What kind of meat do Azerbaijanis eat? Azerbaijani cuisine. Recipes. Black tea and cherry jam in Baku

Over the centuries, Azerbaijani cuisine has been influenced by the most different 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 enrichment 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. This is piti (national Azerbaijani soup made from pieces of lamb and vegetables), kyufta-bozbash ( pea soup with lamb), dovga (yogurt-based soup), ovdukh ( cold soup based on matsone) 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. A traditional Azerbaijani dish is dolma (something like cabbage rolls, only instead of cabbage they are used grape leaves), dushbara (small dumplings), lyavangi (chicken casserole and walnuts), 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.

It has much in common with the cuisines of the peoples of Transcaucasia. This includes a tandoor oven, utensils and household items, and many taste preferences. But in one thing she surpassed them: during her formative years, under the influence of religious traditions and her own cultural customs and customs of neighboring countries, she formed her own unique culinary characteristics, which were appreciated by the whole world.

Story

Azerbaijan is an ancient country with a rich history and equally rich cuisine. The latter reflected all the stages of development that the Azerbaijani people went through. Judge for yourself: today most of his dishes have Turkic names. But Iranian notes can be discerned in their cooking technology and taste. Why did this happen?

In the III – IV centuries. BC e. it was conquered by the Sassanids. It was they who subsequently founded Iran and influenced the process of development and formation of Azerbaijan itself. And let in the 8th century. followed by the Arab conquest with the penetration of Islam into the lives of local residents, and in the 11th - 12th centuries.

both the Turkish attack and the Mongol invasion, this had practically no impact on the established Iranian traditions, which can still be traced in Azerbaijani culture. Moreover, in the 16th – 18th centuries. he himself returned to Iran, and after a hundred years it completely disintegrated into small principalities - khanates. This is what allowed them to subsequently form their own regional traditions, which are still preserved in Azerbaijani cuisine.

• Distinctive features
• The basis of the diet in Azerbaijan is lamb, and if possible, they always give preference to young lambs, although occasionally they can afford both veal and game, such as pheasant, quail, partridge. The love for young meat is rather due to the favorite method of cooking it - over an open fire. It is always complemented with sourness - cherry plum, dogwood, pomegranate.
• Widespread consumption of fish, unlike other cuisines of Transcaucasia. Preference is most often given to red. It is prepared on the grill, on the grill or in a steam bath with the addition of nuts and fruits. A genuine love for fruits, vegetables and spicy herbs. Moreover, they are eaten raw, boiled or fried as part of any dish in which they account for at least half of the serving. True, local residents traditionally give preference to above-ground vegetables, such as asparagus, cabbage, beans, artichokes, and peas. The rest are cooked extremely rarely.
• To enhance the taste fried foods leeks and green onions, dill, garlic, lemon balm, nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.) are added to them. Using chestnuts in cooking. It’s hard to believe, but before the advent of potatoes, housewives widely used chestnuts in local cuisine. Moreover, they loved their taste so much that even today some classic meat seasonings are unthinkable without them. This mountain (unripe grapes) sumac (barberry), abgora
• (grape juice after fermentation),
• nar
• Extensive use of rose petals. This feature is called the highlight of Azerbaijani cuisine, which distinguishes it from the rest.

Rose petals are used to make jam, sherbet and syrup.

The peculiarity of Azerbaijani cuisine is the combination of fresh products (rice, chestnuts) with dairy and sour ones.

Basic cooking methods:

We can talk endlessly about national Azerbaijani dishes.

And although in fact many of them coincide with dishes from other cuisines, in fact the process of preparing them is significantly different. Judge for yourself:

Azerbaijani national pilaf. Its highlight is in its features.

The fact is that rice is prepared for it and served separately from other ingredients. Subsequently, they are not mixed even during meals, and its quality is assessed by the quality of the rice. Ideally, it should not stick together or become soggy.

Ovdukh - okroshka.

Lula kebab is fried minced sausages served on pita bread.

Dushbara. Essentially, these are Azerbaijani-style dumplings. Their highlight is that they are cooked and served in bone broth.

Kutaby with meat - fried pies. Jyz-byz is a dish of lamb offal with potatoes and herbs, served with sumac. Piti - soup made from lamb, potatoes, chickpeas.

Shilya - a dish from

chicken meat and rice. Kufta - stuffed meatballs.

