Ash (Muslim feast) is held on serious occasions: the birth of a child, reading the Koran at home, commemorating a deceased relative, or as it happens now. They differ from each other only in various suras from the holy book, but even there there is a basis, only the additions are individual.
Guests are usually called in the afternoon with the intention of having lunch. During the month of Ramadan (it is currently underway) at approximately eight in the evening, because... Only at half past eight can you eat something or drink water (but there will definitely be another post about that) For now, I’ll tell you about the usual.
1, The hosts must decide on the day (usually a day off) and the time of the feast (usually around lunchtime), in order to also agree with the person who will read suras from the Koran. This could be a mullah or simply an expert in the holy book. There may be an abystai (a woman who knows and can read Arabic) who is free and can be present on a given day. In each microdistrict, of course, we have our own mosque and our own group of grandfathers, who are usually invited, they read namaz and can mentor the youth. Dear guests of honor on Asha. They are also invited whenever possible.
2. Guests are invited. Mostly relatives are close, Tatars usually have a lot of them, so the closest ones are a must, the rest depends on the financial capabilities of the owners and the reason for convening the feast. Close neighbors are also called. Friends, friends, but here, of course, believers must be Muslims. Nations of other faiths are invited to a feast, they are not forbidden to sit at the table, this is normal, but it is rare. Nobody insists.
3. Guests begin to arrive about an hour before, women offer help, but usually there are already enough assistants, so the aunties are also seated at the table, where they conduct their conversations until everyone is gathered. Grandfathers arrive at the appointed time and when everyone is assembled, the religious part begins.
4. The reader (he is, in fact, the most important person at the feast) reads suras from the Koran, everyone listens attentively, there is no whispering, the kitchen assistants try to work quietly. The owners of the house are at the table or nearby in the room (if there is not enough space or you need to tell the assistants what and where.
I would like to emphasize separately, because in the previous culinary part of Ash there were surprised comments, which is difficult to organize. Apparently, someone was left with the same impression. If it were difficult, it would not be carried out - there is no such duty, only according to desire and opportunity, and many have such a *hand full* that everything goes smoothly, without fuss. Assistants are always from among younger relatives. I don’t remember the housewife pouring soup or washing dishes somewhere - there are numerous relatives for that. And if there are not enough of them, then someone’s neighbors or girlfriends. The housewife's duty is to organize, not to work. Helping on Asha is considered a good deed and hardly anyone will refuse - only due to lack of time or ill health there, and so... there are even extra ones :)). And in general, to do a good deed - what could be better?))
5.Reading lasts approximately half an hour to an hour. Then it is distributed to those who wish *sadaka* - this can be money of 5, 10, 20 or even 50 ruble bills to each reader present - there is always more. Often = a scarf (for women), a towel, a napkin, now they can give out a plate, a mug or a bar of soap (this has been done since ancient times) Everything is possible.
6. After this, a joint prayer is said, during which those present raise their hands in a certain way (hardly anyone has not seen how Muslims pray) and offer thanks: the reader reads out loud, the rest silently.
Be sure to thank the owners and helpers, by the way, too, because this is a good deed. Depending on the occasion of the feast - the appropriate words.
7. The feast begins, the feast itself, at which the dishes that I spoke about earlier are served. The hosts eat with the guests, the assistants between serving dishes, there is enough time, there are enough rooms and tables, and in general the atmosphere is relaxed most often. In addition, it is imperative that when the main invitees leave (and readers and grandparents don’t like to sit too long), everyone who remains is seated and treated to the fullest - no one has ever left hungry)
8. Each guest is given *kuchtenech* - a gift, a bag of pies, sweets and other things. There were two large beles here and they personally gave me some of it to take home, I can breathe evenly towards it myself, and the family had a delicious breakfast. They also put in a lot of meat, and also plenty of little things, because they love helping.
9. Expenses. Yes, there is a lot of preparation...But (!) loved ones are trying to help if desired and possible - with money, food and other things. I myself gave a couple of thousand for pies, they were ordered from the culinary department, only because I wanted this and considered it necessary for myself Some people buy dried fruits, others buy fruits, cookies and sweets, it seems that most people bring them - the tradition of coming to visit with something is strong.
10. The dishes are washed periodically in batches, after the guests leave, everything is cleaned by the assistants, the assistants assemble the tables - they are simple prefabricated wooden tables and move from neighbor to neighbor as needed along with benches) Private sector - there is a place for this in the attics. The floors are also washed and the housewife is left with little things to do - sort the dishes or throw napkins (fabric ones are most often used) into the laundry. And that’s all - you can exhale: The meal was carried out at the proper level, the guests are satisfied :))
11.Clothing and appearance. It is obligatory for everyone to have their heads covered: men in skullcaps, women in headscarves and closed clothes, long and with long sleeves. Only assistants usually roll up or immediately wear clothes with sleeves up to the elbow; they are not forbidden. At the table - only with them closed to the wrist. In strict families, assistants may be given a jacket, but rarely)
It seems like I remembered the main thing...
