Azerbaijani dishes for the New Year. Azerbaijani cuisine

20.01.2024

Azerbaijani cuisine is a stunning mix of Caucasian, Turkish and Central Asian culinary traditions. Numerous kebabs, eggplant dishes with nuts and cheese, aromatic vegetables and, of course, pilaf. Here you will find many already familiar dishes, only they will be executed in a special way, in Azerbaijani style.

Lamb dishes
Lamb is the most popular meat in Azerbaijan. Beef and veal are much inferior to it. And Azerbaijani chefs are excellent at preparing their favorite meat. There are many dishes. They are all great. Here lamb is boiled with aromatic herbs, stewed in milk, baked over coals... Be sure to try kufta bozbash - clear lamb broth with a huge meatball stuffed with prunes...

Features of Azerbaijani cuisine

You may not like, say, Chinese cuisine, you may even be indifferent to French... But try Caucasian cuisine, in particular Azerbaijani, and not be delighted..

No. This can't happen. The abundance of vegetables, fruits and herbs, fresh meat and fish, the reverent attitude of the people to their traditions - all this can conquer the most demanding gourmet.

In Azerbaijan, they try not to store food for a long time or freeze it. For example, they always buy exactly as much meat as needs to be cooked. Then they go back to the market for the freshest. Most often, a lamb or calf is butchered right in front of the buyer.

Azerbaijan is. of course, mountains and foothills, forests and meadows, but this is also...

Potatoes - 4 pcs.
Tomato - 3 pcs
Onion - 1 piece
Bell pepper (large) - 1 pc.
Cucumber - 2 pcs.
Ghee butter - 2 tbsp. l.
Broth - 150 ml

Lamb or beef (in mine...

Azerbaijani cuisine

Kefir 3.2% – 2 l
Eggs – 1 pc.
Flour – 1 tbsp.
Rice – 3 tbsp.
Sorrel – 1 bunch
Green cilantro – 1 bunch
Parsley – 1 bunch
Dill greens – 1 bunch
Ground black pepper Salt

Buglama

This is perhaps one of the easiest Azerbaijani dishes to prepare. Moreover, the composition of the ingredients here can be completely arbitrary. The required ingredients are lamb, onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and the rest of the vegetables simply provide additional taste and aroma. Buglama is also prepared from sturgeon. In this case, only the required ingredients are used for cooking, plus 3-4 bay leaves and black peppercorns. Buglama is prepared over low heat; almost a couple. Hence the name - buQIama, which translated from Azerbaijani means “steamed”. A similar dish is prepared in the republics of Central Asia. There it is called basma or dimlyama. During preparation we covered...

Azerbaijani dovga

3 liters of matsoni or kefir
1 egg

salt for serving

12-15 servings
Preparation: 30 min
Preparation: 10 min.

2. Boil rice in large quantities...

Azerbaijani pilaf sabzi-govurma

Sabzi - greens, govurma (Azerb), kourma (Uzbek) - fried meat, meat preparation, widespread among many Turkic peoples.

The pilaf itself is prepared using the folding method, separately from the meat, which is typical for the cuisines of many nations, with the exception of the cuisine of Central Asia.

To prepare pilaf you will need:
kilogram of long grain rice,
half a kilo of various greens,
half a kilo of beans,
700 grams of chopped onion,
kilogram of meat,
500 ml ghee,
turmeric,
saffron and salt.

If I were cooking without beans, I would take a kilogram of greens - the same amount as meat. Yes, there are regions where they don’t snack on greens, but eat greens the same way as in Belarus, for example, they eat potatoes...

Azerbaijani cuisine

Dovga is a national dish of Azerbaijani cuisine. Dovga is a cold summer soup made from kefir and herbs. On the festive table the dish is served with small meatballs. Azerbaijani housewives cook at least 10 liters of dovgu, since the cooking process is quite long and it is often difficult to prepare.

Kefir 3.2% – 2 l
Eggs – 1 pc.
Flour – 1 tbsp.
Rice – 3 tbsp.
Sorrel – 1 bunch
Green cilantro – 1 bunch
Parsley – 1 bunch
Dill greens – 1 bunch
Ground black pepper Salt

To prepare the recipe for Azerbaijani cuisine Dovga, beat the egg with flour and 1 tbsp. cold kefir. Add a beaten egg, washed rice to a saucepan with kefir and put on medium heat, constantly...

Azerbaijani chebureks "Kutaby"

Kutab is a traditional and very popular dish of Azerbaijani cuisine. Kutabs are prepared stuffed with herbs or meat. The resulting kutabs are crispy with a slight sourness!

Water (warm water) - 200 ml
Flour - 300 g
Salt - 1 handful.
Butter (melt) - 20 g
Filling
Minced meat (minced lamb or beef) - 500 g
Onions - 3 pcs.
Pomegranate - 1 pc.
Spices - 1 handful.

Add salt, flour to warm water and make a dough. Leave in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Let's prepare our pomegranate.

Azerbaijani chebureks "Kutab" ingredients Roll out the dough thinly, cut into a large round shape.

Place minced meat on half of the rolled out dough and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Oh...

Shah-pilaf

Shah-pilaf (khan-pilaf, shah ash, padishah-pilaf, royal pilaf) is one of the most delicious pilaf recipes in Azerbaijani cuisine. It got its name for its appearance, which is a bit reminiscent of the crown of ancient eastern rulers. Such pilaf is an indispensable dish at weddings and holidays. But it’s not just the appearance that makes you think about its name, because it is truly the food of kings.

Ingredients
Long grain rice (preferably Basmati) - 300 gr.
Chicken fillet -500 gr.
Butter (50 g for rice, 50 g for pita bread, 50 g for frying) - 150 g.
Onions - 1 pc.
Carrots - 1 pc.
Garlic - 4 teeth.
Lavash (thick) - 2 pcs.
Dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, dates - 6-8 pieces each, raisins - 50 g)
Chestnuts...

