Serbian Food - Popara

Today I'll be making a simple, kinda traditional, Serbian dish called "popara" (pronounced like it is written). 
Popara roughly translates in English like "bread mash" or panada (but it's different from panada).
I say it's kinda traditional because it's made by other people too, other than Serbian people.
But it's mostly made only on Balkan peninsula.
For example, it's also made in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Montenegro.
So let's start...

Step 1: Ingredients...

You are probably wondering how popara is made.
Well it's pretty easy, here are all the ingredients that you will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 loaf of bread (the best kind of bread for this dish is the bread that has been left for 4-5 days);
- 1 teaspoon of salt (not on the picture);
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (not on the picture).
Since I'm making 2 variations of popara there are two aditional ingredients:
- sugar - about 100 grams;
- cheese - you can put almost any kind of cheese here, I had Feta cheese, also about 100-150 grams.

Step 2: Making...

Next, you put the pot on the stove and set it to high heat.
While the water with salt and vegetable oil is heating up, cut the bread in medium size pieces.
Let the water heat up, but don't let it boil. When it's hot enough proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Adding Bread...

Now, you start adding bread.
Bread should be 4-5 days old
Put all the bread into the pot.
When you add all the bread set heat to low.
Then, with a tablespoon make sure that the bread has soaked up almost all the water and that all the bread is moist and soft.
When it's all good leave it for a couple of minutes on the stove.

Step 4: Almost Done...

Almost done, just a few more things.
Your base should be done now.
All you need to do now is add the additional ingredients.
If you are decided on making two variations like me then keep reading.
Now, you separate the base in half.
First half will become our popara with cheese, and the second half will become a sweet variation of popara - popara with sugar.

Step 5: All Done

Stir your popara and enjoy.

Comments

[IgorC10]

Where is KAJMAK?

[bruce.yanoshek]

Kajmak is a cheese, not a place. The name is the Turkish word for "cream".

[bruce.yanoshek]

Hi,
My Serbian grandmother made a savory dish she called popara that was definitely related to this. The basis was bread and the drippings left over from pan-frying meat. It, of course, was based on not wasting anything, as well as using up stale bread. To make it, she added water to the dripping in the pan, and stirred and scraped the bottom of the pan to get all the stuck-on bits up into what was now a weak broth. Then she cooked slices of stale bread in this broth, so that it soaked up all the goodness. It was essentially bread and gravy, but with the gravy soaked into the bread. I know that this wasn't an uncommon recipe, because I once had a co-worker of Hungarian heritage, and when he learned that my grandparents were Serbian, he asked, "Do you eat 'greasy bread'?" Of course, I immediately knew that he was referring to my grandmother's popara. By the way, she was from the Vojvodina part of Serbia, when it was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

[Wilmette]

Thanks for adding this. I like to see minimalist recipes and re-use recipes. There is a lot of bread that goesto waste. Maybe this recipe will prevent some of that

[Project 23]

Well, it's just one recipe. What do you think about it? Is it clear enough?
I'm thinking of adding all sorts of Serbian dishes here.

[Wilmette]

It is clear enough. The only thing I would add is information about how it is served or whatit is served with. Is it a main dish ? A starch side ? Abreakfast dish snack ? Who eats it when, and with what other foods. If there are serian noodle or grain dishes I would like to hear about them.

[huku]

Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe.
Very simple, almost "poor man's meal", but so yummy!
One of my favorite dishes when I was a child.
Here in Bulgaria we make popara too, but a little bit differently. Instead of adding just hot water, we put tea, made of wild herbs.
And some butter instead of vegetable oil. It smells so good! Just give it a minute or two to melt down.
Sometimes we put both sugar and cheese. Some like it that way, others don't.
Excuse my poor English.