cheburek recipe history culture origin

ะžะฝ ัะพั‡ะตะฝ, ะฐั€ะพะผะฐั‚ะตะฝ ะธ ัะผะฐั‡ะตะฝ! ะžะฝ ั…ั€ัƒัั‚ัั‰ ะธ ะฟะพะดะถะฐั€ะธัั‚! ะ•ะณะพ ัะพะบ ะธัั‚ะตะบะฐะตั‚ ะฟั€ัะผะพ ะฝะฐ ะฒะฐัˆะธ ัˆั‚ะฐะฝั‹! Picture from DomButik.ru

Cheburek: The Half-moon Pastry from Crimea

Published: June 24, 2020

On streets throughout the post-Soviet space, you can generally find the โ€œั‡ะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบโ€ (cheburek) โ€” a juicy, fried, savory pastry โ€” for sale. This tasty treat likely originated in Turkey or Crimea and its popularity slowly traveled north and eventually spread throughout what is today the former USSR.

Why Itโ€™s Called โ€œCheburekโ€

(ะŸะพั‡ะตะผัƒ ะพะฝะธ ะฝะพััั‚ ั‚ะฐะบะพะต ะฝะฐะทะฒะฐะฝะธะต?)

Cheburek was likely invented by the Crimean Tartars, who speak a Turkic language. The name โ€œcheburekโ€ comes from the original Turkic, โ€œร‡iฤŸ Bรถrek.โ€ โ€œBรถrekโ€ refers to a family of baked of fried pastries, made of thin, flaky dough surrounding a savory filling that can range from cheese to meat to vegetables. โ€œร‡iฤŸโ€ loosely translated, means โ€œraw,โ€ and refers to the fact that the dough is filled with raw meat and the entire dish is fried together.

While some believe the food came from Turkey, another theory is that it is a descendent of the Asian dumpling. Evidence for this is found in Mongolian kitchens, where they serve a dish nearly identical to cheburek but call it โ€œั…ัƒัˆัƒัƒั€โ€ (khushur).

Of course, given the simplicity of the dish, itโ€™s also possible that it was developed in multiple locations at once.

Another useful piece of information Iโ€™ve learned from buying cheburekย from the local corner-store is how to properly ask about the filling. My first instinct was to ask โ€œั‡ั‚ะพ ะฒะฝัƒั‚ั€ะธโ€ (whatโ€™s inside)? However, after going to the store with native speakers, I have learned that it is far more common to ask โ€œั‡ะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบ ั ั‡ะตะผโ€ (cheburek with what)? This little tip will help you be understood more quickly!

How Cheburek Is Eaten

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะตัั‚ัŒ ั‡ะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบ?)

Cheburek are easy and inexpensive to make and are a great street food, easy to eat without utensils while on the run. They can be found at corner stores, food stands, and restaurants throughout the former USSR. Additionally, many people make these in their homes as well, with the recipe being especially popular in Crimea and southern Russia. They are typically eaten with your hands.

Because the meat is cooked directly in the shell, sometimes there is loose grease inside. So, always make sure to have the half-moon pointing towards the ground when you bite into the cheburek to prevent any spillage โ€“ especially if the pastry is fresh. Cheburekย are also best fresh, when the crispness of the shell with contrast with the moist filling. Given time, the pastry will absorb the moisture and the whole thing can become limp and soft.

How Cheburek Is Prepared

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ ั‡ะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบ?)

Cheburek can be made with a variety of fillings.

Meats used often include โ€œะฑะฐั€ะฐะฝะธะฝะฐโ€ (lamb), โ€œะณะพะฒัะดะธะฝะฐโ€ (beef), and โ€œัะฒะธะฝะธะฝะฐโ€ (pork). The meat is ground together with seasonings such as โ€œะปัƒะบโ€ (onion) and โ€œัƒะบั€ะพะฟโ€ (dill) โ€’ optional to give it extra flavor. Adding a little water, milk, or stock when sending it through the grinder can make the meat a little juicier.

cheburek recipe history culture origin
Cheburek stand in central Moscow.

Vegetarian-friendly versions are also relatively common. Cheburek can also be filled with โ€œัั‹ั€โ€ (cheese), โ€œะบะฐั€ั‚ะพั„ะตะปัŒโ€ (potatoes), โ€œะณั€ะธะฑั‹โ€ (mushrooms), โ€œะบะฐะฟัƒัั‚ะฐโ€ (cabbage), or โ€œัะนั†ะฐโ€ (eggs). The versatility of cheburekย is one reason why it is a popular choice for anyone!

Some more health-conscious chefs will make cheburekย in an oven. However, they are traditionally fried โ€’ either in a deep-fat fryer or in a skillet with generous amounts of oil.

