Sauces of Azerbaijani cuisine. Azerbaijani dovga

Azerbaijani cuisine is considered one of the most ancient in the world. The cuisine of Azerbaijan, which has quite a lot of traditions common to all Caucasian peoples, at the same time combines some features that give it a unique flavor.

Features of Azerbaijani cuisine

Despite the abundance of different types of meat available, Azerbaijanis prefer to use lamb to prepare main dishes (for example, pilaf).
The favorable sunny climate of Azerbaijan is also reflected in the cuisine of local peoples: vegetables, fruits and berries (pears, plums, cherry plums, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, quinces, citrus fruits) are widely used in preparing dishes.
The originality of Azerbaijani cuisine is in the types of utensils used by local people: pitishniki, cauldrons, saja frying pan, kassa cups and others.
Azerbaijani dishes have a spicy, pungent taste, and their delicacies are truly sweet.
Among the traditional recipes of Azerbaijani cuisine you will not find dishes with pork or recipes for alcoholic drinks, since the cuisine of this country is largely influenced by Islam.

Popular Azerbaijani dishes

It is impossible to talk about the cuisine of Azerbaijan without mentioning its famous pilaf. It is believed that the Azerbaijanis cook pilaf best in the Caucasus. They usually use lamb, but variations with beef and even fish are possible. Azerbaijani pilaf is flavored with a mixture of spices from saffron, cloves, cinnamon, cilantro and ground peppers. According to ancient Azerbaijani traditions, the rice part of the pilaf is served separately from the meat filling and herbs.

The second most popular Azerbaijani dish is rightfully considered lula kebab- minced meat cutlets, strung on thin wooden skewers and cooked over an open fire. Also, Azerbaijanis cannot imagine a summer feast without barbecue - they are real masters in preparing various marinades.

While in Azerbaijan, it is worth trying another traditional dish - dolma. This is a kind of analogue of Russian cabbage rolls, only smaller in size. The filling can be meat, fish or vegetable, and instead of cabbage leaves, grape or quince leaves are used.

A significant part of Azerbaijani national dishes is sweets and desserts, which can be divided into three groups depending on the method of preparation: dough products, caramel treats and candies. To enrich the taste of desserts, Azerbaijani chefs use sesame, cardamom, ginger, various types of nuts, and poppy seeds. The most popular Azerbaijani sweet is baklava, which is made from dough, honey, sugar, caramel and nuts.

Many Asian and Caucasian cuisines have in their arsenal such a delicacy as sherbet. In Azerbaijan, this is not the name for a sweet, but a soft drink based on berries and fruits with added sugar, which is usually served with pilaf and other main dishes. Another popular national drink of Azerbaijan is doshab, which is similar to sweet fruit puree.

The main drink in Azerbaijan is black tea. It is brewed strongly and then drunk from special small pear-shaped jugs called “ormud”.

People in Azerbaijan love and know how to cook, and therefore, to receive guests. Azerbaijanis love long feasts, during which they can try many traditional dishes. If you are lucky enough to visit Azerbaijan, do not look for a cafe where to have a snack - better go visit the locals: only after tasting home-cooked dishes will you be able to truly appreciate the culinary traditions of this country.

I don’t even know where to start telling the story about the month I spent in Azerbaijan. The scenery is simply stunning, the cities are charming, and the people are incredibly friendly. The holiday was full of adventures, and everything was not at all what I expected. So where to start?

I'm still a little confused and trying to process everything. (Process photos, damn it, I took more than 2000 photos)

So, I’ll start, perhaps, with this... when I found out that I was going to, I was haunted by only one question: “I wonder what the cuisine is like there?”:

Food in Azerbaijan

Instead of jumping straight into the top 5 dishes I tried, as I usually do, today I'll take a short detour.

First of all, I must say that I was in Azerbaijan for work.

And when I wasn't eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel buffet, I usually ate lunch at the stadium, which meant eating a tiny cupcake and drinking a bottle of water, if I was lucky I could eat a beet salad and cold pizza. (But I'm not complaining by any means: many sporting events don't provide free media food at all - in London they charged £1.05 for a bottle of water. I was grateful for the free snacks).

I want to say that my understanding of Azerbaijani cuisine is limited. However, I was still able to try a few dishes outside the hotel and get a glimpse of Azerbaijani culture in the process.