And (!) - conducting Ash is considered the duty of any Muslim, if he has the opportunity, some do it a couple of times a year, some more often or less often... Personally, we only do it once.... for now... although They were supposed to read for each child + home, but so far there has not been a special opportunity and this is not condemned at all, much less, it is not considered a sin.
That's the advantage for me Islam, which can gently guide, force - No. I teach and will teach the same to my children, consulting with more experienced and knowledgeable people.
Saved
On September 12, the main Muslim holiday began - Kurban Bayram. Food is one of its most important components. What dishes would a gala dinner be without and what is the daily routine of those celebrating, said Zarema Tagirova, a culinary blogger and connoisseur of Tatar cuisine.
The "Feast of Sacrifice", or Kurban Bayram, is the most important holiday for Muslims. It begins 70 days after the end of the thirty-day fast in the month of Ramadan and coincides with the day the pilgrimage to Mecca ends.
Kurban Bayram is celebrated for three days, starting at sunrise, and before the holiday, 10 days of fasting are observed - uraza. Believers wash themselves, put on clean clothes and visit the mosque for the festive morning prayer - namaz, with the reading of a sermon, and also visit cemeteries to honor the memory of deceased relatives. The final stage of the holiday is the sacrifice of any animal - a ram, goat, camel or bull, and the age of the ram should not be more than a year, and the age of the bull or cow - no more than two years. The animal must be healthy and not have any physical defects; it is sacrificed in accordance with the canons: a prayer is read, and the meat is divided into three parts - one is given to needy and poor people or left in the mosque, the second part is used in the preparation of festive dishes, which They treat relatives, friends and neighbors, and the third part remains in the owner’s house. Meat should not be stored, it must be eaten at the end of Eid al-Adha, and the bones must be buried.
What is prepared for the holiday from sacrificial meat? On the first day - dishes from offal: liver and heart. The second day begins with a bowl of soup prepared in broth from lamb heads and shanks. Prepare stews and roasts, supplemented with rice, legumes and vegetables. On the third day, soups made from lamb bones, pilaf, shish kebab, lagman, manti, beshbarmak, chuchvara and many other traditional dishes appear on Muslim tables.
A special place on the festive table is given to sweets, which are usually used to decorate tables and give gifts to children. On Eid al-Fitr, baked goods are usually prepared using almonds and raisins: these are all kinds of oriental cookies, pies and biscuits.
Dishes for the festive table
Jiz biz
Jiz byz is a dish of shepherds, which they ate and eat on their long journeys through the pastures. Liver cannot be stored for a long time, which is why this dish is quickly prepared and eaten immediately. Lamb offal is a storehouse of vitamins and flavors. The dish uses the whole liver, according to your taste - liver, heart, kidneys, lung, peritoneum, spleen and lamb eggs (for the male variation of jiz-byz). Jiz-byz is prepared in a saj (a concave steel or cast iron frying pan with two handles on the sides. - Approx. ed.), either in a cauldron or wok.
Ingredients (for 4 persons):
- set of lamb liver (liver, lung, heart, spleen) - 1 pc.;
- onions - 4-5 pcs.;
- vegetable oil/tail fat - 3-4 tbsp. spoons;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- bell pepper - 2-3 pcs.;
- tomatoes - 3-4 pcs.;
- coriander - 1 tsp;
- ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Cooking method:
Peel the onion and wash. Finely chop and set aside for a while. Wash and chop bell peppers and tomatoes. Wash the lamb liver set. Cut each component separately. Heart - remove ducts and blood clots. Chop the liver coarsely, removing excess film. Also chop the lungs and spleen not very finely.
In a cauldron, dissolve the butter with a clove of garlic. Once it turns brown, you need to remove it from the oil. Fry the heart first for 1-2 minutes, then add the liver, then the lungs and spleen. Mix thoroughly and fry for a minute.
Finally, add onions, chopped tomatoes and peppers. They will add flavor, juice and softness to the dish. Simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. At the end of the dish you need to salt, pepper and add coriander. Before serving, sprinkle with coarsely chopped cilantro.
Salad "Eastern"
Not the last place on the festive table is occupied by salads with liver and meat. The oriental salad is variable, and it can be prepared with liver, or with boiled beef or lamb. All products must be chopped into strips.
Ingredients (for 4 persons):
- boiled lamb liver or beef - 200 g;
- tomatoes - 3-4 pcs.;
- pickled cucumber - 3-4 pcs.;
- bell pepper - 3-4 pcs.;
- red onion - 1 pc.;
- cilantro;
- vegetable oil - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- soy sauce - 1/2 tsp;
- apple cider vinegar - 1/2 tsp;
- freshly ground pepper;
- sea salt;
- sesame.