Azerbaijani Cuisine

Green kyukyu ingredients

Eggs – 4 pcs.
Flour – 2 tsp.
Green onion – 0.5 bunch
Dill – 0.5 bunch
Spinach – 100 g
Cilantro – 0.5 bunch
Ghee butter – 4 tbsp.
Ground black pepper Salt

Green kyukyu recipe

The recipe for the Azerbaijani dish kyukyu made from greens is very simple and quick to prepare. Wash the greens, dry and finely chop. Combine the greens with the eggs, add salt, pepper and beat everything well with the addition of flour. Pour the egg mixture into the heated oil, cover and fry over medium heat until...

Shah pilaf

Ingredients
We present to your attention the recipe for Royal Pilaf, which is one of the main and most delicious dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine.
Shah pilaf (Royal pilaf) is one of the main dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine. It is prepared on special occasions, for example, in honor of a wedding. There are many recipes for Shah Plov; each region of the country has its own nuances and subtleties. We tried to combine interesting aspects of several recipes, and the result was aromatic, juicy pilaf with a crispy lavash crust.

Ingredients:
-long grain Basmati rice (preferably Tamasha) - 300 grams
-chicken - 1 piece (you can use meat)
-lavash - 2 large sheets
-vegetable oil and...

Azerbaijani Cuisine

Kyukyu from greens is an easy to prepare appetizer according to the recipe of Azerbaijani cuisine. Kyukyu can be prepared using cream or milk, so the green kyukyu will be more fluffy

Green kyukyu ingredients

Eggs – 4 pcs.
Flour – 2 tsp.
Green onion – 0.5 bunch
Dill – 0.5 bunch
Spinach – 100 g
Cilantro – 0.5 bunch
Ghee butter – 4 tbsp.
Ground black pepper Salt

Green kyukyu recipe

Azerbaijani cuisine

Ingredients of the dish ovduh

Kefir – 1 l
Cucumbers – 4-5 pcs.
Eggs – 4 pcs.
Green onion – 1 bunch
Dill – 1 bunch
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Ground black pepper Salt

Dolma with cabbage leaves and quince

Dolma is one of the most popular and favorite dishes of Azerbaijanis. Every housewife believes that her dolma is the most delicious. Azerbaijani cuisine includes several types of dolma: with grape leaves, with eggplants, bell peppers and tomatoes, and even dolma with early leaves of the quince tree. “Dolma” translated from Azerbaijani means “filled”, “stuffed”. So we will stuff cabbage leaves with prepared minced meat.

500 g lamb or beef pulp
1 small head of cabbage
2 large quinces
1 large onion
1/3 cup rice
ground cinnamon on the tip of a knife
salt, black pepper
sour cream for serving

6 servings
Preparation: 1 hour 10 minutes.
Preparation 1 hour

1. For the rice filling...

Oriental sweet Okra (Azerbaijani cuisine)

Okra (emphasis on the “I”) is probably the simplest Azerbaijani sweet, requiring a minimum of ingredients.

We will need:
Flour (2-2.5 cups)
1 egg
soda, salt
vegetable oil (approx. 1 cup)
0.5 cups sugar
1-2 tbsp honey
a tiny pinch of ginger

1. Pour 1 cup of flour + 0.5 tsp of soda + a pinch of salt into 2 cups of boiling water and stir well. After 5 minutes, add 1 egg, flour and knead the dough.

2. Pass the dough through a meat grinder through a sausage attachment.

3. Cut the flagellum into “fingers” the length of your little finger and deep-fry them in odorless vegetable oil until deep golden brown.

4. Place on a sieve.

5. Prepare the syrup - pour half a glass of sugar into half a glass of water, cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat, add honey, ginger and pour over our “fingers”. Leave for 2 hours to completely soak, and it’s ready to eat.

Cuba Tykhmasy / Azerbaijani cuisine

Kuba tykhmasy - Azerbaijani sweet buns, GOST recipe.
I allowed myself the only deviation from GOST, using instead of saffron its cheap substitute - safflower flowers.
A cube of tykhmasa has a thin, fragile crust, a slightly flaky, airy crumb, a sweet-spicy center - something wonderful!
Despite the apparent complexity, preparing them is not particularly difficult.

Required:
650 g premium wheat flour
100 g milk
150 g water
200 g butter margarine
2 chicken eggs
200 g sugar
60 g butter
10 g fresh yeast
1 g saffron
2 g grated nutmeg
2 g salt

1. I repeat that I replaced the saffron in the recipe with a cheaper analogue of this precious spice...

Choban-govurma / Azerbaijani cuisine

Recipe for Azerbaijani cuisine. I was very surprised by this dish!!! In my opinion, it contains an ingredient that just doesn’t fit into this dish!!! That’s what I thought... But no, how wrong I was, everything is so harmonious, and combines and complements each other so perfectly!!! Try to cook this Azerbaijani national dish, I think that you will like it too!!!

Lamb (Lamb can be replaced with beef) - 400 g
Potatoes - 4 pcs.
Tomato - 3 pcs
Onion - 1 piece
Bell pepper (large) - 1 pc.
Cucumber - 2 pcs.
Ghee butter - 2 tbsp. l.
Broth - 150 ml

Let's prepare our ingredients. Peel the potatoes, onions, wash everything.

Lamb or beef...

Azerbaijani cuisine

Ovdukh is a cold Azerbaijani summer soup based on kefir, herbs and cucumbers. Sometimes kefir is diluted with water, covered with herbs, poured into tall glasses and drunk.

Ingredients of the dish ovduh

Kefir – 1 l
Cucumbers – 4-5 pcs.
Eggs – 4 pcs.
Green onion – 1 bunch
Dill – 1 bunch
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Ground black pepper Salt

To prepare this recipe for Azerbaijani cuisine, such as ovdukh, wash the cucumbers and chop them finely. Add chopped cucumbers, finely chopped herbs to kefir, add salt and pepper and mix. Boil the eggs, peel and cut into 4 parts. Pour the finished ovdukh into plates, garnish with eggs and serve. If it’s spring, you can add finely chopped radishes to the air.