What is Azerbaijani cuisine?

If I were asked to describe Azerbaijani food in four words, I would say: pickles, herbs, lamb and sodium.

Each meal begins with a plate of appetizers, which are eaten with warm naan-like flatbreads. Appetizer includes: fresh herbs, cheeses, olives, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and assorted pickles: pickled onions, pickled cabbage, pickled olives. In one restaurant I even tried pickled mushrooms (It’s a little funny that what I call pickled, they call white cucumber).

Herbs are highly prized here; sometimes they bring a whole plate with just herbs. They smell great.

At least one of the main dishes comes with lamb meat. Even the dishes that don't contain it contain a lot of sodium, which I've never tried before.

I don't like to complain about food. I can't stand doing this and I can't stand those who do it. But I admit that after a month in Azerbaijan, I needed a break from the sodium (And this happened to me, a person who has repeatedly sat down to watch movies with a jar of pickles and destroyed it in one go).

Dinner was usually accompanied by tea, an important part of Azerbaijani culture, and something else that I will definitely write more about in another post.

So now that you have an idea (or at least MY idea) about Azerbaijani cuisine, we can move on to the top 5 dishes I tried in Azerbaijan.

5 best dishes I tried in Azerbaijan

Drink soup from Sheki

Petey. God, drink! By far, this is the best thing I ate in Azerbaijan. Piti is a soup that is prepared in an individual clay pot, which you “take apart” before eating. First, break up pieces of bread and throw them into the pot. Then slowly tilt the pot of piti so that the broth submerges the bread; then add the rest of the ingredients to finish cooking the dish - do each step very quickly and the hot soup will splash on you :).
The recipe itself is simple: lamb, chickpeas, chestnuts and potatoes. But the end result is a hearty and flavorful soup, one of the most flavorful soups I've ever had in my life - most likely thanks to the large portion of cooked fat.

Badambura in Baku

Badambura is a widely known Azerbaijani pie. It comes in a variety of shapes, with fillings of sugar, cinnamon and finely chopped nuts. I tried it for the first time at the tournament accreditation center. While waiting for my accreditation to be printed, I casually mentioned that I was hungry. The center’s volunteers immediately took out badambur and juice from their personal lunch bags and insisted that I eat. I don't know whether it was hunger or their kindness, but not a single badambura was as magnificent as that first one.

Black tea and cherry jam in Baku

As with all the dishes on this list, there is a story behind this tea that makes it unforgettable. But the tea itself was fantastic, which is not surprising, since tea occupies a huge place in the everyday life of an Azerbaijani; on the streets I often saw men playing board games and sipping black tea from small, beautifully shaped mugs. There is even a special tradition - to drink it with jam, but I will talk about this in another post.

Sheki halva

We went to Sheki for one day, so the stop at the local sweets seller’s shop was no more than five minutes. But even in those few minutes, I saw how popular this guy's halwa was: the tiny shop was filled with locals jostling each other, hoping to buy the last halva. The boxes disappeared as soon as someone filled them with freshly cut sweets.

By the way, halva - a dessert made from crushed nuts lying between layers of thin fried dough with honey oozing from it - is a specialty of Sheki, so I think we bought the best of the best.

Caspian Sea fish and smoked cheese in Gabala

The fish was not so appetizing, perhaps due to the fact that I had to remove the heads first, then, when I greedily devoured the small bodies, I had to remember about the bones.

And again, these dishes are memories of one night - I drank together with local Azerbaijanis who did not know Russian except “Vodka!” - that’s why I put this salty snack on my list (the salt content in it is higher than the norm that I need to cope with vodka).

"Let's split bread!" - this is how they will invite you to the table in Azerbaijan. But one of the main food products in the Caucasus is still meat. To his choice in Azerbaijan are treated with particular seriousness. Any local will tell you that you shouldn’t expect a tasty dish if the main ingredient was bought in a store, and even frozen. Meat, as a rule, is bought from a familiar butcher, who cuts up the lamb or calf right in front of the buyer. Shish kebab, basturma, dolma, kyufta, thick soups lamb - this is just a short list of popular Azerbaijani meat dishes.

