International Cooking: Food from Serbia

I was happy to be cooking food from Serbia this week, because I’ve already cooked dishes from other countries in the region and their food was delicious. That made me eager to see what I would get to make from Serbia!

Serbia is a landlocked country in the Balkans, which is in the southeast part of Europe.

Serbia and the surrounding countries have been inhabited by early humans since the Stone Age. During the 6th century, Slavic migrants arrived in what is now Serbia, and several states were soon founded. At times, these states paid tribute to some of their more powerful neighbors, including the Byzantine, Frankish, and Hungarian kingdoms.

The Serbian Kingdom was at its height during 1346, and had expanded so far that it became known as an empire instead.

During the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire was expanding in the region and annexed most of modern-day Serbia. At the time, the Habsburg Empire (later known as the Austrian Empire), was a comparable power in the area, and they sometimes interfered with the Ottomans’ control.

The Serbian Revolution took place between 1804 and 1835, and resulted in the territory evolving from an Ottoman province into modern Serbia.

After World War I, in 1918, Serbia united with several other nations in the region to create Yugoslavia. However, Yugoslavia began to dissolve in 1991, for reasons including cultural and religious divisions and economic decline. During this time, Serbia briefly formed a union with Montenegro, which was peacefully ended in 2006. From then until now, Serbia has been an independent sovereign state. It also claims Kosovo as part of its territory, despite Kosovo having declared independence in 2008. From what I can tell, most countries do recognize Kosovo as an independent nation.

Serbia provides universal health care and free primary and secondary education to its citizens, and is currently in negotiations to join the European Union.

What Do People Eat in Serbia?

Serbian cuisine, like that of many Balkan countries, displays influences from Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire.

The Serbian diet is traditionally rich in animal products. Pork is the most popular meat and can be found in many forms, including sausages, bacon, and ham products. Dairy also features heavily in Serbian cuisine, along with basic grains such as corn, wheat, and oats.

Vegetables are also eaten, but they are less prevalent in Serbian cuisine and are more likely to be eaten as part of a meat-focused dish or as an accompaniment. Common seasonings include paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic.

The national drink is rakia, a fruit brandy that has many variations.

What I Made

• Čorbast Pasulj (Bean Stew)
• Karađorđeva Šnicla (Schnitzel Stuffed with Cheese)
• Moravska Salata (Roasted Red Pepper and Leek Salad)
• Punjene Paprike (Stuffed Peppers)
• Gibanica (Cheese Pie)
• Lepinja (Flatbread)
• Leskovačka Mućkalica (Meat and Roasted Pepper Stew)
• Vanilice (Vanilla Sandwich Cookies)

Scroll down to read about other popular Serbian dishes I didn’t make!

Čorbast Pasulj (Bean Stew)

This popular bean stew also includes meat for flavor. There are many possible options, such as sausage, bacon, or smoked ribs, but I went with kielbasa sausage.

I began by soaking my dried beans (I used navy beans) in water while I was at work. Then, when it was time to make dinner, I added the beans to a pot with salted water and cooked until the beans were nearly done.

I diverted from the recipe a bit at this point. I was meant to change the bean water and then add the vegetables, but I wanted to sauté the vegetables a bit first.

I added onion, carrot, and bell pepper to another saucepan with a little oil. I cooked for a few minutes, then added bay leaves, salt, and pepper, as well as some all-purpose seasoning and a little MSG in place of Vegeta. I added sliced kielbasa, then added the beans and some chicken stock. The recipe called for water, but I almost always prefer to use stock instead.

In a separate pan, I added oil, then grated garlic, followed by flour. I stirred in paprika and took the pan off the heat.

Once the beans were cooked through, I poured in the oil mixture, stirring constantly. After simmering for a few more minutes, my stew was ready to eat.

I really liked this! It was even delicious after being frozen and reheated.

This recipe is from The Balkan Hostess.

