Most people liken samardala to garlic or onions and are not entirely incorrect - the plant is a close relative of garlic and onions, but its leaves are in a cross-sectional shape, like a star with three rays.
The name samardala translated from Greek means "nectar garlic", but in English, it is known as Honey Garlic. The spice is found in Romania, Moldova, the Crimean Peninsula in the Caucasus and in Turkey.
Fresh samardala has a bitter but interesting taste. More widespread is the practice of it being mixed with salt. Prepare as follows - the spice's leaves are left to dry for one day, then ground to a paste and mixed with salt.
Spread it out and allow it to dry in a dark place to avoid it getting a nasty brown color. Anyone who has made this mixture knows that the process involves a lot of tears, as it has a flavor that's much more powerful than that of onions.
Fresh samardala leaves can be used to flavor almost any salad with tomatoes and cucumbers; while the salt/samardala mixture can be added to stews with potatoes, eggs, feta cheese or lamb.
However, be careful with the amount you add, because a significant part of the mix is actually salt. So, when seasoning with samardala, be sure to reduce the salt you use in the dishes’ recipes.
The spice can be used in recipes for baked goods. Here is a recipe for delicious samradala buns.
Samardala buns with dried onions
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups white flour, 1 tsp dry yeast, 2/5 cup of milk, 2/3 cup of water, 0.5 oz of dried onion, olive oil, salt and sugar and of course... samardala!
To prepare the dough, first dissolve the yeast in heated milk. Add half a cup of flour and sugar. Beat into a thick paste. Allow the dough to rise. Once ready, add the other products - flour, water, olive oil, salt, dried samardala, then also add dried onions and begin to knead.
The amount of samardala used is to your taste, if you like this spice, you can put more in. Knead until the dough is elastic and smooth. Let it rise.
Once doubled in size, roll it out thinly on a floured surface. Turn it into a roll and cut it into pitas/buns. Arrange them in a greased baking dish or on paper towels.
With a little olive oil, smear the buns and leave them to rise again. Leave them to bake in a preheated oven at 360°F (180 °C) for about 20 minutes. While still hot, brush them with oil and cover them with a towel.