Azerbaijani cuisine recipes

The main taste of national cuisine is sweet and sour. Azerbaijan is a fertile land, rich in vegetables, fruits, and berries. The combination of meat, poultry and fish with dogwood, pomegranates, cherry plum, plum, and quince gives the dishes a unique taste. How can you serve fish without the famous sauce? narsharab or shashlik from veal tenderloin - without plum or dogwood sauce? No sauces Azerbaijani cuisine no longer the same. Local housewives will never buy these sauces in stores. Because homemade sauces, made with respect Azerbaijani recipes, and the bottles that you see on store shelves are, as they say, “two big differences.”

Salads of Azerbaijani cuisine and not only

People often ask: why are there so few salads with dressings and appetizers in such a rich Azerbaijani cuisine? Historians of national cuisine agree on one thing: from time immemorial, everything that grew on this generous land was so tasty and aromatic that cutting and mixing these gifts, and even more so, killing the natural taste and aroma of herbs and fruits with all sorts of “mayonnaise” was considered blasphemous. However, even in Azerbaijani restaurants, and during a home-cooked meal a number of appetizers are certainly served on the table: fresh tomatoes cucumbers, generous plate greenery, all kinds pickles and marinades and definitely cheese.

Azerbaijani recipes for long-livers

Cheese is a whole separate issue. Azerbaijani national cuisine... They know a lot about this product here. Cheese with a funny name is especially prized " shook" Brine motal cheese is made from sheep's milk, tightly stuffed into wineskins, the ends of which are tied up and stored in a cool place for 3-4 months. Motal has a rather piquant, slightly spicy taste and aroma. It is often served with fresh, warm lavash and add a lot of greenery: twigs tarragon, cilantro, basil, green onions... Fresh greens grow here all year round. It is not only added to Azerbaijani cuisine when cooking, but also eaten simply and in very large quantities. And who knows, maybe this, among other things, is the secret of the longevity of Caucasians?

Azerbaijani cuisine can rightfully claim to be one of the most original in the world. Its formation occurred under the influence of religious customs and cultural traditions, as well as thanks to a huge number of borrowings from the cuisines of Georgia, Iran and other countries.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijani cuisine has quite a lot in common with the culinary traditions of other peoples of Transcaucasia, it has managed to form its own unique characteristics. As a result, the original dishes of Azerbaijan have won well-deserved recognition, including outside the country.

general characteristics

The cuisine of Azerbaijan was formed under the influence of the natural, climatic, religious and cultural characteristics of the region. The geographical location of the country played one of the leading roles in this process. About half of the territory of Azerbaijan is occupied by mountains, and therefore a special climate has formed here, characterized by incredible diversity. The country has nine climate types out of twelve existing ones!

Due to the fact that in most populated areas of the country the climate is mountainous and subtropical, the local population has been engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture for centuries. As a result, meat (primarily poultry), as well as fruits and vegetables in all their variety, became widespread in the diet of Azerbaijanis.

In addition to climatic conditions, the development of Azerbaijani cuisine was influenced by the history of the country. Thus, the territory of present-day Azerbaijan managed to be part of the Arab Caliphate, as well as under the rule of Iranian Islamic dynasties, which led to the formation of material culture, including culinary traditions, under Persian influence.

In addition, in the 18th – 19th centuries, more than one and a half dozen small feudal principalities existed on the territory of the current country. The result of this was the formation of regional cuisines, the dishes of which, despite often using the same ingredients, differed in cooking technology.

Characteristics

Despite some common features inherent in the cuisines of all countries of the Caucasus region, the culinary traditions of Azerbaijan have a number of peculiarities. So, although the same hearth is used for cooking - a tandoor (a clay barbecue oven, shaped like a giant jug), similar kitchen utensils and often the same ingredients, the traditional menu of Azerbaijani cuisine still differs not only in its range, but and in terms of taste.

