Real Mongolian at Oyunaa's

BY LILY STOICHEFF

When I want to get away from it all, but can’t, I like to escape through food. With increasingly hotter days, I’ve been imagining myself traveling across the chilly windswept steppes of Mongolia in search of dumpling nirvana. Thankfully, I’ve found it much closer to home, at Oyunaa’s Mongolian Cuisine. This is no Americanized Mongolian barbecue (as a server informed one couple upon arrival), but hearty fare from a high, cold nation rooted in nomadic history. Vegetarians and gluten-sensitive be warned: Oyunaa’s commitment to tradition means they rarely make concessions for dietary preferences.

On a recent visit with a friend, thick, captivating smells drew me in as I approached the small restaurant nestled off the intersection of Seabright and Soquel avenues. My friend said the few minutes he’d had to wait outside had been torture. Inside, gold fixtures and native-art-accented indigo walls crawl up to high ceilings—decor that befits a restaurant serving cuisine from the “Land of the Eternal Blue Sky.”

The flat Khuushuur dumplings ($14) are not to be missed. A braid of pinched dough seals a pocket of spiced, garlicky beef and is fried to a golden brown. Equally as delicious are the traditional steamed Buuz dumplings ($16), especially when hit with a splash of Oyunaa’s homemade mushroom soy sauce and one of their fiery hot sauces. A bit lighter on the palate are the bite-sized Bansch chicken dumplings ($10) served in a clear broth, aromatic with fresh dill.

If you’re lucky enough to arrive on an evening when the special pan-seared lamb riblets ($20) are available, go for it—they are so tender you can suck them off the bone, caveman-style. Our carnivorous feast was accompanied by tangy vegetable slaw, a supremely carroty carrot salad, creamy potatoes and a crisp local saison fromSante Adairius Rustic Ales. Hours are 4-10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Tuesday. oyunaas.com.

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SUMMER SNACK

My favorite afternoon snack right now is a raw, fiery radish from Blue Heron Farms, $2 for two generous bunches at the downtown farmers market on Wednesdays. Vibrant hues of ruby, cerise and watermelon conceal crisp alabaster flesh within these little jewels. Cold, crunchy and flavorful, some are mildly zesty, and others peppery to the point of sinus clearing—a refreshing mid-afternoon perk. Spread with good butter and a little Maldon sea salt, with a glass of rosé, isn’t a bad way to enjoy them either.

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BITE-SIZED STORY

If you love food and are on the ’gram, I recommend you follow @thecuratedfeast.Curated Feast founder Liz Birnbaum’s beautiful posts are tiny yet thoughtful history lessons about the origins of food, with topics ranging from the Silk Road to ancient maritime trading routes to the vernal customs that led to spring rolls. Plus, you’ll be the first to know about her themed dining events, where she collaborates with chefs, farmers, florists and historians to explore the geographical origins and cultural repercussions of what we eat through unforgettable dinners. Curated Feast’s next event, Botanical Imperialism, will be held in San Francisco on June 19.thecuratedfeast.org.

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SURPRISE MI

One of the best things I discovered while I was traveling through Vietnam was bahn mi, a sandwich served on a baguette, smeared with earthy, creamy pâté and filled with pork, crunchy pickled daikon and carrots, jalapeños, cilantro and mint: French Imperialism meets fresh Vietnamese flavor at its finest. So I was delighted to find out that Third Coast Chef founder Andy Potterfield, previously of Cremer House, will be serving up bahn mi for lunch every Friday at Assembly’s POPUP. His version is smoky, creamy, crunchy, and supremely satisfying. Do your mouth a favor and check it out. Fridays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1108 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. heypopup.com.

Source:http://goodtimes.sc/

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THE HIRSHON MONGOLIAN KHUUSHUUR – ХУУШУУP

Khuushuur Image Used Under Creative Commons License From http://cookwithoyuka.blogspot.com

Mongolia is a landlocked country in east-central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and also the largest city, is home to about 45% of the population. Approximately 30% of the population are nomadic or semi-nomadic.

At 1,564,116 square kilometres (603,909 sq mi), Mongolia is the 19th largest and one of the most sparsely populated independent countries in the world, with a population of only 3 million people. It is also the world’s second-largest landlocked country. The country contains very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south.

The area of what is now Mongolia has been ruled by various nomadic empires, including the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Rouran, the Turkic Khaganate, and others. In 1206, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, and his grandson Kublai Khan conquered China to establish the Yuan dynasty.

In the 16th century, Tibetan Buddhism began to spread in Mongolia and it was accelerated by the unwavering support of the Qing government after Mongolia was absorbed by the Manchu Qing dynasty. In the 1900s almost half of the adult male population were Buddhist monks.

By the mid-18th century, all of Mongolia had been incorporated into the area ruled by the Qing dynasty. During the collapse of the Qing dynasty Mongols established the Temporary Government of Khalkha on 30 November 1911, before the abdication of the last Qing emperor and the establishment of the Republic of China.

