is the price. Homemade cheese is much cheaper. The second thing to note is the quality. In the supermarket you can buy not quite fresh product, moreover, it is not known from what and when it was prepared.

I would be very happy if this step by step recipe Adyghe cheese you will like.

Ingredients:

Cow's milk - 2 liters,
Sour milk - 1 liter,
Egg - 1 pc.,
Salt - 1.5 tablespoons,

Adyghe cheese at home - recipe

After all the ingredients have been prepared, you can start making cheese. Milk to receive delicious cheese it is advisable to use homemade, since it is several times fatter than store-bought, with it the cheese will be tastier and more nutritious. Pour it into a saucepan.

Pour the sour milk or whey into a bowl.

Beat in an egg. I have seen many recipes for Adyghe cheese without eggs. The egg will in no way affect the taste of cheese, its function in the recipe is to give greater plasticity to the curd mass. Adyghe cheese prepared with the addition of an egg turns out to be denser and holds its shape better.

So, in a bowl sour milk beat in an egg. Stir with a fork.

Pour the resulting sour-milk mixture into boiling milk. Mix everything quickly with a spoon.

Add salt immediately.

Literally instantly, the milk will curl into flakes.

Boil the cheese for no more than 5-7 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. To shape the cheese into a hemisphere, prepare a colander. Cover it with gauze folded in 2-3 layers. Pour out of the pot into a colander. Don't forget to put the colander in the bowl, as the whey will immediately drain into it.

Press the cottage cheese with a spoon to drain it from excess liquid. The separated whey can be immediately drained and used in baking. By the way, from this serum you can cook a lot flour products starting from pies and ending with . Cover the curd mass with a flat plate, and place a weight on top. The simplest thing is to put a jar filled with water.

Put the colander with cheese in the refrigerator for a day. Turn the finished Adyghe cheese onto a plate. Cut with a knife. Everything, you can just eat it and enjoy its taste, or use it in cooking. Personally, I am Adyghe cheese from milk, step by step recipe from the photo of which we examined, I most often use it in the preparation of salads. You can find the recipe on the site. Enjoy your meal. Keep Adyghe homemade cheese in a plastic food tray or in plastic bag in a cold place so that it does not deteriorate (do not turn sour) and does not become weathered.

Adyghe cheese at home. A photo

In addition to the above method, you can form Adyghe cheese in a slightly different way - in the form of small “bees”. To do this, prepare wide glasses - you can plastic or glass. Fill them with curd mass by a third. Place a load on top - glasses of water. Put in a cold place for at least a day.