Cooking method:
Clean the lamb liver from ducts and films, cut into thin strips and fry for 1-2 minutes in a well-heated frying pan.
Wash all vegetables and dry. Chop the onion into half rings and set aside. Cut tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers into thin strips.
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Mix everything. Check for acid-sweet balance.
Place vegetables and liver in a bowl and season with sauce. Place the salad on a plate, sprinkling sesame seeds on top.
Shulum
Shulyum is a rich, satisfying soup made from meat, coarsely chopped vegetables and herbs. As a rule, it is cooked over an open fire, and the choice of vegetables is determined by seasonality. The meat chosen is shanks, shoulder blades and other components of lamb, as well as beef, poultry and game.
Ingredients (for 4-6 persons):
- lamb (shank) - 2 kg;
- onions - 2 pcs.;
- bell pepper - 10 pcs.;
- potatoes - 6-8 pcs.;
- tomatoes - 8-10 pcs.;
- parsley - 200 g;
- cilantro - 200 g;
- basil - 200 g;
- dill - 200 g;
- salt;
- peppercorns;
- freshly ground pepper;
- chilli.
Cooking method:
Chop the lamb into pieces of 100-150 grams. Peel the onion. Pour cold water into the pan, add meat and onions. You can't add salt for the first 40 minutes. After boiling, skim off the foam, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Peel the potatoes and cut into large slices. Add to the broth after 40-45 minutes of cooking. Cut the sweet pepper into strips. Cut the skin of the tomatoes crosswise, pour boiling water over them and peel them. Cut into slices. After cooking the meat for an hour, add peppers and tomatoes to the pan.
Finely chop all the greens. 10 minutes before it’s ready, we start adding it: first dill and parsley, then after a couple of minutes basil, and when the soup is ready - cilantro.
Shah-pilaf
Pilaf is a dish that unites people, traditions and nations at one table. There are a great many variations of it, but one of the most striking representatives of holiday pilaf is Shah-pilaf, a dish of Azerbaijani cuisine. The name comes from its appearance, which resembles the crown of medieval eastern rulers.
A characteristic feature of Azerbaijani pilaf is gazmakh (this word cannot be translated into Russian - Note ed.). It's a crust of pita bread, dough, or noodles, and a bottom layer of rice that sticks to it. The essence of gazmakh is that, when fried, it prevents the burning of rice. A special round iron sheet is often placed under the cauldron, which prevents the pilaf from burning and promotes uniform temperature distribution.
Ingredients (for 4-6 persons):
- long grain rice (preferably Basmati) - 200-300 grams;
- lamb (pulp) - 500-600 grams;
- ghee or fat tail fat;
- salt ;
- saffron - a pinch.
Gazmah:
- thin pita bread - 2-3 pcs.;
- ghee - 80 grams;
- sesame.
Shirin-ashgara:
- dried apricots - 80 grams;
- raisins (quiche-mish) - 80-90 grams;
- ghee.
Zirvak:
- onion - 1 piece;
- medium carrots - 1 piece;
- pilaf mixture (barberry seeds, cumin, chili pepper, cumin)- 1 tsp.
Cooking method:
Rice: at least 3-4 hours before preparing the pilaf, thoroughly rinse the required amount of rice. Pour in water, sprinkle salt on top and leave aside. It is important to do this in advance, so it will cook faster. Pour saffron into a cup, pour boiling water over it, cover with a saucer, and let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Fill the largest saucepan with water (there should also be a lot of water, as the rice swells when cooked) and place on high heat. Add a lot of salt, a few tablespoons. As soon as the water in the pan begins to boil, pour in the water in which the rice was soaked. As soon as everything boils again, add rice, stirring. When it is cooked, drain in a colander and cool.
Shirin ashgar: rinse the dried fruits, place them in a saucepan and add water to cover them completely. Put on fire and simmer. Once the water has evaporated, add oil. Fry the ashgar over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, then let cool.
Zirvak: chop carrots and onions into strips. Place the pilaf mixture in a dry cauldron and heat it up. Add butter or tail fat, heat a little, then fry the vegetables until golden brown.
Cut the lamb into pieces, add in parts to the cauldron, sealing them on all sides. Add a little water and simmer with zirvak for 30 minutes.
Gazmag: cut thin lavash into strips 1.5-2 cm wide.
Assembling shah-pilaf: grease a cauldron or mold with melted butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and lay sliced lavash overlapping along the entire perimeter. Its ends should hang over the walls of the cauldron. Brush with ghee again. Then lay out a layer of rice, a layer of zirvak with lamb, a layer of ashgar and repeat everything again by analogy.