Shortly thereafter, the country came under Soviet control, resulting in the proclamation of the Mongolian People’s Republic as a Soviet satellite state in 1924. After the anti-Communist revolutions of 1989, Mongolia saw its own peaceful democratic revolution in early 1990; it led to a multi-party system, a new constitution of 1992, and transition to a market economy.

Khuushuur is Mongolia’s version of a handheld meat pastry. It’s a circle of wheat flour dough folded in half around a filling of minced or ground mutton, sometimes beef, and pan- or deep-fried. The meat is seasoned with onion and salt; some cooks add garlic and pepper as well. It’s possible to get versions with a mix of potatoes, carrots and/or cabbage as well, but these are far less popular. (Vegetarians beware: the veg versions can taste strongly of mutton from the cooking oil.)

Mongolians traditionally were nomads, not farmers, and did not grow wheat. Khuushuur and its dumpling siblings, buuz and bansh, are localized versions of Chinese dumplings.

European and Mediterranean influences can be seen in the use of coriander, cilantro, paprika, caraway and typically European spices such as fennel and marjoram. Persian and Arab influences can be seen in the pomegranates, almonds, saffron and sumac. Central Asia lends Mongolia its delicious onions and Africa gives its sesame seeds to be pressed into oil or enjoyed as a sauce for wheat or buckwheat noodles and vegetables.

Influences from the northern and western Indian subcontinental include the use of turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and asafetida. Chinese influences can be found in the use of ginger, star anise, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, and in the adaptations of such standards as rich, savory and sweet, hoisin sauce, five spice powder and great splashes of rice vinegar used by cooks and diners to add flavor to prepare dishes.

The Mongolians share the love of meal-soups with many cultures in northern Asia. They also share yogurt and fermented yogurt drinks and cheeses and the love of salty milk-tea and meat dumpling meals with the Central Asians and Tibetans.

At its most basic, khuushuur comes on a plate with paper napkins or tissues to pick it up. In a restaurant it comes four to an order with a lettuce leaf and gherkins on the side, carrot salad if the place is a bit more posh.

Some people eat khuushuur with ketchup or Maggi sauce, less often with mayonnaise.

Citizens, this is a recipe worth trying – feel the bracing wind of the Mongolian steppes as you enjoy this hearty meal! My version of the recipe includes traditional Mongolian spicing and has more flavor impact then the usual khuushuur you’d find on the street in Ulaanbaatar! 

As is normal here on TFD, I’ve used metric measurements in this recipe as it includes making dough (precision is everything in baking).

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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250g flour

150ml water

400g fatty lamb or mutton mince

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

1 tbsp caraway seeds, ground

1 ½ teaspoons ginger powder

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed

750ml vegetable oil, for frying

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1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. To make the dough, put the flour in a large bowl then gradually add the water, mixing to a firm dough. Knead lightly for a minute or two, then wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge while you make the filling.

2 Mix the mince with the onion, garlic and spices, then take the dough out of the fridge. Divide into 16 pieces, then roll one out to a 10cm diameter circle. Place a couple of heaped tsps of the meat mix in the centre, then fold one side over the meat. Press the edges together, then fold the sealed edge over again, crimping as you go. Repeat with the remaining meat and dough.

3 In a wok or frying pan, heat the vegetable oil to around 180C, or when a piece of bread sizzles and turns golden in less than a minute. Gently lower the khuushuur into the oil in batches of 3-4, then cook for around 4 minutes until golden. Once all the khuushuur are cooked, place on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes in the oven, then serve.

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Ulaanbaatar post #3: A tribute to Mongolian “greasy-spoon” eateries

fried mutton bansh (банш) with three side salads, and a soup just off camera… nice lunch

Chances are, traditional Mongolian foods are totally unlike what you imagine them to be. Taiwanese, Chinese, and American Mongolian Barbecue and Mongolian hot pot chain restaurants have done plenty to influence the global popular imagination of what Mongolian food is all about. Let me tell you, the reality of Mongolian food culture is quite different that what you can find at your local hibachi buffet.

Visitors to Mongolia actually often have trouble with traditional Mongolian cuisine upon arrival. Meat, when it is used (which is always), is fattier and more gamey than what many in the States and Western Europe are used to. And the other half of the Mongolian food pyramid, dairy, consists of cheeses, milks, and even occasional alcoholic fermented milks that are generally a bit more gamey and sour than many can appreciate.

A cheese counter (including bags of sweet and sour dried cheeses) at Mercury Market in Ulaanbaatar

This often leads to flat-out disdain toward Mongolian foods.

That said, Mongols take great pride in their foods, and honestly, once you get over “a bit gamey” and “a tad sour”, traditional foods in Mongolia can be very tasty, and dare I say it, even outstanding. But, like greasy diner-type restaurants (i.e. “dives”) elsewhere in the world, you might very well get an off night with something truly bad. Fortunately, more and more, dinner option meals (at least in Ulaanbaatar) are getting more regularly flavorful and satisfying.