Many types of meat are consumed in Azerbaijan, but lamb is the mainstay of the diet. At the same time, young lamb is most often present on the menu. This is due to the peculiarities of culinary processing of dishes - meat is most often cooked over an open fire.
In Azerbaijan, unlike other Transcaucasian countries, fish is popular. At the same time, the methods of heat treatment are very diverse.
Azerbaijanis love vegetables and fruits very much, but spicy greens are their absolute favorite. It is added to many dishes, like nuts.
is another widely local delicacy that is widely used in the preparation of a huge number of dishes.
It is not particularly popular in Azerbaijani cuisine. It is used very moderately. Even meat here is usually served unsalted, and are used as flavoring additives to give it a piquant taste.
The main spice, which is generously added to many dishes, is inherited from the Persian cuisine by Azerbaijani cuisine.
Roses here are not just an object of aesthetic delight. Their petals are used to make syrup, sherbet and amazingly tasty jam.
Azerbaijani cuisine is highly regionally structured. Many regions here have their own “specialty” dishes. For example, in Southern Azerbaijan, game and fish are stuffed with fruit; in Northern Azerbaijan, under the influence of the cuisine of Dagestan, a very common dish is khinkal (not to be confused with khinkali), and in Baku and some other large cities Iranian delicacies are very popular: halva, sherbet, etc.
One of the “tricks” of Azerbaijani cuisine is its unique flavor range: here it is customary to combine fresh products with sour and dairy products.
Almost all dishes in Azerbaijan without exception are served with bread called churek or bread, of which there are many types.

Main dishes and drinks

The range of dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine is very wide and often varies from region to region.

Vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits, as well as a variety of spicy herbs, are widely represented in the diet of Azerbaijanis. In this case, vegetables are used mainly fresh.

It is noteworthy that mainly above-ground vegetables are used in Azerbaijan. Root vegetables are not popular here: and they are added to dishes very rarely.

An interesting situation has developed in Azerbaijani cuisine since. You simply won’t find it in classic recipes - potatoes began to be grown and eaten in the country only during the Soviet period. Before this, they were considered the main side dish. They were the ones served with meat. The most popular local seasonings for meat dishes are combined with chestnuts much more harmoniously than with potatoes: fermented juice of unripe abgor, (), and dogwood, as well as cherry plum, both fresh and dried. That is why in restaurants, meat and vegetable dishes are most often served with chestnuts rather than potatoes.

Vegetables widely used in Azerbaijani cuisine include asparagus, Derbent cabbage, and legumes. Also popular. Fresh vegetable salads are served with almost any dish. All ingredients are cut very finely and generously seasoned with fermented milk products and sauces.

In addition, in Azerbaijan they prepare kebabs from vegetables: potatoes and, as well as a kind of notorious vegetable scrambled egg, which is called kyukyu here: a mixture of a huge amount of greens and vegetables, which is beaten with an egg and fried. Pickled vegetables and pickles are also popular.

Green onions are used in huge quantities in Azerbaijani cuisine and usually accompany all fried meat dishes without exception. They also love it here, the local varieties of which cannot boast of being particularly spicy. It is eaten together with green feathers. Other popular herbs include tarragon and mint. Thyme and are used a little less often.

It is curious that classical spices are used very limitedly in Azerbaijan. So, it is usually added to meat and fish dishes, and to confectionery products. Real Azerbaijani pilaf is prepared with saffron, which is considered to be a national spice. At the same time, red pepper and other spices with a fiery taste are practically not used in Azerbaijani cuisine.

Meat dishes

Meat dishes are another local highlight. Of course, the “calling card” is pilaf. , generously seasoned with saffron, complemented with meat or fruit filling. Azerbaijani pilaf, in addition to saffron as the main spice, also boasts a rather original method of preparation. Rice and meat are cooked separately here and mixed just before serving the dish. Wash down the pilaf with sherbet: this is a drink based on fruit and berry juices, which includes infusions of seeds of various wild herbs. It is worth noting that in addition to the usual pilaf in Azerbaijan, there are a number of more exotic versions of it: with nuts, and even baked in dough.

Another dish that Azerbaijani cuisine is famous for is shashlik. It is prepared in a tandoor or on a grill, usually from lamb. Sumac berry seasoning is used as a flavoring additive.

Dolma is also popular - a dish that came to Azerbaijan from Turkey. These are very unique cabbage rolls - minced meat wrapped in grape leaves. There are other varieties of dolma - stuffed with meat, eggplant or pepper.

In addition to lamb, the diet of the local population also includes poultry (guinea fowl and chickens primarily). Many meat dishes are served with fermented milk products, cheese, etc.

Fish and seafood

Fish dishes are represented much more widely in Azerbaijani cuisine than in the culinary traditions of other peoples of Transcaucasia. Fish is usually cooked on a grill over an open fire, like a shish kebab, baked in a tandoor and smoked. Fish dishes cooked in a steam bath are also popular.