The final touch: add a little oil to the pre-soaked saffron and pour the pilaf over the entire surface. Line the top of the pilaf with the pieces of lavash that hung from the cauldron, brush with melted butter and cover with a lid. Place the cauldron on the fire or in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour.
Before serving, turn the pilaf upside down and cut into pieces.
Cookies "Shaker-puri"
The culinary art of the East was created and is being created by women. In any family, regardless of income, the ability to cook is passed on from generation to generation. This is the essence of the life and traditions of peoples. The mother does not write down recipes: her daughters have been watching her for years as she works her magic in the kitchen. All girls and women know the golden rule from childhood: “Your eye is the best scale.”
Oriental cuisine is famous for its abundance of sweets and desserts. Many of them are based on spices, fruits and dried fruits, and nuts. On Eid al-Fitr, desserts containing almonds are preferred. Shaker-puri cookies are a delicacy that is used to greet and treat guests with tea, and is also given to children.
Ingredients (for 6-10 persons):
- premium flour - 200 g;
- butter - 100 g;
- almond flour - 80 g;
- cinnamon - 1/2 tsp;
- egg - 1 pc.;
- yolk - 1 pc.;
- powdered sugar - 100 g;
- milk - 125 ml;
- vanilla sugar - 20 g;
- baking powder - 5 g.
Cooking method:
Beat butter at room temperature into a fluffy mass along with vanilla sugar and powdered sugar. Add egg and yolks, milk. Mix everything thoroughly. Pour the sifted flour into the mixture along with baking powder and cinnamon. Replace the dough.
Roll out the dough into a layer 1-1.5 cm thick and cut into a crescent shape. Place on a sheet covered with parchment and place in the oven, preheated to 220 degrees, for 15-20 minutes.
Take out the finished cookies, brush with sugar syrup if desired and sprinkle with almond petals or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with tea.
Question:
Which clergyman should read the Holy Quran in the home of a believer? After all, it is known that in a house in which Muslims live, the Koran should be read at least once a year. There is an assumption that this should be done by a mullah or muezzin. Do religious leaders and ulema agree with this?
Answer:
It is not entirely appropriate here to say that in the homes of those professing Islam it is customary to read the Koran once a year. This is not true. It would be more correct to say that in a Muslim home the Book should be read at least two or four times. Since if the Koran is not read in a house even once, then there can be no talk of Muslims living in this home!
The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of the Almighty be upon him) said: “ Allah Ta'ala presents the house in which the Qur'an is recited to the heavenly creatures as openly and clearly as you see the clear and cloudless sky on a sunny day" It follows from this that the more often the suras of the Holy Quran are heard in a home, the brighter and more radiant this house becomes (like the Moon, the Sun and the stars). If in this house it is a rule to read the Koran once a year, for God’s sake, as they say, thank you for that. However, you should remember that if you want peace and prosperity to reign in your home, to be comfortable and well-behaved, you cannot be content with just reading the Book just once.
Who should read the Koran?
First of all, it should be noted that everyone should read the Quran! In many houses, as a rule, the current imam is invited to such interdlis, alhamdulillah! This is done, by the way, not only here, but throughout the Muslim world. In the event that the imam is not able to personally attend the meeting, he usually entrusts this to the muezzin or one of the religious figures. However, this does not mean at all that only they have the right to read the Koran in the homes of parishioners. There is nothing sinful if you invite someone else to read the Book. Since this is a nafil act and you can invite whoever you consider necessary. There should be one requirement for this person - correct, error-free reading of the Holy Quran in accordance with all the requirements of the Tajwid rules for reading the Book.
And in general, it is necessary to strive to read the Koran correctly, because reading it with errors is sinful. Anyone who realizes that he makes mistakes when reading only aggravates his guilt. If the reader makes a mistake out of ignorance, inshae Allah, there will be no sin for him. Since in 286 verse of Surah al-Baqarah said: " Our Lord! Don't punish us if we forget or make a mistake" After all, anyone who realizes that he is reading the Book with errors, and nevertheless continues to do so, is one of those who treats the Holy Quran superficially.
Gabdulhak hazrat Samatov. “Shariah: wa’az, khukmas, fatwas, answers to questions, recommendations”
It happened. How did you decide? Don't know. It rather happened that I did it without thinking. I realized only when a Tatar friend asked me in the evening how I was not afraid to take on this, and that she was afraid to do it alone. But, already from the height of her experience, she answered: “It’s difficult, but not scary. If there was a desire, they would help. So please seek advice."
We are talking about a traditional Tatar gathering of women at the festive table with the reading of sacred texts. It must be said that gathering women is traditionally the job of the older generation. Young people often don’t see the point in this. And he attends such meetings only out of tribute to the traditions of his ancestors. Yes, and for the time being it never occurred to me. But it so happened that at one of the meetings fate brought me together with the amazing woman Oltin-beke, who turned our gathering into an amazingly beautiful event. () And she sang to us in her rich, strong voice ancient Tatar religious ballads. And I couldn’t rest because I wanted to hear it again.
