AI-generated image
Jāņu siers
Caraway curd cheese
Jāņu siers: Latvian midsummer caraway curd cheese
Jāņu siers is the round, golden caraway cheese that Latvians make for Jāņi, the midsummer festival on 23–24 June, when it is eaten with rye bread and honey, and songs, around bonfires. Unlike most cheeses it needs no rennet: fresh curd cheese is cooked with hot milk, eggs, butter and caraway into a smooth mass, then pressed in a cloth and left to set. Its round shape and golden colour stand for the sun. A common mistake is cooking it over a high heat, which makes it grainy and rubbery. Chef's tip: stir constantly over a low heat until it pulls away from the pan in one shiny ball, then press it straight away.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the cheese
- 8 ¼ cups whole milk
- 3 eggsbeaten
- 1 ¾ oz butter
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 8 ¼ cups whole milk to the boil, add 2 ¼ lb curd cheese (tvorog) or quark and stir over a medium heat until the whey separates, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander and squeeze out the whey.
Step 3: Return the curd to the pan over a low heat. Add 1 ¾ oz butter, 1 ½ tsp salt, 3 eggs and 1 tbsp caraway seeds and stir constantly for 10–15 minutes, until smooth, yellow and coming away from the pan in one ball. Common mistake: high heat; it turns rubbery.
15 minStep 4: Tip into a cloth set in a round bowl, twist the cloth tight and press under a weight for 6 hours in the fridge.
Step 5: Unwrap and slice. Keeps 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jāņu siers take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Indian
MathiaMoong and urad dal wafers
Mathia are thin, crisp, slightly sweet and peppery wafers made from mathia flour, a mix of ground husked moong and urad dal. They are a classic Gujarati Diwali snack. The dough is pounded until pale, rolled very thin between plastic sheets and fried one at a time. They are fragile, so store them gently. To make mathia flour, finely grind 4 parts husked green gram lentils with 1 part husked black gram lentils.