Azerbaijani dovga

This is one of the most popular and favorite dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine. It is generally accepted that dovga is best prepared in the Ganjabasar zone of Azerbaijan; This is understandable, because the most delicious greens grow here. This dish is good because it is wonderful both hot and cold, so prepare a lot of it, with a reserve, put it in jars and put it in the refrigerator.

3 liters of matsoni or kefir
1 egg
1/2 cup short grain rice
2 large bunches of spinach (200 g) large bunch of cilantro (100 g) large bunch of dill (100 g) small bunch of mint
salt for serving

12-15 servings
Preparation: 30 min
Preparation: 10 min.

1. Wash the greens well, cut and dry.
2. Boil the rice in a large...

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 oven-barbecue, 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 local dish 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 its almost complete absence. This helps to significantly reduce the load on the heart and kidneys.. 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, 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.

Over the centuries, Azerbaijani cuisine has been influenced by a variety of cultures. However, even today Azerbaijani culinary traditions remain unique and unusual. In general, the process of nutrition itself in Azerbaijan is an important part of the country’s culture, which has deep roots in the history, traditions and values of the nation.

Azerbaijan is a small but unique country in the sense that it contains 9 climatic zones out of 11 known to nature. This contributes to the diversity of crops grown, which, in turn, leads to the enrichment of national cuisine. Today, Azerbaijani traditional cuisine is famous, first of all, for its very abundant use of fresh vegetables and herbs. Almost no dish of Azerbaijani national cuisine can be prepared without fresh herbs - mint, coriander, parsley, tarragon, marjoram, basil, dill and others.

However, the very active use of fresh herbs and vegetables is far from the only features of Azerbaijani national cuisine. For example, in Azerbaijan they love and know how to cook seafood delicacies - the Caspian Sea is home to sturgeon, Caspian salmon, sardines, mullet and many other edible fish. Azerbaijani black caviar from the Caspian Sea remains one of the most sought after delicacies around the world. Dried fruits and nuts are used in the preparation of many dishes. Traditional seasonings are salt, black pepper and saffron.

Azerbaijani cuisine is incredibly diverse. The local cuisine knows several dozen soups alone, and what is important is that all of them are really popular and regularly appear on the tables of ordinary Azerbaijanis. These are piti (national Azerbaijani soup made from pieces of lamb and vegetables), kyufta-bozbash (pea soup with lamb), dovga (yogurt-based soup), ovdukh (cold matsone-based soup) and many others.

One of the national Azerbaijani dishes is pilaf, but it is prepared here completely differently than in Uzbekistan - saffron, a variety of herbs and herbs are added to it, as a result of which Azerbaijani pilaf turns out to be much more spicy and original. However, in Azerbaijan alone there are more than 40 varieties of pilaf; it is prepared from lamb, chicken and even fish, which once again illustrates the diversity of the diet of local residents.

However, Azerbaijanis eat more than just pilaf. Other popular second courses of Azerbaijani cuisine are all kinds of kebabs and kebabs made from lamb, beef, chicken and even fish. For example, balyk (sturgeon shish kebab) is quite popular, served with a tart pomegranate sauce called narsharab. Traditional Azerbaijani dishes include dolma (something like cabbage rolls, only grape leaves are used instead of cabbage), dushbara (small dumplings), lyavangi (chicken and walnut casserole), kovurma (pieces of lamb stewed with onions and tomatoes).

Typical Azerbaijani desserts are sweet pastries such as baklava and halva. The national drink of Azerbaijan is black tea, which is usually served after meals. Tea has great symbolic value and is offered to guests as a sign of welcome. In addition to tea, sherbets (a sweet cold drink made from juice and sugar) and mineral water are widely popular.

The religion of the people has left its mark on the menu: Muslim rules do not allow eating pork, so in Azerbaijan, meat dishes are mainly prepared from lamb, and the fish diet consists of representatives of the sturgeon and salmon families.

Warm, welcoming Azerbaijan is a country with very fertile soil, numerous varieties of fruits and vegetables grow there, which are readily and almost always added to food.

The combination of ingredients can sometimes be overwhelming, but the dishes turn out incredibly tasty and nutritious. A characteristic feature of Azerbaijani cuisine is that various spices, herbs and seasonings are added to all dishes without exception.

In the houses of this country there is always a pleasant aroma that evokes appetite. In addition, in some regions and villages, women still cook in old traditional utensils made of copper. It is believed that such an alloy improves the taste of the dish.

Top 10 popular Azerbaijani dishes

Among several thousand ancient Azerbaijani recipes, it is difficult to single out just a few of the best: all dishes of national cuisine are extremely good, and, importantly, healthy due to the addition of a huge amount of fresh herbs and fruits. But there are several particularly popular dishes that have long become known in Europe.

1. Adjapsandal

This dish is often found in the cuisines of other peoples of the world - Armenian, Turkic, Georgian and many others, but ajapsadal was originally a traditional cold appetizer of Azerbaijan. This is a vegetable dish based on eggplants, tomatoes and sweet peppers. Additional flavor enhancing ingredients include white onions, fresh coriander, garlic and basil. Vegetable oil is used as a dressing.

In European countries, this dish, the name of which translates as “how excellent you are,” would be dubbed vegetable sauté. But in a traditional sauté, eggplants are not a mandatory ingredient, unlike Ajapsandal; in addition, in Europe they use completely different seasonings, so the Azerbaijani dish remains unique and one of a kind in terms of taste.

2. Pilaf

Of course, pilaf is most often associated with Azerbaijani cuisine. There are about 200 recipes for this dish in Azerbaijan. It is believed that this nation prepares pilaf better than other peoples of the Caucasus and the entire population of the world as a whole.