When I tried to find any information about the religious chants of the Tatars, I was surprised to find out that there is this “blank spot” in our history. And there are no serious studies on this topic, not to mention the texts themselves. Only someone remembered how a certain aunt or grandmother sang these songs a long time ago. That's all. Was it possible to put an end to this? Will it calm down that I’m one of the few who heard this? I thought for a long time. How will this woman react to the proposal to repeat this under a microphone? Won't he be offended, won't he judge? We even contacted a friend, the owner of a recording studio. Maybe bring her there and record it?
I decided to have a serious conversation with my mother-in-law. Explained everything. My mother-in-law is an adequate woman and took the negotiations into her own hands. "Let's try!" -she said. If he refuses, what can you do, but if he agrees, we’ll do a good thing for our own people - the record will remain in the family.
My mother-in-law called back a couple of days later and said:
- Oltin-beke agreed! Only she said that it was better to do it in your house. She has set a date and time, you must come pick her up and bring her to your place.
- Mom, but did you explain to her that I want to write down?
- Yes. She doesn't mind at all. She said that it was even very good. So get ready, kizim. Let's call a small circle - about ten people. Tell me how I can help you. What to bake?
- Of course, your Gubadia!
- Yary, kizim, call if anything happens.
And I began to prepare for holding the Quran Asha in my house. And, reflecting on what happened, I outline instructions for carrying it out.
Such a meeting begins with the need to find the woman(s) who reads the sacred texts and come to an agreement with her. If there are some in the family, so much the better. Mark the date and time with her.
Next, call all elderly and middle-aged relatives. Invite them. Also invite all other female relatives, starting from the age of the brides. It is customary to attend such events without fail. If there are close friends (Muslims according to the faith of their ancestors), or neighbors, or their mothers, their names are the same.
Next comes general cleaning of the apartment, including washing windows, washing curtains, washing out all corners and nooks. If one of the guests is in your house for the first time, it is customary to show the entire apartment, including the bathroom and kitchen. I prepared my youngest on this topic just in case, in case I suddenly don’t have time. And my mother was ready.
Rooms. It is necessary to determine a room where to put the children and men, and set a small table there. Some will come with a child, others will be brought by their husband. And they should find a comfortable place. At the same time, men will look after the children.
Room for prayer. The time for prayer will definitely fall during this period. To do this, you need to prepare an absolutely clean room. After all, praying grandmothers will bow on the floor. Therefore, lower yourself into a similar position and check whether your closet and sofa are perfectly clean. If you do not have a prayer rug, prepare large, clean towels. And you must also know where your west is and where your east is. You will definitely be asked about this in order to determine the right direction. Here my Tatar vocabulary was replenished with new words: kenbatysh - west, kenchygysh - east, tenyak - north, kenyak - south. Wow! Especially the south!
Next, inspect your bookshelves to see if there are any photographs, paintings and souvenirs that are not appropriate for this event. I removed an Egyptian miniature on papyrus with the god Ra, a painting by an artist friend depicting a hellish scene, and also a couple of Cambodian figurines.
Small gifts. It is customary to present each guest with small gifts at the end of the meeting. Most often these are beautiful handkerchiefs in which a banknote and a bag are wrapped to take away kuchtanach - gifts from the table. Since I was expecting only ten guests, I took the liberty of buying headscarves for each of them. And don’t put in the banknote anymore. For a Tatar woman, a scarf is never out of place. Next, I also bought a bundle of cute baked goods bags. All this is rolled up: a handkerchief bag. It is laid out on a beautiful tray and left in an inconspicuous place in the room where the “reading” will take place.
Place for kuchtanach. Since each guest will come with her own baked goods - and these are usually trays and lagans. You need to prepare a place where you can put it all together, cut it and lay it out. There is also a stack of plates for this. We accept every gift brought with words of gratitude. We remember the guest's dishes or tray. We lay out and cut only half of the gift. This is placed on the table. The second half will be divided and given to those who could not come - small children, nursing mothers, elderly parents. Well, of course, something will remain in the house.
For this purpose, I identified a kitchen shelf on which the microwave stands, having first cleared all the shelves. I had to take the laptop away - it was on the shelf under the microwave. If there are more guests, a corner will not help here. We need to prepare more space.
Also check if there are enough slippers for everyone. It must be enough. If not, go and buy more. Or sew yourself a leather jacket from your husband’s old one. Guests in your home should feel comfortable.
Entrance. We send the youngest one to sweep and wash the entrance. Fortunately, the cottage has only two floors. The front door is not locked on this day. Anyone who is late knows and will quietly come in without calling.
Now table setting.