The “trick” of Azerbaijani cuisine is the fact that fish is often combined with fruits and nuts in dishes.

Soups

In total, the local cuisine includes more than thirty types of first courses. A distinctive characteristic of Azerbaijani soups is how thick they are. Many joke that soup in Azerbaijan is quite capable of replacing the second course.

Among the most popular Azerbaijani soups is the legendary piti. It is prepared from lamb, with the addition of cherry plum and a huge amount of spices. It is curious that each portion is supposed to be cooked in a separate clay pot. Just before serving, add saffron and finely crushed dried saffron to the soup.

Another popular dish of local cuisine is dovga. It is prepared from a mixture of flour and eggs with the addition of rice. To prevent the liquid from curdling during cooking, stir the soup constantly. Dovga is prepared both with and without meat.

Sujuk is an absolutely unique soup, because it is not salty, but sweet. It is prepared using flour, adding nuts and saffron.

Beverages

One of the most popular drinks in Azerbaijan is sherbet. This is a mixture of various fruit and berry juices, to which infusions of wild herbs and ice are added. Narsharab - pomegranate juice syrup and dosha - grape-mulberry syrup are also great thirst quenchers.

Beneficial features

Azerbaijani cuisine rightfully enjoys a reputation as one of the most healthy. One of its main advantages is the almost complete absence of chicken. To prepare it you will need: 600 g of chicken thighs, 400 g, 50 g of butter, 250 ml of chicken broth, a couple of tomatoes, two tablespoons of freshly squeezed tomatoes, three eggs, a teaspoon, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Please note that sometimes boiled chicken is used to prepare chyhyrtma, since one of the ingredients is also chicken broth. Yet the classic recipe calls for using raw meat.

Salt and pepper the chicken and fry in a deep frying pan in butter until golden brown.

Finely chop the onion. Remove the fried chicken from the pan and, adding a little more butter, throw in the chopped onion. Add some salt. The onion should be simmered over medium heat, stirring and mashing occasionally, until it becomes translucent and begins to caramelize.

Peel the tomatoes and cut them into as small pieces as possible, almost turning them into mush. Add tomatoes and lemon juice to onions. Pour in a third of a glass of broth and mix thoroughly. Simmer the vegetables and broth over low heat for five minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula. After this, place the pre-fried chicken on top, add turmeric and pour in the remaining broth. Please note that it should not cover the meat entirely. Stir and cover with a lid. Now the meat should be stewed for half an hour over low heat.

Beat the eggs, add salt and pepper and add pre-chopped herbs. After this, pour the mixture into the pan with the meat, trying to distribute it as evenly as possible. Please note that there is no need to stir!

Over very low heat, without covering the pan, simmer the dish until the sauce thickens. Don't forget that you can't stir the dish!

Cooking kutabs with herbs

Kutabs are thin, crescent-shaped pies that are very popular in Azerbaijan. Meat or herbs are used as filling for them, and the most widespread are the kutabs with herbs, which are considered “classic”.

Traditionally, these pies are baked immediately before guests arrive; they are not prepared in advance. Kutab is usually served with sweet herbal tea. Fun fact: you can't eat them with a knife and fork. The pies are simply rolled into a tube and dipped in sauce.

To prepare kutabs with herbs, you will need the following ingredients: a bunch of cilantro, the same amount of parsley and onions, two glasses of wheat flour, half a glass of water, 150 g of butter and 10 g of salt.

Mix flour with salt. Pour a quarter cup of warm water into the mixture. Mix thoroughly, then add the remaining water. Knead a stiff dough.

Chop the greens and mix with 100 g of melted butter.

Now the dough should be divided into four parts of equal size. Roll each into a pancake about a millimeter thick.

Place the filling on half of the rolled out dough and cover with the other half. Seal the edges, making sure that there is practically no air left inside. Fry in a dry frying pan over very low heat. Grease the finished products with butter.

Azerbaijani cuisine, in terms of the composition and variety of dishes, is one of the extremely tasty and healthy cuisines. It is distinguished by an abundance of various meat (lamb, beef, poultry), fish (stellate sturgeon, sturgeon) and vegetable dishes, complemented by aromatic herbs and spices, as well as a beautiful appearance.