The dish really turns out consistently tasty, no matter what recipe it is prepared in. But there is one remarkable feature: the rice itself and the “filling” are prepared separately from each other, and mixed only in a plate served to the table. Rice porridge is made in a cast iron or copper cauldron, in butter, or using fat tail fat.

Garou is prepared in a separate container - a mixture of pieces of lamb, spices, vegetables and fruits. Even the dish is served in a surprising way: the rice is covered with several triangular pieces of kazmag (unleavened flatbread), sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, and the garou is served in a separate plate. To all this they add a traditional drink - sherbet.

3. Dolma

This dish is somewhat similar to ordinary Russian cabbage rolls, but also has significant differences. Firstly, quince or grape leaves are used instead of cabbage leaves. Secondly, Azerbaijani dolma can have completely different fillings.

The traditional option is lamb dolma; fresh herbs and clear rice are added to the minced meat; these ingredients should not exceed the volume of the minced meat. As a rule, they take 3 parts of minced lamb and 1 part of rice with herbs.

In Azerbaijan, there are about 10 recipes for dolma with different fillings, including fruits, vegetables, and fish. Each option is popular: in summer, light vegetable dolma is served with a traditional fermented milk drink; in winter, a fish or meat hot dish is appropriate. It is noteworthy that it has not yet been established exactly what national cuisine this dish came from.

Today it is an integral part of the diet of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, but it was Azerbaijan that made every effort to ensure that the dish was recognized as traditional for the Azerbaijani people. It’s interesting that everything worked out: just a year ago, the culinary traditions of preparing Azerbaijani dolma were recognized as the cultural heritage of humanity.

4. Lula kebab

Another must-try meat dish in the country. It is a minced lamb cutlet cooked over coals or an open fire. It is noteworthy that no onions or eggs are added to the minced meat; the minced meat is simply beaten for a long time and thoroughly, after which it is placed on a thin wooden skewer.

There are enough options for preparing kebabs; in common parlance this is kebab, therefore, as in any other cuisine, kebab can be made from fish, vegetables or meat. But the presentation is always the same: meat generously sprinkled with herbs on thin homemade flatbreads.

5. Dyushbara

This dish is akin to classic dumplings, in fact, dumplings in Azerbaijani style. For preparation, minced lamb is made with the addition of various spices and herbs, the dough is kneaded into a stiff dough with a small amount of salt.

A distinctive feature of the national dish is that the preparations are not dipped into water, but into a boiling broth made from lamb bones. Dushbara is served in broth with butter and fresh herbs, which take up at least a third of the plate.

6. Dzhyz-byz

In Azerbaijan, it is customary to eat not only clean meat, but also its waste. Thus, the popular Azerbaijani dish jiz-byz is processed young sheep intestines fried with potatoes. The dish also includes other animal entrails - liver, kidneys, heart. Fat tail fat is always used for frying, and the finished dish, richly seasoned with herbs, is served in sumy.

7. Bozbash

One of the many first courses of Azerbaijani cuisine. Almost all soups of this cuisine have a slightly different consistency from the one we are used to: Azerbaijani soups have much more filling and very little liquid, due to which the dishes are always very high in calories and nutritious. Bozbash is a fatty soup with numerous ingredients.

The main vegetables are: potatoes or chestnuts, sweet peppers, tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, zucchini and eggplants. A distinctive feature is that the traditional recipe always contains mint and apples, which adds some piquancy to the dish.

8. Petey

Another interesting soup that is cooked in the oven. A very thick lamb belly dish. The cooking process takes place in several stages: vegetables (onions, peppers, carrots, eggplant) are first fried in fat tail fat, and then transferred to a clay pot. The mixture is poured with a small amount of liquid and brought to readiness in the oven. When serving, piti must be decorated with coriander.

9. Khash

In Azerbaijani cuisine, almost all hot dishes and soups are made from lamb; only a few recipes include beef or veal. Khash is one of them. Despite the fact that this is a soup and is served hot, it is traditionally eaten exclusively for breakfast.

Khash is prepared without any spices at all, based on beef tripe; in some regions, beef tails and heads are added. In addition, this is one of the few dishes that is not sprinkled with herbs. When serving, spices, herbs and herbs are simply served in a separate bowl, but only to guests of the country. The local population eats khash without any spices at all.

10. Baklava

A traditional Azerbaijani sweet, which is always present on the table on the great Muslim holiday of Novruz Bayram, this dish is also served to all guests. The basis of baklava is yeast dough, hazelnuts, and other ground nuts. Additional and required ingredients are saffron, cloves, sugar. Baklava is something like a sweet multi-layer cake.

To prepare an oriental sweet, roll out a layer of dough, sprinkle generously with filling in the form of nuts and sugar, then cover the mixture with another layer of dough, grease it with butter and add the filling again.

Similar actions are continued until the future dish has 10 layers, the latter is coated with egg yolk and saffron, after which the workpiece is sent to the oven for half an hour. When the delicacy is ready and cooled, it is cut into diamond-shaped pieces, each of which is decorated with whole hazelnuts.

43 min.

Alexander

Azerbaijan is a unique country with an ancient history. This region is unique. Due to its geographical location, it is equally close to the Middle East, Transcaucasia, and Eastern Europe. Over the course of many centuries, this state has been enriched with traditions, sights and historical monuments of different cultures.

The unique climate attracts many tourists here. Here everyone can find nature to their taste - from the alpine snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus to subtropical forests. Numerous hydropathic resorts, the coast of the Caspian Sea, rivers and mountains will not leave indifferent even the most demanding guest.

The country's cuisine combines the best qualities and traditions of the peoples inhabiting it. Thanks to this, Azerbaijani cuisine is considered one of the most delicious in Western Asia and the Caucasus. What dishes should you definitely try in Azerbaijan?