A beautiful tablecloth, the best dishes - that’s understandable. And also beautiful cloth napkins. They are handed out when the guests are already seated. It is better to entrust this task to one of your close relatives. You have enough to do. Now about the teapots. I don’t know about you, but we drink a lot of tea, a lot. Just have time to brew. Based on one kettle for three to four people. This is provided that everyone drinks the same type of tea. Only one relative of ours drinks black, the rest all drink only green. Moreover, if these are older women who usually have high blood pressure - here green tea is the best deal. It would also be nice to add some blackcurrant leaf there. For aroma and pleasure.
We drink tea from bowls. Uzbek specificity. Therefore, every housewife should have at least 20 of them. For noodles - kasa, or soup cups according to the number of guests. If you don't have enough, buy them, they are very cheap here. Beautiful salt shakers, pepper shakers, beautiful cups for chopped onions and dill - sprinkle on the noodles. This is the basis.
Menu.
First: noodles (tokmach), unconditionally and undeniably. If you respect your guests, the noodles should be homemade.
Second: potatoes with chicken in Tatar style. This is also immutable. Some call it elesh.
Third: you should definitely bake something yourself. The rest will be brought by your guests. I was preparing echpechmak.
Preliminary: dried fruits - black and yellow raisins, dried apricots, prunes, peanuts, sugared peanuts, fried peas, walnuts. All this is laid out highly artistically in tea saucers around the table. It’s nice to drink your first tea with this, and grannies love to put dried apricots and prunes in their tea. Don't forget to bring teaspoons here! Still good candies. I know from experience that our women respect souffles and marmalade in chocolate. That’s why I bought a little bit of different varieties, good ones from Kharkov and Donetsk from Katartal.
Vegetables: Serve tomatoes and cucumbers cut into oval slices. Add a little salt and decorate with herbs. Others are not accepted.
If there are several women in a family hosting Ash, everyone should cook. Since, besides me, there is now only Lyalka in the family, who only knows how to cook buckwheat with mushrooms, pasta, etc., she was given the opportunity to make belenlar - Tatar-style pancakes. Her pancakes turned out great. For this reason, I also had to run for kaymak to serve along with Lyalka’s pancakes. The pancakes were a great success.
- How old is your daughter? - Oltin-beke asked in Tatar, seeing such attention to the pancakes.
- un (ten)
“Well done, you’re raising your daughter right,” she said.
After which the doll was called from the men's and children's room for a general examination.
- Call the children, let them sit with us! - said Oltin-beke
Here the grandmothers of these children were alarmed: “They are so noisy!”
But I still went to the children and invited them to sit with the women for a while. But these little cousins had not seen each other for so long that they flatly refused. I was very sorry. Well, it's not evening yet.
Now in detail about what and how I cooked.
Two days before, I made wonderful homemade noodles using only flour, salt and eggs with a sunny orange yolk. (Proportions: two glasses of flour, 4 eggs and a teaspoon of salt)
The dough was juicy yellow and dense, like amber. I rolled it out in small pieces until the oilcloth pattern began to clearly appear on the table.
Now about the broth. I took two chickens. Young, with the most delicate skin, they were not even a year old. Carefully gutted, perfectly cleaned, with long necks. I get these from my favorite shop on Katartal. I turned one of them into a . She also put a mixture of kaymak and eggs inside. Boil it in a small amount of water. I strained the broth from a small amount of egg flakes and put it in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
Two hours before the appointed time, I set the second chicken to cook. Carefully removed the foam and reduced the power to minimum. She lowered a branch of green celery.
I took the Tutyrgan tovuk broth out of the refrigerator. In a small amount of this broth (salted) I boiled amber, elastic, small noodles. This is 20 minutes before serving.
Another part of the broth - boiled without salt, added dry dill, bay leaf, ground cilantro, boiled in it beautiful, young, halved young potatoes and three young thin carrots.
Having placed a steamer cup on this pan, I heated the tutyrgan tovuk, pre-cut into portions, for steam.
Cut part of the boiled (second) chicken into small pieces. Tovuk added the remaining broth from Tutyrgan to the main broth. (By the way, young, tender chickens cook in an hour and a half. After two, they are boiled to fluff.)
So everything is ready. (I haven’t yet described here that at six in the morning, I wrapped them in foil and wrapped them in a warm flannelette blanket. They were still hot at 12:00)
When it was time to serve the noodles, I arranged the casas on the kitchen table according to the number of guests. Each one contains a portion of boiled hand noodles, to which I also added a little butter so that they do not stick together. A handful of chicken meat. Here, thanks to my husband, who, seeing that I was “stitching up”, and he was controlling me, stood up to the stove (this is an unacceptable phenomenon in our family), and began pouring transparent amber broth into the casseroles. My eldest and I just had to carry it.
