KAMA!

Kama is a very typical Estonian product that one cannot find anywhere else in the world (apart from some regions in Finland). I always have a huge problem with explaining my foreign friends what it is, since the word "kama" is not translatable. But fear not! There are Estonians who have got ahead of me and explained everything about our famous kama. Read about it  here. Personally I am a fan of this product and I am happy to introduce you a dessert made from it that will make you a happier person as well. ;)

Original recipe in Estonian available here. 

Kama Mousse

for 4 persons

500 gr natural unflavoured yoghurt

4 dl whipping cream

4 tbsp sugar (I used light muscovado sugar)

6 tbsp kama flour

strawberries fresh or frozen (depending on season)

Whip the cream with sugar, add yoghurt and kama. Crush the strawberries or chop up into very small pieces and mix in carefully. I did not mix it very thoroughly because I like the visual variation in colour. Put into serving glasses and leave in the fridge until serving to guests. Ideally you could also decorate with some strawberries and peppermint leaves for a more marketable look. 

I had this idea of doing this but substituting the whipping cream with ice cream, but I have not tried it, so I cannot comment whether this is a great idea. Perhaps some day I will revert on this matter.

Adding a little Twist to Estonian Cooking

Unfortunately life is not all about celebration and this blog will not be all about festive dishes and desserts. Let's face it, daily dishes cannot be too demanding.

Baked Cabbage Stew

This is actually my mother's recent creation that I repeated myself a few days ago and later made a completely new dish out of it. In fact this is a very typical Estonian dish, which has been now spiced up with ginger and garlic.

The quantities are stated roughly, so feel free be creative! :)

- raw head cabbage, chopped into small pieces (i think I had a bit over a half of it)

- 2 raw carrots, finely grated

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped

- minced meat (I had a mix of beef and lamb), cannot recall the exact quantity, but I bet it was something around 200-300 gr

- raw ginger, about 2-3 cm piece, finely chopped

First you fry the minced meat with garlic, onion and ginger, then add carrots and cabbage and continue until the ingredients are soft (pay attention to cabbage). At some point you may want to add a bit of water so that the dish maintains its juiciness. Don't forget to add salt, pepper and maybe a bit of sugar to balance the flavours. Then move it to the oven at 200 C for 20 minutes or so until it has browned a bit on top.  I stirred it once or twice while it was in the oven as well.

Typically we eat this cabbage stew with boiled potatoes.