Food in Azerbaijan

The nature and land of this region generously gifts its inhabitants with a variety of vegetables, fruits, spices, and fragrant herbs. All this is used in Azerbaijani cuisine.

Where else will you be offered to try a sweet drink made from rose petals or tomato jam? By the way, “ovshala,” as the pink drink is called, has not only a bright and subtle aroma, but also beneficial properties. And who doesn’t love the well-known Kurabye cookies? It was the shape and recipe of the Baku “kurabiye” cookies that spread throughout the world.

The religious canons of the majority of the population do not allow eating pork. But this is fully compensated by a large assortment of deliciously prepared dishes from a variety of meats. Particularly famous are dishes made from lamb, poultry, river and sea Caspian fish.

Features and traditions of Azerbaijani cuisine

Azerbaijanis are hospitable people; they greet even unexpected guests with cordiality and treat them heartily. Their traditions are original, and their dishes are very tasty and unusual.

The range of dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine is so wide that each of the guests will find something to their liking. Here you can find about two thousand varied and delicious dishes, because pilaf alone has 200 recipe options. But this region is famous not only for its abundance and diversity. According to traditional Muslim laws, food should not only nourish the body, but also the soul. This means bringing aesthetic pleasure.

If we talk about the culinary traditions of Azerbaijan, then every detail and feature of the character of this people is important. Azerbaijani cuisine is very fond of meat dishes made from lamb, veal or poultry. Fish dishes cooked on the grill or tandoor are also popular here. River or sea fish are smoked, dried, fried, baked, making dishes with a unique taste, which give them a lot of herbs and spices. To prepare their famous dishes, the residents of this state use a lot of fruits, vegetables and herbs. They mainly prefer grapes, quinces, chestnuts, dogwoods, cherry plums, tomatoes, eggplants, etc. An integral part of any Azerbaijani dish is fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, green onions, basil. These products are constant companions of national dishes.

Azerbaijanis also love spicy herbs. They fill the dish with a unique aroma and add piquancy to the taste. Coriander, mint, saffron and other herbs are frequent guests on the local table.

Bread occupies a special place among Azerbaijanis. In rural areas, lavash is baked in a saj or tandoor. According to tradition, the dough for lavash is kneaded by the eldest woman in the family, and the daughter-in-law is entrusted with rolling out the dough. The flatbreads bake in literally one minute. The finished lavash sheets are removed from the tandoor and stacked in large piles. Flatbreads, churek, and kutabs with various fillings are also baked in the tandoor.

Azerbaijanis, like most peoples, are very fond of sweets. They offer their guests a variety of fruit preserves and sweet pastries. The range of sweets is surprising in variety and includes more than 50 different recipes. Among the most famous are baklava, kurabiye cookies and sheker-bura.

The famous “kurabiye” goes well with aromatic Azerbaijani tea. The liver does not require special cooking skills. There is a legend that these cookies were invented by a resourceful servant of the eastern Shah. When the thieves took all the sweets from the palace, he baked round cookies from the food that remained. For beauty and sweetness, he sprinkled them with cinnamon and saffron. Since then, these cookies have become a favorite delicacy among all eastern peoples, and then throughout the world.

The traditional sweet is sheker-bura. These sweet pies are very easy to make and are a favorite dessert for Azerbaijani children. This delicacy, like baklava, was originally prepared for the Nowruz holiday. According to me, it symbolizes the moon, and baklava represents the stars. The pies are baked from regular wheat flour, and grated almonds, hazelnuts and cardamom are used as filling. The pies are decorated with a pattern in the form of ears of corn.

Another famous Azerbaijani dessert is firni. It is made from rice flour and milk, then sprinkled with cinnamon and butter. The delicacy has a light creamy taste.

Of course, how can you eat sweets without the famous Azerbaijani tea? In this country, a tradition of tea drinking has developed for centuries, which requires the presence of this drink at any feast. First of all, it is worth saying that in this country they only drink black loose leaf tea. Brew the drink in a large teapot, and the tea should have a strong, rich taste. Then it is poured into low pear-shaped mugs. Nothing is added to tea or diluted with water.

Special fruit jams and oriental sweets are served with tea. To make the drink even more aromatic, spices are added to it: cloves, cinnamon, ginger, etc. In the traditions of the Azerbaijani people, tea is an integral part of the matchmaking ritual. If the bride's parents serve tea with added sugar, this means the bride and parents agree to the wedding. And if tea with sugar is served separately, then it’s too early to think about the wedding.

List of the most popular and delicious Azerbaijani dishes

Among the large number of traditional Azerbaijani dishes, it is difficult to identify just a few of the best: each dish bears the unique character of the region. They are tasty and healthy, because they add a lot of juicy greens and fruits. But among this diversity, there are dishes that have long become known outside their country.

For most Russian people, traditional Azerbaijani cuisine is associated with pilaf. Indeed, this dish is an integral part of the national cuisine. There are about 200 recipes for this dish in Azerbaijan. It is believed that the most delicious pilaf is prepared in this country.

The dish really turns out very tasty, no matter what recipe it is prepared according to. But there is one common distinctive feature that is characteristic of all recipes for preparing pilaf: the rice base and the filling for it are prepared separately from each other. And only during meals are all the ingredients mixed.

Rice porridge is prepared separately in a copper or cast iron cauldron in butter, sometimes fat tail fat is used for this. The rice should be crumbly. In another container they prepare gharou - a mixture of pieces of lamb, vegetables, fruits and spices. The Azerbaijani pilaf recipe involves not only preparing rice and filling, but also kazmag - a thin flatbread made from unleavened dough. The dough is prepared as for regular noodles.

This dish is even served in an unusual way: the finished rice is sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and covered with triangular pieces of kazmag, and the garu is served in a separate container. This pilaf is consumed with the national drink – sherbet.

