It’s hard to find real Kajmak in the USA. Often restaurants and Balkan stores will try to recreate it by whipping together butter and cream cheese but it’s definitely not the same. Kajmak, a type of clotted cream found in the Balkans, is made by cooking raw milk to a certain temperature at which point the fat in the milk rises to the top of the pot and settles. Then, the cream, or the Kajmak, is skimmed off the top, sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, and stored in the refrigerator. The milk that remains in the pot is then used for drinking or for making feta cheese.

If you live in an area where Balkan stores are prevalent, you may be able to find the real deal. I personally really love the Kajmak by Atour Foods in Chicago. It truly is the most original Kajmak I’ve come across thus far.

Kajmak is can be eaten spread on a slice of hot homemade bread, as a condiment or side to meat dishes, and it’s also used in many recipes. One of those dishes is Paprike u Kajmaku / Peppers in Kajmak. Roasted peppers are lightly sauteed until very soft, garlic is added and cooked until fragrant, and then the final touch, a generous dose of Kajmak is added to it all, making it the perfect comfort food.

I haven’t had this dish in a very long time. I faintly remember my grandmother making this for us when I was very small, but I haven’t had it since. I randomly remembered it while roasting my giant stack of peppers a few weeks ago. I tried to recreate it to the best of my ability, and I’m so glad I did. It’s creamy, the pepper has a hint of roasted flavor, and the garlic flavor is present but not at all overpowering. With every bite, I’m taken back to my grandmother’s kitchen.

The pictures don’t do this dish justice. If you take away one dish from this blog, let it be this one because you will not be disappointed.

Need to learn how to roast peppers? Check out this post for instructions and tips from my kitchen.

Paprike u Kajmaku / Peppers in Kajmak

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: MainCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Roasted peppers in a creamy sauce with a touch of garlic. Yum!

Ingredients

6-7 small peppers, roasted and seeded
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil
2 generous tablespoons of Kajmak
Optional – 1 tablespoon cream cheese (Po želji 1 kašika krem sira)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper (biber), to taste

Directions

Pour the oil into a nonstick skillet. Turn up the heat to medium.
Slice the roasted peppers into thin slices or into bite-size pieces, whatever you prefer. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will soften. Add the peppers to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook/saute the roasted peppers in the oil for around 20-25 until very soft. Keep the skillet covered but stir the peppers from time to time to ensure everything cooks evenly.
When the peppers have softened, add in the diced garlic and cook uncovered, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant and slightly browned.
When the garlic is cooked, turn off the heat. Stir in the Kajmak and cream cheese (if using). Stir until the Kajmak melts completely. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Serve hot.

Notes

You can use any type of sweet pepper for this, even bell peppers. Roast per the instructions in the above-mentioned post.
Taste your Kajmak to see if it is salted or not. If the Kajmak is salted, be careful with the amount of salt you add. Taste along the way!
The creaminess in the photo comes from the cream cheese. If you decide to not use cream cheese, the peppers won’t be creamy when the Kajmak melts.

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