The noodles were good.
Place the potatoes boiled in rich chicken broth on a dish. I salted it, steaming, with coarse salt. Sprinkled with carrots, cut into pennies. Placed pieces of chicken stuffed with eggs under the skin on top. The egg mixture with kaymak and pepper was poured into the carcass, cut into cubes, and placed around the edges of the dish. Decorated with sprigs of green parsley. Sprinkled with dill.
They ate with pleasure, praised it, it was pleasant. My mother-in-law said that I had oltin kullar - golden hands, and was proud of me. Mom said something about me in Tatar with incredible speed. I didn't have time to understand. “What were you saying?” - I asked later. “I praised her,” my mother answered sparingly.
There was also a beautiful Gubadiya from her mother-in-law:
Balish with cherries and apples, homemade crumbly sesame kazinaki, kush-tili (brushwood) and much more:
Now with feeling and arrangement the whole process.
We warned the neighbor opposite not to play his favorite “Bolalar” loudly. They warned the neighbor downstairs that his favorite antediluvian “Gaza Strip” was not the topic today, and in general nothing was the topic today. They warned the relative drunk from the next door that today he would be rowdy in another yard. Because it's warm and all the windows are open.
The neighbors were understanding.
- At 12 00 guests begin to gather. The hostess meets with each one herself, kisses, hugs, accepts containers of gifts.
- The youngest is at the handout of slippers.
- For those who are in the house for the first time, we walk them around the house and demonstrate what is what. Introducing the household, for those who don’t know.
- Next, everyone goes to the bathroom to wash their hands. There should be plenty of towels hanging here.
- We take the guests to the room where the meeting will take place.
- When the abystai - the woman who will “read” - comes, we take her to the bathroom, then to the living room, seat her in a place of honor, call all our relatives, and introduce her one by one. After which she will invite all your household members to sit down and “honor your family,” that is, she will say the words of a prayer asking you to grant your home all the best.
- You rush off to make tea and serve. Brew and serve endlessly.
- In between, you accept gifts and serve some of them on the table in pre-prepared plates. At the same time, you voice each dish, naming its author.
- Finally, everyone has gathered. There will be the first prayer.
- Then you drink tea with goodies on the table. You, as a hostess, must make sure that each guest puts on her plate from each gift. It doesn’t matter that it’s impossible to eat it all. All this will be “read” and each will take these gifts with her, to her family.
- Next to the abystai who will be reading, on the table, we leave some space so that she can put her books. As soon as she takes out the books, we stop drinking tea and the main action begins. Reading a holy book. The reading woman herself will make it clear when the time comes to “fold your hands in prayer.” It doesn't bother you, does it? You don't have to do this. Or you can repeat the gesture. There is no sacrilege in this. And at such a table your religion does not matter at all. After all, what difference does it make in what language the words of the prayer are spoken? Therefore, everyone can join. Everything here is open and democratic.
- Reading takes at least an hour. This is a peaceful and blissful process. Relax and trust a person who knows what he is doing. Before this, by the way, it would be nice to pour some tea into everyone’s bowls so that the water takes on the sacred vibration. You will then taste this tea, and it will seem extraordinary to you.
- Abystai reads the texts until the time for prayer comes. She will give you a sign. And you take her to a room where she can pray in peace.
- At this time - a bullet into the kitchen. Now the noodles - Tokmach and potatoes with chicken - Elesh should be served. Finely chopped greens - lamb onions are best. And tea, tea, tea.
- Then you eat and talk about life. (We talked about Tatar cuisine. Naturally, I directed it in this direction, and they talked and talked...)
“Then Abystai will give a sign again, and the time for thanksgiving prayers will come again.”
- Here you bring out scarves and give gifts to each guest. Put some money in the gift for abystai - the amount is quite small. But that’s not the point, is it? Ask each guest to put any gifts from the table in the bags they bring. And make sure that no one is embarrassed to do this. Abystai need special care. She will put a little - take her bag and add more of everything.
- Next, you rush headlong into the kitchen to put some of the set aside gifts into the dishes you brought and return them to each housewife. If anyone has elderly or sick people at home, here is a jar of noodles with chicken, potatoes with chicken in a plastic container (they are ready), additional sweets, etc.
- Hug again, kiss and say words of gratitude.
Now I have a unique hour-long recording of religious Tatar chants and invaluable experience.
At the gates of the house there is a cluster of cars with license plates of different regions. Today here is Koren Ashy - a dinner party dedicated to the memory of deceased parents and relatives. From both sides of the street, grandmothers living in the neighborhood come up to the appointed hour. Apparently a lot of people were invited.
The hostess of the house, wearing a scarf tied at the back of her head in Tatar style, cordially welcomes guests, offering both hands as a sign of respect for older people and loved ones, thanking everyone for taking the time and coming and respecting her family.