November 12 is the Constitution Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This day is very important for the residents, because they began to live in an independent state. We invite you to get acquainted with the culture of the Azerbaijani people by preparing several popular dishes of national cuisine.

Azerbaijani national dishes have long been prepared in copper dishes. And now in many regions and rural areas of Azerbaijan, dishes cooked in copper pans are more tasty. Therefore, items of Azerbaijani national cuisine (saucepan, colander, basin, tray, slotted spoon, ladle, etc.) are mainly made of copper.
In Azerbaijani cuisine, pilaf is prepared with melted (or butter) cow butter. This oil does not withstand high temperatures, and therefore the occurrence of carcinogenic substances does not occur. Rice is boiled in boiling water, poured with oil and left to settle. The meat is stewed with onions, chestnuts and dried plums.
Before eating the main meal, Azerbaijanis drink tea, mainly black baccalaureate. There has long been a tradition in Azerbaijan: immediately upon the arrival of guests, serve them tea. The advantage of this tradition is that drinking tea in crowded dinner parties encourages relaxed communication. Tea in Azerbaijan is a symbol of warm hospitality.

Our selection of Azerbaijani cuisine:

OVDUKH (okroshka in Azerbaijani)

Matsoni-200 g, water-100 g, fresh cucumbers-100 g, green onions-40 g, cilantro-10 g, dill-10 g, basil-5 g, 1 pc. eggs, beef-108 g, salt, garlic.

To prepare okroshka, matsoni is beaten and diluted with chilled boiled water. Peel the cucumbers, chop finely, then chop the greens. All this is mixed with diluted matsoni, salt and garlic are added and put in the refrigerator. Serve cold. In some cases, boiled and finely chopped beef and a hard-boiled egg are added to the ovdukh. Usually ovdukh is prepared without meat.

KHAMRASHI (Azerbaijani soup)

Lamb - 200 g, wheat flour - 30 g, eggs 1-4 pcs., ghee - 10 g, white beans - 20 g, wine vinegar - 10 g, onions - 20 g, cilantro - 20 g, dried mint -1.0 g, pepper, salt.

Minced meat is prepared from the lamb pulp, then it is cut into small balls of 5-6 pieces. per serving. The beans are cooked separately. Unleavened dough is rolled out to a thickness of 1 mm and cut into strips 5 cm wide, and cut into homemade arishta noodles. First, meat balls are boiled in the broth, then noodles and boiled beans are added. Once ready, add chopped herbs and sprinkle with dried mint when serving. Wine vinegar is served separately.

SHAKER-CHUREK

Wheat flour, premium - 530 g, ghee - 260 g, powdered sugar - 300 g, eggs - 1 pc., vanillin - 3 g

Beat the melted butter with powdered sugar for 25-30 minutes, while gradually adding egg white. Add vanillin and sifted flour and, rubbing thoroughly, knead into a stiff dough. The dough is formed into round balls weighing 60-75 g, placed on iron sheets lined with parchment, brushed with egg yolk on top and baked at a temperature of 175-180 degrees Celsius for 25-30 minutes. After cooling, the shaker churek is sprinkled with powdered sugar.

FIRNI

Rice - 40 g, milk - 200 g, sugar - 10 g, butter - 10 g, cinnamon - 0.2 g, salt

Rice is soaked in water for 2-3 hours, discarded, dried and pounded in a mortar. Pour rice flour into boiling milk, add salt and sugar with continuous stirring and cook. When serving, top with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon in a lattice pattern.

JYZ-BYZ

Lamb intestines (processed) -140 g, heart-60 g, liver-67 g, kidneys-60 g, testes-50 g, onions-50 g, potatoes-193 g, tail fat-15 g, greens-5 g , sumac-1.0 g, pepper-0.1 g, salt, in summer you can add tomatoes -100g

The cleaned intestines are cut into pieces 2-3 cm long. The liver, heart, livers and testes are cut into pieces. All this is peppered, salted and fried. Then add onions, separately fried potatoes, cut into cubes, mix and bring to readiness. When serving, sprinkle with herbs and serve sumac separately.

KUTABS WITH MEAT

Lamb-100 g, onion-20 g, lavashana-15 g or pomegranate-20 g, wheat flour-110 g, ghee-30 g, sumac-3 g, pepper-0.1 g, salt.