Karađorđeva Šnicla (Schnitzel Stuffed with Cheese)

This is basically just a schnitzel (pork or veal) which has been wrapped around cheese before breading and frying. I used pork since it’s cheaper.

I pounded thin pork cutlets so they were even thinner, and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. Then, I spread some cream cheese on each one. This was my substitute for kaymak, a soft cheese found in Serbia and the surrounding region. I added a mozzarella stick to each piece of pork, then rolled up the cutlets tightly and secured them with toothpicks.

I coated each roll in flour, then in beaten eggs, and then in breadcrumbs. Then, I pan-fried the rolls until they were cooked through and golden.

I served these with French fries, as suggested in the recipe. These were delicious, of course. I knew it would be hard to go wrong with schnitzel and cheese!

This is so simple that a recipe is hardly required, but I did use one from Rakija Grill for reference.

Moravska Salata (Roasted Red Pepper and Leek Salad)

I thought this salad looked interesting. It’s made mostly from roasted red peppers and leeks, with some tomato too.

I began by roasting the peppers in the oven. I peeled off the skin, cut them into strips, and added them to a bowl with white wine vinegar, olive oil, and minced garlic. I mixed everything well, then let the bowl sit in the fridge for a few hours.

When it was time to make the salad, I briefly sautéed some sliced leeks. In the recipe, they are left raw, but I didn’t like the idea of raw leeks so I cooked them just until they softened a bit. I added them to the bowl with the peppers, along with tomato, salt, and pepper.

I thought this was quite good. I probably would have preferred the leeks to be cooked more, but I was trying to pick a middle ground between how I usually like leeks prepared and how they are meant to be used in the recipe. I think this dish goes well with heavier mains; I ate this with my karađorđeva šnicla and it was a good accompaniment.

The recipe I used for this is from an unlikely place—a pagans and witches community blog! You can find it here.

Punjene Paprike (Stuffed Peppers)

Stuffed peppers are popular in many places, but I think I’ve only made them once or twice and it was a while ago, so I decided to try this Serbian version.

I began by making the filling. I sautéed onion and celery in oil, then added ground beef and continued until the meat was cooked through. I took the pan off the heat and stirred in cooked rice, salt, pepper, paprika, grated potato, and grated carrot. I also added some mixed herbs in place of Vegeta.

I prepared my bell peppers by cutting off the tops and removing the seeds. Then I filled each one with the filling and topped it with a potato slice.

I put the stuffed peppers in a baking dish and poured in some water. Then I covered the dish and baked for around 45 minutes, then another 10 or so uncovered.

I served my stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes, as suggested in the recipe. This was a great combination, and the peppers themselves were really good.

This recipe is from The Balkan Hostess.

Gibanica (Cheese Pie)

This is a pie made mostly from phyllo pastry, cheese, and eggs. It sounded very good and it’s similar to another dish I enjoyed during this challenge (banitza from Bulgaria), so I knew I had to try it.

I began by beating the eggs, then combining them with sparkling water, baking powder, oil, salt, feta, and cottage cheese.

I placed one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of a greased baking dish, then added a little of the cheese mixture. I realized I probably needed more phyllo in between each layer at that point and started doing two sheets at once. So next, I added two sheets of phyllo, followed by the cheese mixture, and repeated until I was out of ingredients. (I actually had some phyllo left but no cheese mixture.)

I tucked the pastry into the edges of the baking dish, then let it sit for about 15 minutes. According to the recipe, this is to allow time for the phyllo to absorb the liquid.

I baked the gibanica for around 45 minutes, then let it cool slightly before eating.

I loved this! I do think I would try to use more phyllo if I were to make this again, by using less of the cheese mixture for each layer. But overall, it was a great dish. I froze some of the leftover gibanica in single-serving pieces and I think it was also very good after defrosting.

This is another recipe from The Balkan Hostess.