The size of the cheburek may vary as well โ€’ typically, they will be the size and shape of a thin, hard shell taco. However, โ€œะผะธะฝะธ-ั‡ะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบะธโ€ (mini-chebureks; cheburek poppers) can now be bought in many restaurants. Likewise, some stands and cafes make extra-large cheburekย to help set themselves apart from the competition.

Lastly, it should be mentioned that frozen cheburek can now be bought in many grocery stores throughout the former USSR. These are sometimes meant to be microwaved, heated in an oven, or sometimes have been frozen raw and should be thawed and fried. However, much of the experience of this food rests on the contrasts in textures. The shell should be crispy on the outside but soft and chewy inside, with both contrasting with the texture of the soft meat. Generally, we have found, cheburekย that are not prepared, cooked, and eaten fresh should be avoided.

Classic Cheburek Recipe

ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ!

ะงะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบะธ ะบะปะฐััะธั‡ะตัะบะธะต Classic Cheburek
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹

ะ”ะปั ั‚ะตัั‚ะฐ:

  • ะœัƒะบะฐโ€”4 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝะฐ
  • ะ ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะต ะผะฐัะปะพโ€”8 ัั‚. ะปะพะถะตะบ
  • ะกะพะปัŒโ€”2 ั‰ะตะฟะพั‚ะบะธ
  • ะกะฐั…ะฐั€โ€”1 ั‡. ะปะพะถะบะฐ
  • ะ’ะพะดะฐโ€”1 ยผ ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝะฐ
  • ะ’ะพะดะบะฐโ€”1 ั‡. ะปะพะถะบะฐ

ะ”ะปั ะฝะฐั‡ะธะฝะบะธ:

  • ะกะฒะธะฝะธะฝะฐโ€”300 ะณ
  • ะ“ะพะฒัะดะธะฝะฐโ€”300 ะณ
  • ะœะพะปะพะบะพ ะธะปะธ ะผััะฝะพะน ะฑัƒะปัŒะพะฝโ€”0.5-1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ
  • ะ›ัƒะบ ั€ะตะฟั‡ะฐั‚ั‹ะนโ€”1 ัˆั‚.
  • ะกะพะปัŒ, ะฟะตั€ะตั†, ะฟะตั‚ั€ัƒัˆะบะฐ, ัƒะบั€ะพะฟ

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต

ะขะตัั‚ะพ:

  1. ะ’ ะฒะพะดะต ั€ะฐัั‚ะฒะพั€ะธั‚ัŒ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ ะธ ัะพะปัŒ.
  2. ะœัƒะบัƒ ะฟั€ะพัะตัั‚ัŒ ะณะพั€ะบะพะน ะฝะฐ ัั‚ะพะป, ัะดะตะปะฐั‚ัŒ ัƒะณะปัƒะฑะปะตะฝะธะต.
  3. ะ’ ะฟะพะปัƒั‡ะธะฒัˆะตะตัั ัƒะณะปัƒะฑะปะตะฝะธะต ะฒะปะธั‚ัŒ ะฒะพะดัƒ ั ัะพะปัŒัŽ ะธ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะพะผ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ั€ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะต ะผะฐัะปะพ, ะฒะพะดะบัƒ ะธ ะทะฐะผะตัะธั‚ัŒ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ.
  4. ะะฐะบั€ั‹ั‚ัŒ ัะฐะปั„ะตั‚ะบะพะน ะธ ะดะฐั‚ัŒ ะฟะพะปะตะถะฐั‚ัŒ.
  5. ะงะตั€ะตะท ะฝะตะบะพั‚ะพั€ะพะต ะฒั€ะตะผั ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ะพะฟัั‚ัŒ ะฟะพะผะตัะธั‚ัŒ ะธ ัะฝะพะฒะฐ ะดะฐั‚ัŒ ะตะผัƒ ะฟะพะปะตะถะฐั‚ัŒ. ะขะฐะบะธะผ ะพะฑั€ะฐะทะพะผ ะผะตัะธั‚ัŒ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ 3-4 ั€ะฐะทะฐ.
  6. ะ“ะพั‚ะพะฒะพะต ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ั€ะฐัะบะฐั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ ะฒ ะฟะปะฐัั‚, ั‚ะพะปั‰ะธะฝะพะน ~ 2-3 ะผะผ ะธ ะฒั‹ั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ะธ ะฟะพะผะพั‰ะธ ะฑะปัŽะดั†ะฐ ะบั€ัƒะณะธ ะดะธะฐะผะตั‚ั€ะพะผ ~ 15 ัะผ.