National dishes include shah-pilaf, which is prepared according to a special recipe. Pilaf is prepared in a special container designed specifically for it. Most often, a metal cauldron plays this role. An important feature of this pilaf is careful adherence to the sequence of laying out the ingredients. First, lavash or kazmag is laid out, then the filling is placed inside, and the lavash is covered on top. Everything is baked together in the oven until golden brown, essentially creating a pie with rice and meat filling.

Azerbaijani-style pilaf is prepared from a variety of products. A lot of herbs, dried fruits, and nuts are added to the filling. Thus, the result is a recipe for Baku pilaf made from chicken meat, vegetables and a mixture of dried fruits, which give the dish a special aroma and sweetness.

Dushbara is a dish of Azerbaijani cuisine, which is a rich broth with small dumplings richly flavored with spices and herbs. To prepare it, of course, you will have to tinker and spend a lot of time, but it is worth it.

This dish is very similar to Russian dumplings. To prepare it, minced lamb is mixed with traditional herbs and spices. The dough for “dumplings” is kneaded stiff with the addition of a small amount of salt.

A distinctive feature of this dish is that when cooking, the resulting preparations are not thrown into boiling water, but into a broth made from lamb bones. Dushbara is served hot along with broth, to which butter is added, and generously sprinkled with herbs.

All products that are used in dushbara soup are considered dietary. The calorie content of such a dish is much less than the same volume of dumplings without broth, and they are digested much faster. Fatty sauces are not served with the first course, and fluid in the body is replenished with broth. As you can see, “dyushbara” is not only a tasty dish, but also beneficial for health and figure.

This traditional dish is somewhat similar to Russian cabbage rolls, but has a number of significant differences. Firstly, instead of cabbage leaves in which the filling is wrapped, grape or quince leaves are used. Secondly, the filling for Azerbaijani dolma is prepared from completely different products.

The traditional dolma recipe uses minced lamb with the addition of clear, fluffy rice and herbs. In this case, the ingredients should not exceed the volume of minced meat. As a rule, use 1 part rice with herbs to 3 parts minced lamb.

Dolma can be safely called a “culinary monument” of common Turkic ethnic cuisine. It has become so firmly embedded in the ethnic culture of different peoples of the world that it has become a “national dish”. Only in Azerbaijani cuisine there are 381 varieties of dolma.

The Azerbaijani verb "dolamag", meaning to wrap or wrap, is directly related to the dolma of leaves in which meat is wrapped. A synonym for this verb is the word “sarymag”, therefore, depending on the region, dolma is sometimes called “sarma”. Translated from Turkic languages, “dolma” also means “filled”, and “sarma” means “wrapped”.

In Azerbaijan, dolma is mainly prepared from grape leaves. But leaves of some herbs, vegetables and fruits are used. Tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, and apples can be used as filling vegetables. Leaves of grapes, quince, hornbeam and linden trees, white and red cabbage are used. In different regions, herbs, tomatoes, dry mint, nuts, raisins, lemon juice, and various seasonings are added to the filling. The book “Karname” by Shah Ismail Khatai’s personal chef, published in 1521, describes a recipe for an unusual dolma - shish kebab made from grape leaves.

At the end of last year, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage included the Azerbaijani dolma in the prestigious list of the world heritage of mankind.

You can’t go past such a dish as dovga – a light summer soup. It is called the pearl of Azerbaijani cuisine. Although different regions of the country prepare it in their own way, the basis remains unchanged: katyk with rice, sometimes peas and a lot of greens are added. Pieces of meat or pre-boiled meatballs are added to it, then boiled. It is prepared within 20 minutes, and it is considered a special art if the base of the fermented milk product does not curl. The unique delicate taste of this soup will not leave even demanding gourmets indifferent. It is so delicious that it is even served at weddings.

Some drink dovga from large cups, others drink it from plates. Some people like this dish hot, but traditionally it is served cold. On holidays or on everyday occasions, this dish is always a welcome guest on the table.

Another original soup, which is the hallmark of Azerbaijani cuisine. It is prepared in clay pots using a unique technology. The soup is made from lamb with chickpeas, chestnuts, cherry plum and saffron. The preparation process takes a long period of time and takes place in several stages. First, vegetables are prepared: onions, peppers, eggplants, carrots, they are fried in fat tail fat, and then placed in a clay pot. Vegetables and meat are poured with liquid and cooked in the oven. At the same time, the heating of the dishes occurs evenly, which allows the soup not to boil, but to simmer slowly. Then the onions and tomatoes are fried separately. Before serving, add fried vegetables and saffron to the pots. Garnish the piti with coriander.

The soup is usually prepared in several pots in portions, but in some regions of Azerbaijan piti is prepared family style, in one pot. This dish can be found in different Caucasian cuisines, so it is not surprising that it has several types of recipes. In Soviet times, this soup was served in many famous restaurants, but chickpeas were replaced by ordinary peas, and chestnuts by potatoes, and it was in this form that several generations of Russians knew it.

Piti is prepared on holidays for guests or on weekends when the whole family gathers around the table. The process of eating piti is a whole ritual that takes place in two stages. They eat it slowly, enjoying the process and taste, so you should be patient not only while preparing the soup, but also when eating. First, the dried pita bread is placed in a bowl and poured with broth and spices. After the broth is eaten, take out the lamb and chestnuts, sprinkle them with spices and knead them so that all the aromas and tastes combine with each other.

Eating in the Caucasus is a real ritual, which is not only a way to satiate the body. For example, a traditional Azerbaijani lunch lasts 3 hours. It starts with a variety of appetizers, then moves on to fresh vegetables, and only at the end is hot soup served.

Bozbash is one of the traditional first courses of Azerbaijani cuisine. Most soups of this cuisine differ from ordinary Russian recipes for hot dishes. In Azerbaijani soups, they add more filling and a little broth. Thanks to this composition, the dishes are rich, satisfying and high-calorie.