New Mongol chain operations have been forming empires in Mongolia since private enterprise was a possibility. If you visit Ulaanbaatar nowadays, you will see [Modern]Nomads and their subsidiary Grab & Go all around the city, offering elevated forms of traditional Mongolian dishes, as well a quick fixes when you are on-the-go (the Nomads’ symbol is an artist’s rendition of the cap of a traditional Mongolian dwelling, the ger). There is also the 24-hour Khaan buuz  chain, that can satisfy your dumpling fix. Other chains are also rising to fill particular niche markets, including traditional greasy foods with beer, like the Zochin Mongol group (where I took my “fried noodle” pic below, as well as many other new chains.

Very generally speaking, Mongolian food is very heavy on the meat-and-starch. Meals tend to be boiled, steamed, and more occasionally fried and roasted. Vegetables are used, but mostly as ornaments. Aside from salt and onion, spices and other aromatics are notcommonly used. These observations lead to typical criticisms of Mongolian food by visitors. Strangely though, those flavors are quite similar to many diets around the world, including where I grew up, in rural Wisconsin. For example, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage were the primary “vegetables” alongside main courses of non-spiced steak, roasts, or stews. How can we criticize? I am reminded that in our country, regulatory agencies even count ketchup as a vegetable, in order to keep meat and starch as nutritionally “balanced” meals for schoolchildren in many parts of the US. Mongolia has some similar issues with that.

Nowadays in Mongolia there are actually public health campaigns encouraging people to eat green vegetables. Unlike Wisconsin, Mongolia’s landscape is quite inhospitable to most vegetables. But greens are grown successfully in a network of greenhouses, and literallytons of vegetables are imported from China and elsewhere on a daily basis. While most Mongols seem to appreciate meat-and-starch over other foods, every time I go to Mongolia I am pleasantly surprised at the new food trends. The bar keeps getting kicked ever higher, with surprising imports from around the world and with supercharged entrepreneurial domestic produce in that landlocked country. More and more, cabbage and lettuce varieties are included in meals, spinach and Chinese long leaf veggies are also becoming staples. Kimchi is practically a staple (as is hinted at my post on Korean UB), and you can even get fresh herbs at many of the major markets: basil, cilantro, and mint.

Back to classic Mongolian diner food… Below are some images of typical Mongolian “greasy spoon” restaurants (i.e. places that might be likened to American “dives” and “diners”). These are places that sling out greasy home-style meat-and-starch meals, the likes of which mom, or possibly grandma, used to make.

“steamed dumpling gwanz”

I have to say… I really enjoy these places, largely the same way I enjoy down-home American diners. It’s just regular people (with the occasional inclusion of those from higher and lower echelons of society), getting a quick fix on some basic comfort foods. Think mac ‘n cheese, but without the processed foods and without the preservatives.

These kinds of restaurants are known by different names in Mongolian, with varying degrees of formality. The most basic of dives are calledгуанз/”gwanz” or a цайны газар “tsaynee gazar”[tea house]. A slightly more formal setting (serving similar dishes) might be called a “dinner house” or “banquet house” зоогийн газар “zoogeen gazar”. Restaurants may also be themed “dumplings” or “fried meat pies” as specialties (like the pic to the left).

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“deep fried meat pies, noodles, and steamed dumplings”

“Arvijix” Tea House.

Modon Tea House.

“7 [pig] Tea House”

“Mongol Buuz” (and Huushuur)

“Happy” Tea House: buuz, huushuur, buuz, huushuur, buuz.

Menu items between restaurants (if they have a menu at all) are pretty similar. Here are some of the common finds:

Бууз “buuz” (pronounced “bōz”)- these are steamed meat-filled dumplings. Similar foods can be found from Japan all the way to Turkey and the Mediterranean. Buuz skins are usually a little thicker than what you might find as wrapped dumplings at Chinese dim sum places, for example. This is an important dish to Mongols, and it is largely used as a celebratory food. They tend not to eat them with sauces or dips. The filling meat is usually mutton, onion, salt and pepper.

Цуйван “Tsuivan” (pronounced “tswee-wen”). Fried noodles with whatever is handy. Often the noodles are first steamed and then fried, and common complements are onion, carrot, potato, cabbage. As usual, fatty mutton is used. This one has cucumber and red pepper too:

Банш “bansh”. These are smaller dumplings, similar to jiaozi or gyoza. Sometimes these are put into soup, sometimes steamed, and sometimes deep fried (like the following example–another view of the dish from the top):

Шөл “Shol”. Soup. This can vary widely, but it is always a meat broth, with occassional additions of noodles, carrot, potato, cabbage.

I am missing a key photo of the other very typical go-to food, хуушуур “huushuur”. These are much larger, flat meat pies, that are deep fried. See here for an image of huushuur onBuffaloEats. Christian Wild also has some nice images on his travel blog.

Note: if you ever travel to Inner Mongolia, and you are looking for these kinds of restaurants, look for “Milk tea house” 奶茶店. Otherwise you might assume the only Mongol restaurants are the big tourist ones.

Source:https://asianmarketsphilly.wordpress.com

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