ะคะฐั€ัˆ:

  1. ะกะฒะธะฝะธะฝัƒ ั ะณะพะฒัะดะธะฝะพะน ะฟั€ะพะฟัƒัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ั‡ะตั€ะตะท ะผััะพั€ัƒะฑะบัƒ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั„ะฐั€ัˆ ะผะตะปะบะพ ะฟะพั€ะตะทะฐะฝะฝัƒัŽ ะปัƒะบะพะฒะธั†ัƒ, ั€ัƒะฑะปะตะฝัƒัŽ ะทะตะปะตะฝัŒ ะธ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ.
  2. ะคะฐั€ัˆ ะฟะพัะพะปะธั‚ัŒ, ะฟะพะฟะตั€ั‡ะธั‚ัŒ ะธ ั€ะฐะทะฒะตัั‚ะธ ะผััะฝั‹ะผ ะฑัƒะปัŒะพะฝะพะผ ะธะปะธ ะผะพะปะพะบะพะผ ะฟะพ ะฟะพะปัƒั‡ะตะฝะธั ะฟะพะปัƒะถะธะดะบะพะน ะบะพะฝัะธัั‚ะตะฝั†ะธะธ. ะฅะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ.

ะะฐะบะพะฝะตั†:

  1. ะะฐ ัะตั€ะตะดะธะฝัƒ ะบะฐะถะดะพะณะพ ะบั€ัƒะณะฐ ะฟะพะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒัƒัŽ ะปะพะถะบัƒ ั„ะฐั€ัˆะฐ, ัะพะตะดะธะฝะธั‚ัŒ ะบั€ะฐั ะธ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะทะฐั‰ะธะฟะฐั‚ัŒ.
  2. ะŸะพ ะบั€ะฐัŽ ั‡ะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบะฐ ะฟั€ะธ ะฟะพะผะพั‰ะธ ะฒะธะปะบะธ ัะดะตะปะฐั‚ัŒ ะบะฐะนะผัƒ, ะฟั€ะธะถะธะผะฐั ะฒะธะปะบัƒ ะบ ั‚ะตัั‚ัƒ.
  3. ะงะตะฑัƒั€ะตะบะธ ะถะฐั€ะธั‚ัŒ ะฒะพ ั„ั€ะธั‚ัŽั€ะต ะธะปะธ ะฝะฐ ัะบะพะฒะพั€ะดะต ะฒ ะฑะพะปัŒัˆะพะผ ะบะพะปะธั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะต ั€ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะณะพ ะผะฐัะปะฐ ะฝะฐ ัะตั€ะตะดะฝะตะผ ะพะณะฝะต ั ะดะฒัƒั… ัั‚ะพั€ะพะฝ ะดะพ ั€ัƒะผัะฝะพะน ะบะพั€ะพั‡ะบะธ.
Ingredients

For the dough:

  • Flourโ€”4 cups
  • Vegetable oilโ€”8 table spoons
  • Saltโ€”2 pinches
  • Sugarโ€”1 tea spoon
  • Waterโ€”1 ยผ cups
  • Vodkaโ€”1 tea spoon

For the filling:

  • Porkโ€”300 grams
  • Beefโ€”300 grams
  • Milk or stockโ€”0.5-1 cup
  • Yellow onionโ€”1
  • Salt, pepper, parsley, dill

Preparation

The dough:

  1. Dissolve the sugar and salt in water.
  2. Sift the flour on the table, make a cavity in the flour.
  3. Pour the water with sugar and salt into the cavity and add the vegetable oil and vodka. Knead the dough.
  4. Cover with a napkin and let it lie.
  5. After a few minutes, knead the dough again and let it lie. Repeat 3-4 times.
  6. Once the dough is finished, roll it out so that it has a thickness of about 2-3 mm. With the help of a small plate, cut small circles from the dough, each with a diameter of about 15 cm.

The minced meat:

  1. Mince the pork and beef with a meat grinder, add finely chopped onion and greens. Mix well.
  2. Add salt, pepper, and milk or stock to the meat to have a semi-liquid consistency. Stir well.

Lastly:

  1. In the middle of each circle, place a spoonful of minced meat, fold over the circle to form a half-moon, and connect the edges.
  2. At the edge of the cheburek, use a fork to press the edges together.
  3. Fry the chebureks in a deep-fryer or frying pan with generous amounts of vegetable oil over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.

Our Favorite Cheburek Videos

Coming from a Russian television show called โ€œManly Food,โ€ this video gives a very thorough demonstration on how to prepare cheburek. The Russian is clear and easy-to-understand, and the host demonstrates the instructions while speaking. After watching this video, you will be sure to learn some new words.

Watch this video to learn more about the Crimean Tartar cheburek.

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About the author

Caroline Barrow

Caroline Barrow is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in International Studies and Russian. She loves traveling and hearing people's stories. Out of the places she's been able to visit, her favorite was Kiev, Ukraine for its beauty, history, and friendly people. She received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and will spend the next year teaching English in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. Additionally, she has been named SRAS's Home and Abroad Translation Scholar for the 2013-2014 cycle.

Program attended: Home and Abroad Scholar

View all posts by: Caroline Barrow