Folk traditions and religious customs are the way of life of the Tatars. Rules of communication, norms of behavior in everyday life, at the table, at a party - everything is instilled with mother’s milk and reinforced in adolescence. Ancient family and household rituals can be observed in the guest culture of the Tatars. I know many who traditionally hold dinner parties in honor of the arrival of relatives from afar, an anniversary or the golden wedding of their parents without alcohol, noisy dancing, but with the obligatory reading of prayers.
The organizer of the Majlis invites everyone to the house. The guests arrived at the jien - a gathering of relatives - not empty-handed; according to tradition, they brought gifts. At the doorstep of the house they are warmly greeted by married women. Today, the older daughters-in-law will not sit down until the last guest leaves the house. They will run around like clockwork, daughters and granddaughters - to the rescue. This is the custom!
I remember when I was a child, my grandmother would take me to dinner parties. Then they were called olylar (elderly) or kartlar (old people) ashy. As a rule, only grandparents who could read Arabic were invited to Koren Ashy. By the way, separate feasts for men and women in this Muslim ritual are still observed today. Khediche abystai - the mullah's wife read the Koran, and her daughter-in-law Minegayan served refreshments. The old women sat decorously on the floor, on linen rugs and cushions. According to custom, a long homespun towel was laid on their knees - ozyn tastymal, symbolizing the unity of people during the ritual.
Much has changed in life since then - fashion for clothes, household items, haircuts. Instead of wooden houses, people built good-quality brick cottages, and foreign cars replaced horse-drawn carts. But my fellow countrymen also invite old people and elderly relatives to Koren Ashy. No difficulties could make the people forget this ancient tradition. Tatar Majlises are always held hospitably, with wishes of well-being to its organizers, peaceful life on earth and prosperity to our homeland.
The tables, covered with snow-white openwork oilcloth, have a special touch: beautiful dishes, a lot of oriental sweets and aromatic delicacies. Men in skullcaps, women in scarves and clothes with long sleeves sit and talk about life. Many people came to Dzhien with their entire families from different cities, traveling hundreds of kilometers.
- It is not customary to refuse an invitation unless there is a good reason. For example, you may not come to Sabantuy or New Year, but you can’t miss Koryen Asha! Old people say it's a sin. But I believe that we must protect folk traditions as the sources of spirituality and morality, and show respect for customs ancestors- Yash Kilen Leysan shares (this is how the Tatars call the youngest daughter-in-law or wife of a grandson).
Finally, everyone took their seats in a disciplined manner. Minigayan apa (the same daughter-in-law who served the grandmothers a treat 50 years ago) was asked to read the prayer. Following the instructions, she read the first surah of the Koran “al-fatiha” and a prayer to the house (dua kylu). Then came moral instructions. The elderly woman spoke simply and at the same time convincingly. The core of the ritual dedicated to the memory of the dead was the reading of the sura, verses from the Koran and the distribution of donations, that is, sadaqa. Money, scented soap, handkerchiefs, towels, tea were distributed by both young and old women, each thinking about their good intentions. Some asked Allah to forgive the sins of the deceased, others - healing for a sick relative, others - peace on earth and family well-being. And someone simply bought a new car and distributed sadaka so that Allah would take care of it on the road.
Some of the money was placed in a skullcap; the mistress of the house will give it to the village mosque to help the disabled, orphans and the needy. And Minegayan apa read a prayer, asking the Almighty for health to everyone who made a donation, and for the well-being of the home in which the Koran is read.
The ritual ceremony continued with refreshments for the guests. According to Islamic ethics, they were given wet wipes (and there used to be towels!). Then they said the prayer “Bismillaahir-Rahmanir-Rahiim - in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” and began to eat, observing moderation in food.
Treats were brought out in a certain order. First they served tokmach - homemade noodles, then zur belesh. This is a large closed pie with beef meat, potatoes and onions, very tasty and filling. As the Tatars say, if you taste it, you will feel both spring and summer in your soul. The traditional treat was boiled potatoes with beef and onions, drenched in hot broth.
In Russian, dear guests are greeted with bread and salt; the Tatars always serve chak-chak on special occasions - a national dish that symbolizes the unity and hospitality of our people. A separate dish was fragrant tea with strong brew and thick cream. This is the main treat of the Tatars, which you need to drink at least three cups - with honey, jam, chak-chak, gubadia, baklava, halva... And always hot! Drink an invigorating drink with your friends, and your strength will triple, they said in the old days.
Koren ashi also ended with a prayer. All together, the guests raised their palms to their faces, uttered words of gratitude to the Almighty for the food sent down, asked for blessings, mental and physical, and, having sincerely said rahmat, that is, thank you, to the owners of the house, for their hospitality and warm welcome, they slowly began to go home.
Razilya SHAKIROVA
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