We have had so much fun learning about Mongolia this month!! It has been so interesting to learn about a culture that is so different from ours. I have such respect for the strong and hard working Mongolian people. To learn a bit more about Mongolia and their lifestyle check out my post over at Around the World in 12 Dishes blog on Season 3 - Mongolia. Having seen a few recipes in books (and only a few) I looked on-line and found two websites that have Mongolian recipes: e-Mongol and Mongolian Recipes. Both had a recipe for buuz and so did one of our books, so I decided that was what we would make. Buuz is a steamed dumpling filled with a meat. Usually they are filled with lamb and sometimes goat, but all three places said you could use ground beef. We used the ground beef because I don't like lamb. The book I found is Mongolia by Grolier. (I often use a book from this series since it goes through the holidays and festivals of the country and provides some crafts, stories and recipes.) Hazel helped with all the steps of this recipe except the steaming. Buuz (Adapted from Buuz - Steamed Filled Pockets on All Mongolian Recipes) Dough: 2 cups flour 150 mL water (this is just over 1/2 cup, but most liquid measuring cups have mL on the opposite side) Filling 1 pound ground beef or ground lamb 1 onion minced 2 cloves garlic minced 1/4-1/2 cup water Dashes of ground ginger, pepper, salt, and cumin (caraway, marjoram or paprika may be used instead of cumin) Oil to oil steamer bottom 1) Make filling by mixing meat, onion and garlic together. Then add water to help it mix easier. Then add spices. Set aside. 2) Make dough by mixing flour and water together. We used our hands. Let it sit for 15 minutes. 3) Make dumplings. We sliced the dough into thin slices and then rolled them out. We used a small spoon (teaspoon) for filling. When our slices were bigger we used two spoonfuls, but these did not turn out as well. Then bring the sides up around the meat and try to close it up, though it can have a small hole at the top. This is the most typical shape for buuz, but there are others. 4) To cook them you need a steamer. Put water in the bottom of your steamer and put oil on the steamer insert so the buuz will not stick to it. Then put buuz on the insert and cover the pan. Put on high heat and steam them for 15 minutes. If you made bigger ones you will need to steam it longer. Do not lift the cover during the 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove cover and wave a cutting board across the top of the pan. This should make the dumplings glossy and a bit red. Note: If you do think you need to cook them longer, make sure you have water in the bottom of the pan still. (Yes, I burnt our pan and set off the smoke detector.) Hazel and I made these on a night Steve was out. We loved them. We had extra filling and I cooked it up in a skillet. Hazel could not decide if she liked the meat by itself or in the dumpling better. One of the recipes mentioned it can be served with ketchup. In Mongolia they do not have many fruits and vegetables do to the dry land, so this is actually considered a complete meal. To learn about Mongolia we found two DVDs. One is animated and in English the other has subtitles, but the pictures and culture can be seen even by my non-reading daughter. Then we enjoyed reading the stories and books above as well. I find the jers so interesting. They are round houses that can be taken down in an hour and put back up in a new location in an hour. So neat!! I also enjoyed reading about the horses. We also found a craft in Hands-On Asia by Yvonne Y. Merrill. The book has instructions to make a Mongolian rattle out of two paper bowls, beans, tape and decorations. We loved making these. Typically it said they have monster faces on them. Ours are not too scary though. The instrument I am most fascinated with however the is the horse head violin. Horse Violin By Brücke-Osteuropa (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Can you imagine making one of those? They look so neat! Now it is time for the Around the World in 12 Dishes blog hop!! Around the World in 12 Dishes is brought to you by: Adventures In Mommydom, Afterschool for Smarty Pants, All Done Monkey, Crafty Moms Share, Glittering Muffins, Kid World Citizen, Mermaids' Makings, The Mommy Talks and The Usual Mayhem Please check out all the wonderful recipes shared! If you have a Mongolian recipe, craft or story to share, please feel free to link up!!
Mongolia is a country unlike any other in the world. There's no telling what you might discover! Here's a list of the top 10 things to do during your time there
Let’s get to know Mongolia! This worksheet includes 19 pages with a wide variety of activities and exercises about Mongolia. The materials have informative exercises about the things that Mongolia is famous for, such as the Kazakhs, gers, Buddhism, steppes, and many other things! Crosswords, word searches, puzzles and other kinds of activities are included to make it a fun and interesting class. GOOGLE SLIDES WITH PREMADE TEXTBOXES INCLUDED! Overview: Page 1-2: Introduction Page 3-4: Geography Page 5-6: Wildlife Page 7-8: History Page 9-10: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire Page 11-13: Culture Page 14-15: The Kazakhs Page 16-17: Attractions Page 18-19: Reflection The answers and an answer sheet are included.
Is Mongolia worth visiting? ABSOLUTELY! Here are 9 reasons why you should go ahead and book that flight to visit Mongolia right now!
Voyage à la découverte des paysages de l'Altai en Mongolie, circuit exclusif de Nord Espaces, en tout petit groupe, l'émerveillement sera garanti.
Lake Khuvsgul is one of the best sites to visit for travelers venturing to Mongolia.
S'envoler en Mongolie dans le désert de Gobi avec Nord Espaces, c'est partir à la rencontre des steppes et des hommes incroyables qui charment ce pays.
These gorgeous pictures of Mongolia will inspire you to get planning your trip. From the nomadic plains to gorgeous national parks, Mongolia is beautiful.
Mongolia is an enchantment for travelers interested in history, culture, nature, and adventure travel. And yet, it is ranked as one of the least visited countries for tourism in the…
This Ulaanbaatar travel guide will show you the best things to do and see in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This city in Asia has a lot to discover.
Racing through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people of the Altai Region in Western Mongolia practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles.
A trek to Song-Kol lake in Kyrgyzstan is a popular activity, but most people go by horse. Read here to find about my trek on foot to this spectacular place!
Grab your yellow, blue and red colouring pencils and colour in the Mongolia flag!
Trekking in Mongolia is one of the enjoyable activities to do. Mongolia has the best and beautiful path where you can do hike or trek. This is a Hiking country.
Explore the ultimate HASS teacher resource collection, filled with worksheets, activities, maps and so much more. Aligned with the Australian Humanities and...
Ranked #1 of 13 Accommodation in Gorkhi Terelj National Park. Been here too? Add it to your map!
Here's 5 no-brainer activities to accomplish and 6 restaurants to try while you visit the bustling capitol of Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar.
Study geography with your kids with this Mongolia craft: building a model ger (also known as a yurt), a traditional nomadic dwellling
Study geography with your kids with this Mongolia craft: building a model ger (also known as a yurt), a traditional nomadic dwellling
Nadaam festival in Tsagaannuur, Mongolia
A hiking adventure in Lake Khovsgol Mongolia, a well-known summer spot for Mongolian and tourists alike, with beautiful crystal water, lakeside ger camps (traditional felt tent) and ever-present yaks and horses lazing around the water’s edge.
Situated in central Asia, Mongolia is a landlocked country surrounded by Russia and China which have both influenced their artwork and traditions. Tibetan Buddhism is the main religion of Mongolia, which has also largely inspired Mongolian artwork.
Winter might not seem the best time for Mongolia holidays, but if you want a unique travel experience through Mongolia, winter might actually be the best time to go!
Study geography with your kids with this Mongolia craft: building a model ger (also known as a yurt), a traditional nomadic dwellling