A stiff dough is kneaded from wheat flour with the addition of salt, which is rolled out to a thickness of 1-0.5 mm, and circles the size of a pie plate are cut out of it. Prepare minced meat from lamb and onions, add pepper, salt, pomegranate and mix thoroughly. Wrap the minced meat in dough in the shape of a crescent and fry in a frying pan in oil.

KUTABY WITH GREENS

Greens (spinach - 150 g, sorrel - 150 g, green onions - 150 g, cilantro and dill - 15 g), flour - 140 g, melted butter - 20 g, butter - 20 g, pita bread - 10 g, egg - 1/5 pcs, matsoni - 50 g, pepper, salt

The greens are washed, coarsely chopped and stewed with sautéed onions. Add salt, pepper, lavash to the filling and mix thoroughly. A stiff dough is kneaded from flour with the addition of water, eggs and salt, which is rolled out and cut into circles. The finished filling is wrapped in a crescent-shaped dough and fried on both sides in a frying pan without oil. When serving, kutabs are poured with heated butter and matsoni (kefir, yogurt) is served separately.

DOLMA

Lamb - 100 g, rice - 30 g, onions - 20 g, greens (cilantro, dill, mint) - 15 g, grape leaves - 40 g, matsoni - 20 g, melted butter - 10 g, salt, pepper, cinnamon

Lamb pulp and onions are passed through a meat grinder. Rice, chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and sometimes split peas pre-soaked in water are added to the minced meat. Fresh grape leaves are scalded with boiling water, and pickled leaves are left until half cooked. The minced meat is thoroughly mixed and wrapped in each sheet at the rate of an average of 25 g of minced meat per dolma. Place the dolma in a thick-bottomed pan, fill halfway with water and simmer for an hour until cooked. When serving, matsoni (kefir, yogurt) is served separately.

LYULYA - KEBAB

1 kg of fatty lamb (if the lamb is lean, add tail fat or beef kidney fat), 4 medium onions, hot capsicum, a bunch of cilantro, 4 cloves of garlic.

Pass the meat, onion, garlic and cilantro through a meat grinder. Beat the minced meat very carefully on the table. You should feel with your hands that the meat has become sticky enough and does not fall apart. Then put the minced meat in the refrigerator for half an hour. Next, thread the minced meat onto a skewer into sausages 15 cm long (50 g each), and hold the skewer flat while threading. Fry on the grill for 10 minutes or on a preheated grill for 20 minutes. Lula kebab is usually served on thin lavash.

DUSHBARA (dumplings in Azerbaijani style)

lamb (boneless) - 400g, flour - 2 cups, egg - 1 piece, onion - 2 pieces, butter (melted) - 2 tbsp, wine vinegar (3%) - 2 tbsp, mint , cilantro - to taste, pepper and salt - to taste.

Separately, cook the bone broth. The lamb pulp is passed through a meat grinder, onion and pepper are added and mixed well.
A stiff dough is prepared from flour and eggs with the addition of salt. The resulting dough is rolled out to a thickness of about 2 mm. Stepping back 3 cm from the edge of the rolled out cake, spread the minced meat with a teaspoon at small intervals. The workpiece is covered with another cake, after which it is removed with a round recess.

The finished dushbara are dipped into boiling, strained broth and simmered over low heat until the dushbara float to the surface. For 4 servings use 6 cups of broth.
When serving, the dushbar is poured with broth, melted butter is added and sprinkled with herbs, and vinegar is served separately.

CHYKHYRTMA FROM SPINACH

Spinach-350 g, sorrel-100 g, parsley or dill-15 g, onion-50 g, eggs-2 pcs., melted butter-30 g, matsoni-100 g, pepper, salt.

Spinach, sorrel and parsley are sorted, washed, coarsely chopped and stewed. Separately fry the onions, then mix them with stewed herbs. Season with spices, place in a frying pan, pour in beaten eggs and bake in the oven. The finished dish is poured with oil and matsoni (yogurt, kefir) is served separately.