Bozbash is a fairly fatty soup with many ingredients. Vegetables are used as a base: tomatoes, sweet peppers, potatoes or chestnuts, zucchini, eggplant and chickpeas. It must be said that in the traditional recipe, mint is used as a seasoning, and a sweet apple is also added to the soup, which gives the dish a special, piquant taste.

In world cuisine, soups, including bozbash, occupy a special place. The preparation of such dishes is treated with special respect and attention. Having made a choice in favor of this dish, you can be sure that it will not disappoint you.

7. Khinkal

In traditional Caucasian cuisine there are two dishes with similar names, Khinkali and Khinkal. They sound the same, but the taste and cooking method are different. Khinkali is a national Georgian dish, similar to Russian dumplings or Asian manti. Khinkal is a traditional dish of the peoples of the Middle and North Caucasus. Essentially these are small square pieces of dough that are boiled in a rich rich broth. Place them on a wide dish with melted butter or gatig sauce with crushed garlic. Place prepared minced meat on top of the dough, fried with tomatoes and herbs. Sometimes grape vinegar is added for spiciness, but this is up to taste.

The preparation of Azerbaijani khinkal begins with dough. It is kneaded from flour, eggs and salt, and warm water is added. The dough should be elastic and not stick to your hands. This unleavened dough is perfect for preparing other Caucasian dishes: manti, kurznish and others.

Juicy minced meat is prepared next. To do this, take lamb and beef in equal proportions, add onions and grind them in a meat grinder. Spices and herbs are added to the resulting mixture. Next, the minced meat is stewed in a frying pan along with tomatoes.

Khinkal is served in a wide, deep dish. The minced meat is topped with cinnamon and grated cheese, which gives the dish a light sour taste. Like any Azerbaijani dish, it is generously sprinkled with fresh herbs. This dish is served with sour cream or fermented milk drink in a separate plate.

Many culinary specialists consider Azerbaijani cuisine to be one of the most ancient in the world. It is distinguished by its variety, large amount of herbs, vegetables and spices used. This specificity is determined by the location of a given country.

It is impossible to imagine Azerbaijani cuisine without the dish “Lula-kebab”. It is a meat cutlet made from minced lamb, cooked over an open fire. A distinctive feature from traditional Russian cutlets is that eggs and onions are not added to the minced meat, only spices. The meat is carefully beaten, finely chopped, shaped into small cutlets and placed on a thin skewer.

Lula kebab is considered a difficult dish, and not everyone can cook it correctly on the grill. To prepare it, use a wider skewer, which is preheated in order to better bake the lula kebab from the inside. Fry it on the grill for about 5-7 minutes, constantly turning it over.

There are many recipes for making lula kebab. In essence, this is a barbecue made on coals. The composition of the minced meat can be absolutely anything, depending on the preferences of the owners. It can be prepared from fish, meat or vegetables. But in any case, lula kebab is served the same way: laid out on a thin homemade flatbread and generously sprinkled with herbs. You can complement the dish with fresh or grilled vegetables.

The name is very similar to the terrible poisonous snake that is found in the East Asian region. The dish does not contain the snake itself, but received its name for its external similarity. Essentially these are dumplings with patterns. It is these decorations that are similar to the pattern on the scales of a snake.

Kurza dumplings are larger than dushbara. And the main thing that distinguishes them is that they put ready-made minced meat in kurza, and raw minced meat in dushbara. This gives completely different tastes. Minced meat for kurza is stewed in fat tail fat with the addition of spices and tomato paste.

The dough is kneaded from flour, eggs and salt, then rolled out in large circles, as for dushbara. Using a mold, circles are cut into which the minced meat is placed. Then comes the moment of truth when you need to make patterns on the dough. Not every woman can boast of the ability to make designs on curze, and the dish will not be considered ready without these decorations. After sculpting, the forms should lie down for a while.

Kurza is cooked in the same way as regular dumplings. Several pieces are thrown into boiling water; there should not be many of them so as not to stick together. Then they are taken out after a few minutes, put into a large wide plate and served hot. The remaining dumplings are thrown into the boiling broth from the first portion, and so on until the required amount is prepared. They should be eaten immediately, without waiting until all the dumplings are cooked. The rich broth from kurza is an independent dish, which is also loved no less than the dumplings themselves.

In some regions, gatig, a fermented milk drink, is served together with kurza. It helps digestion, but allows the dish to cool quickly, which results in loss of juiciness. This dish is usually served during the cold season, but real Azerbaijanis also eat it in the summer.

The dish is prepared from thin, tender dough in the shape of a crescent; in appearance it is similar to chebureks, but unlike them, kutabs are cooked in a very hot frying pan without oil. And only after cooking they are greased with butter or sauces (spicy, cherry plum, pomegranate). Azerbaijanis say that this is a flatbread with a secret, which is a juicy filling. Fillings are prepared from different products: vegetables, meat, herbs and cheese. The cheese filling is prepared from a mixture of soft and hard varieties mixed with dill. For cottage cheese, take suluguni cheese, mix it with cottage cheese and a lot of herbs.

If you liked the dish with cheese and curd filling, then try the meat one. It is prepared from different types of meat, mainly lamb, to which spices and herbs add pungency and piquancy. For dessert, you can try kutab stuffed with pumpkin and walnuts. Don't stop at just one thing. Be sure to try several types of fillings to determine your favorite.

Each region of Azerbaijan prepares its own fillings for kutab. In the Caspian region, Jorati flatbreads stuffed with camel meat, pumpkin and cheese are famous. The pie is made small and fried over an open fire in ovens. By the way the filling is laid out in the flatbread, you can determine the region of the republic where it was prepared.

It's never too late to eat kutab. It can be consumed for breakfast or eaten in the evening, taken with you on a trip or as a snack during lunch. That is why kutab is so popular among tourists who come to Azerbaijan.

This dish is widespread in the cuisines of most Turkic peoples. It is a vegetable stew, the basis of which is: eggplant, tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic and onions, and vegetable oil is used for dressing.