Lepinja (Flatbread)

These flatbreads are similar to somun, which I made for Bosnia and Herzegovina (a long time ago now!) Looking back at that post, I see that I was confused as to whether somun and lepinja are the same thing. I think now that they are, and that the names are just different.

In Serbia, lepinja can be served with a soup or stew, or filled with meat and other ingredients to make a sandwich. I served it with the next dish, a hearty stew.

I began by sprinkling active dry yeast over warm water mixed with a little sugar. After about 10 minutes, when the yeast was foaming, I combined it in my stand mixer with flour, salt, oil, and water to make a sticky dough.

I covered the dough and let it rest for about an hour. Then, I divided it into balls and let them rest for another thirty minutes.

I pressed each dough ball out into a round and made a grid pattern on top with a knife. Then, I let them rest for another 30 minutes.

I baked these for around 12 minutes. The recipe said to bake at 250°C, which would be around 480°F. I think I baked them at 450°F instead, and they came out well.

Flavor-wise, the lepinja were really just regular bread, which is always a winner for me. They went well with the stew I made that evening. I’d intended to use them for an additional dish (komplet lepinja, see other popular Serbian dishes), but I just did not get around to making that.

This recipe is from Food By Drygast.

Leskovačka Mućkalica (Meat and Roasted Pepper Stew)

This is a stew that is usually made from leftover grilled meat and flavored with roasted peppers and paprika. I started with raw pork shoulder, so this recipe took a bit longer than it would have otherwise.

I began by cutting the pork into bite-sized pieces and browning them in oil. I removed the pork from the pan and added onion and bacon. After cooking for around 10 minutes, I added roasted red bell peppers (which I had previously roasted myself), tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika.

A few minutes later, I added the pork back to the pot, as well as just enough chicken stock to cover it. I put the lid on and let everything simmer for around 90 minutes, until the pork was tender.

I served this with some lepinja, and it was delicious!

This recipe is from The Balkan Hostess. Just be careful—the recipe doesn’t say when to add the seasonings, so don’t forget them!

Vanilice (Vanilla Sandwich Cookies)

These shortbread-like sandwich cookies are traditionally made with lard, but today butter is often used instead. They are filled with jam, then rolled in powdered sugar before serving. The recipe I used called for a little vanilla sugar, but instead, I just added more vanilla.

I began by creaming together butter and sugar in my stand mixer. Then, I added a whole egg and some egg yolks and continued to mix. I mixed in lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and vanilla extract.

Next, I removed the bowl from the mixer and used a spatula to stir in ground walnuts, which I had ground up myself using my food processor. Once the walnuts had been incorporated, I stirred in flour and began to knead with my hands until I had a soft ball of dough.

I left the dough in the fridge for a couple of hours. Once it was completely cold, I removed it and rolled it out. I used a small cookie cutter to cut out each cookie, then put them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. I baked the cookies for around 20 minutes, just until they were beginning to brown on the bottom.

Once the cookies were cool, I spread a small amount of apricot jam on one and topped it with another, then rolled the sandwich cookie in powdered sugar.

I thought these cookies were delicious! They were also popular at work; I made a lot so I took them in and left them in the kitchen.

This recipe is from The Balkan Hostess.

Other Popular Serbian Dishes

• Pljeskavica – basically a hamburger seasoned with paprika, salt, and pepper, often garlic and onion too. It’s often served in lepinja with ajvar.
• Ajvar – popular throughout the Balkans, this is a condiment made from roasted red peppers and eggplant.
• Komplet lepinja – lepinja that has been cut in half, spread with animal fat, topped with an egg, and baked. It’s then topped with lots of kajmak (a type of cheese) and sometimes meat.
• Ćevapčići – ground meat made into sausage shapes and grilled, usually flavored with lots of garlic. Often served with lepinja and fresh vegetables.

Final Thoughts

I really liked all the dishes I made this week. Choosing a favorite is difficult, but it would probably be between čorbast pasulj and gibanica.

Next time, I will be cooking food from Seychelles.