AZERBAJAN PILV

For pilaf you will need:
1) Dishes, preferably a cauldron
2) Oil - vegetable, in the original - cotton, you can use any other oil that you are used to using when frying, so that it does not burn.
3) Meat - classically, lamb, and, oddly enough, brisket is valued. It’s good to add the back, tail part (tail fat). But you can take other meat that is available to you. This dish is truly folk, even tough meat is prepared, but it is not necessary for guests to take just that.
4) Rice - not long, “Indian”. Here the principle is different - the rice should be translucent. The fact is that the rice should not fall apart during the cooking process, it should remain somewhat firm, although not raw.
5) Carrots - use white ones.
6) Onions - take white ones, as they are sweeter and juicier. But regular yellow is also perfect.
7) Garlic - per kilogram - 5-6 large heads, less is possible.
8) Spices - a mixture of medium-hot red pepper, sweet red pepper, barberry berries (for sourness), coriander - grains (these are cilantro seeds) cumin (cumin, sometimes in a shell, then these are narrow small seeds of a grayish color, as usual, and peeled, very small oblong seeds are usually black; if ground, they smell like something like petroleum products), a little cumin, dried tomatoes, saffron, dried garlic and other ingredients.
9) The ratios of products are approximately the following: for 1 kg of rice take 1-2 kg of carrots (less than 1 kg is not allowed), 1 kg of meat, 0.5 kg of onions, 0.3 - 0.4 liters of oil.
For vegetarians - everything is the same, only without meat. Instead of meat, add carrots or potatoes. There are fans of different combinations of pumpkin, raisins and other things. Important - the basic technology remains the same.

Wash the rice to remove the flour. Then soak. Pour oil into a bowl free of water (can be evaporated). It is heated over high heat so that the smell of what the oil is pressed from (sunflowers, olives, etc.) goes away.
To prevent sudden boiling of the oil, you can pour a pinch of salt into the already heated liquid.

Cooking technology:
1) In the heated oil, carefully so as not to splash, put fat (tail fat or from meat, if there is a lot of it), bones, which have no prospects for distribution as meat, for frying. When the fat is rendered, all the greaves are caught. No more oil is added during the cooking process.
2) Add prepared thinly sliced onions in advance or during frying. The onion is cut thinly so that it cooks properly.
3) Place the meat, cut into large pieces, and fry.
4) Place carrots cut into strips.
5) All this is fried over high heat, stirring gently with a slotted spoon so as not to chop the carrots. You will also need to boil water, first two liters, then three more, so that you can add it to the pilaf (you can use broth).
5) Add boiling water so that it covers the resulting mixture by about a finger, maybe a little more, bring to a boil, add spices, garlic in the form of whole heads, freeing it only from the dirty outer shells. Cook over low heat, without letting it burn, you can cover it for at least half an hour, you can simmer it longer.
6) Remove the garlic if you put it in. Using a slotted spoon, add rice (preferably pre-soaked) without MIXING IT with meat and carrots. This is how he will prepare until the very end of the process. The only difficult and decisive moment comes. You add boiling water to rice. About one and a half to two fingers above the rice. But it also depends on the type of rice, quantity of carrots, etc. After this, the rice is not mixed in the usual way, and water, as a rule, is not added. If you have strong doubts about what is happening at the very bottom of the pan (whether it is burning), in such an emergency, you can try by moving a slotted spoon along the wall to lift the food at the bottom. But it’s better not to let it come to that.
During the cooking process, you can pierce the rice to the bottom with a round stick made of wood that does not taste bitter, creating boiling “wells” evenly over the surface so that there are no stagnant zones. The top layer of rice can be carefully turned over with a slotted spoon so that no dried or uncooked grains are caught.
7) When the visible part of the liquid disappears, put the garlic back, carefully pounding the rice on top so that the garlic is completely covered by the pilaf. Cover the cauldron with a lid and leave for 30 minutes over very low heat.
8) Remove the pilaf from the heat, open it, remove the garlic, mix the pilaf carefully with a slotted spoon, shifting the layers. If the dishes are small, use additional ones. If you have time, you can let the pilaf stand in a warm place, stirring, soaking.

The finished pilaf is distributed in the form of large portions, in a whole soup plate, or laid out on a large common dish - “lagan”. The meat is placed on top, as well as garlic heads, usually one per guest. Serve with onion salad (just onions sprinkled with salt) and fresh tomatoes.

It is considered extremely impolite to call the offered pilaf porridge, use ketchup with it, etc. Be sure to serve unsweetened green tea at the same time.