Translated from the Turkic language, the name sounds like “how beautiful you are.” For Europeans, this dish is more familiar as “vegetable sauté”, but in this form eggplants are not a mandatory ingredient, while in Ajapsandal they are the basis. Sometimes potatoes are added to it, but this is optional. This dish is tasty and healthy, served hot.

There are many varieties of this dish. Vegetables can be stewed, fried in a high-sided frying pan, cooked over coals or baked. The pleasant aroma remains unchanged, which evokes the sensations of mountain rivers, green pastures with a flock of sheep. And this is very correct, because initially this dish was prepared by shepherds who grazed their flocks high in the mountains. Adjapsandal is considered a dietary dish that is perfect for those who are watching their figure. This dish will be appreciated by everyone who tries it at least once.

12. Jyz byz

Jyz byz is a dish of shepherds. Ease of preparation, fresh ingredients, healthy qualities and extraordinary taste have made this dish very popular not only in Azerbaijan, but also in other Caucasian cuisines.

In Azerbaijan, it is not customary to throw away any parts of lamb meat. Thus, the popular traditional dish jiz-byz is prepared from processed young sheep intestines with fried potatoes; you can also add onions and tomatoes. Lamb kidneys, heart, and liver are also added to the dish. For pre-frying of these products, fat tail fat is necessarily used. The finished dish is served in sumy, generously seasoned with herbs. It is worth warning those who are on a diet that this dish is not for them. Since it is very high in calories, filling and tasty.

In traditional Azerbaijani cuisine, most hot dishes and soups are prepared from lamb meat, and only a few recipes are based on beef or veal broth. Khash is one of these dishes. Despite the fact that this dish is served hot, it is usually eaten for breakfast.

Khash is prepared from a broth made from beef tripe; in some regions of the country, beef heads and tails are added to it. The peculiarity of the soup is that, unlike most Azerbaijani dishes, no spices or herbs are added to it. When serving, herbs and greens are served in a separate container, but only for guests. Locals eat khash without spices.

This dish is mainly eaten in winter to allow the body to get the necessary energy reserves and keep warm. Housewives serve the soup with small pieces of white bread, white radish and hard cheeses. Thin lavash or bread is crumbled into the khash until it completely absorbs the broth. They eat it with a spoon or with their hands. The only alcohol that is served with this dish is vodka, with which they make toasts and good morning wishes.

Khash is not only a satisfying dish, but also very healthy. For example, gelatin and garlic contained in the soup help with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, strengthen the immune system, and preserve the youth and beauty of the skin.

14. Azerbaijani Saj

Saj is one of the most delicious dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine. The name of the dish comes from the container in which it is prepared. Saj is a large frying pan with a concave bottom, which is designed for cooking over an open fire. In Azerbaijan, it is used on both sides: on the convex side it is convenient to prepare traditional lavash, on the other - meat, fish and vegetables. The saj dish itself is cooked inside a frying pan over an open fire.

What is it like? In general, everything is simple and tasty. Meat and vegetables are cooked in a frying pan. The meat, of course, is lamb, sometimes beef or chicken. For a side dish, take a mixture of vegetables from potatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers, tomatoes and onions, all seasoned with spices and a variety of fresh herbs.

First, the meat is cooked. Fry it in oil or fat tail fat, then add vegetables. Vegetables produce juice that mixes with fat and meat. Thus, the products exchange aromas and tastes, and the result is an incredibly tender stew with meat that literally melts in your mouth.

The dish is served directly in the pan in which it was cooked. In this case, they place it not on the table plane, but on a small frying pan, which heats the dish. Saj is best eaten with a large group. It is generally accepted that as long as you communicate with friends, saj will never cool down.

As can be seen and said, Azerbaijani cuisine is distinguished by a wide variety of tasty and healthy dishes. Each of them carries national features and a unique range of tastes of this Caucasian region. Azerbaijanis have managed to preserve many original recipes for dishes that have been passed down for centuries from their great-grandfathers who lived on this land. All this made it possible to preserve and diversify the range of dishes of national cuisine, which convey a unique national flavor. This is what unique Azerbaijani cuisine is like.

Baklava has become the number one gastronomic sweet in Azerbaijan. It is always present on the table on the great Muslim holiday of Novruz Bayram. It is also served to guests on holidays. Baklava has been prepared in Azerbaijan since time immemorial. In the beginning, it was served only for the celebration of Novruz. Baklava had a ritual meaning, symbolizing a tongue of flame.

Over the years, many more traditions related to baklava have emerged. For example, elders, going to woo a girl, carried 21 baklava with them to the house of their chosen one along with other delicacies, and for the engagement they increased the number to 101.

Classic Baku baklava is made from 12 layers of thin dough. It is believed that the name of the dish comes from the word “okhlov”, which means rolling pin. The thickness of the dough should not exceed 0.5 cm. The basis for baklava is yeast dough, grated nuts, saffron and sugar. Baklava is a multi-layer pie with a sweet filling. According to culinary history, this dish initially had only three layers, but then their number reached 12.

To prepare this sweetness, roll out a large layer of dough, sprinkle generously with nuts and sugar, then cover this with another thin layer of dough, greased with butter, and so on up to 12 times. The last layer is brushed with yolk for a golden brown crust. After all the steps, the workpiece is sent to the oven for 30 minutes. When the sweet pie has cooled, it is cut into diamond shapes and decorated with a whole nut. The diamond-shaped shape of baklava comes from ancient times, where the diamond symbolizes femininity, kindness, family, and correctness.

Every housewife in Azerbaijan has a family recipe for making baklava. In addition, in each region baklava is prepared in its own way; for example, Ganja baklava is baked over coals in a special copper pan. Guba and Sheki are prepared from rice flour. In general, preparing baklava is a long and labor-intensive process, but the delicate sweet taste of this sweet is worth the effort.

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