Shaker-churek is a round cookie made from ghee, eggs and sugar. Baklava, shekerbura, sheker churek are sweets that are made from rice flour

, nuts, sugar, butter, egg whites and spices.

Black

long tea

- This is the national drink with which guests are greeted here. Simply because it encourages easy communication and has long been considered a symbol of hospitality.

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’s difficult to single out just a few of the best: all national dishes 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 Azerbaijan. This is a vegetable dish based on eggplants, tomatoes and Bell pepper. 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, eggplant is not a mandatory ingredient, unlike Ajapsandal; in addition, in Europe they use completely different seasonings, so Azerbaijani dish remains unique and one of a kind in 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 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. Added to all this traditional drink- sherbet.

3. Dolma

This dish is somewhat similar to ordinary Russian cabbage rolls, but it 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.

There are about 10 recipes for dolma in Azerbaijan with different fillings, among them fruits, vegetables, 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 similar classic dumplings, essentially - 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. Distinctive feature - in traditional recipe There is always 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 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, other ground nuts. Additional and required ingredients are saffron, cloves, sugar. Baklava is a kind of sweet multi-layer cake.

For cooking oriental sweets 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 continue until the future dish has 10 layers, the last one is greased egg yolk with 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.

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. Eventually original dishes 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 XVIII – 19th centuries on the territory of the present country there were more than one and a half dozen small feudal principalities. 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 - the tandoor (clay barbecue oven, shaped like a giant jug), similar kitchenware and often the same ingredients, traditional menu Azerbaijani cuisine still differs not only in its range, but also in taste.

1. 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 features culinary processing dishes - meat is most often cooked over an open fire.
2. In Azerbaijan, unlike other Transcaucasian countries, fish is popular. At the same time, the methods of heat treatment are very diverse.
3. Azerbaijanis love vegetables and fruits very much, but spicy greens are their absolute favorite. It is added to many dishes, like nuts.
4. is another widely local delicacy that is widely used in the preparation of a huge number of dishes.
5. 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.
6. The main spice, which is generously added to many dishes, is inherited from the Persian cuisine by Azerbaijani cuisine.
7. Roses here are not just an object of aesthetic delight. Their petals are used to make syrup, sherbet and amazingly tasty jam.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Almost all dishes without exception in Azerbaijan 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 go together much more harmoniously with chestnuts than with potatoes. meat dishes: 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 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. Among the others herbs popular, tarragon, spearmint. Thyme and are used a little less often.

It is curious that classical spices are used very limitedly in Azerbaijan. Thus, they usually add to meat and fish dishes, and confectionery- And . 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, can also boast quite in an original way preparations. 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 peculiar cabbage rolls - chopped meat, wrapped in grape leaves. There are other types 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 dairy products, cheese and .

Fish and seafood

Fish dishes in Azerbaijani cuisine are represented much more widely than in culinary traditions 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. Distinctive characteristic 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 should be prepared 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, a syrup made from pomegranate juice and dosha - grape-mulberry syrup.

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 chicken thighs, 400 g, 50 g 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 bouillon. But still classic recipe involves the use of 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 the bow. 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. It is customary to serve kutabs with sweets. 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. Finished goods brush with butter.

Products and ingredients:

• 1 medium sized chicken;
• 2 cups rice, preferably round;
• 3 tablespoons butter;
• 20 pieces of dried apricots (dried apricots);
• 5 spoons of raisins;
• A pinch of saffron powder;
• A pinch of salt;
• A pinch of cinnamon.

Preparing the recipe for Juja pilaf - yellow pilaf with chicken:

Wash the chicken, dry with a towel, cut into pieces. Mix salt and cinnamon.

Rub the chicken parts with this mixture, fry them in a frying pan for 5-7 minutes, then send them in the same frying pan under a closed lid. hot oven until done (depending on the size of the chicken).

Rinse raisins and dried apricots and stir. Simmer in oil for 5-6 minutes.

Bring half a large pot of water to a boil. Attach gauze or a thin cloth to the pan so that it hangs slightly above the water. Place washed rice on gauze/napkin. Cover the pan with a lid and put on fire. Make sure that all the water does not boil away; if necessary, add through a napkin.

When the rice is ready, place it on a plate or small tray in a heap, pour with a mixture of melted butter, salt, and saffron infusion. To prepare the infusion, pour 0.3 cups of boiling water over saffron powder. Place pieces of chicken, dried apricots and raisins around the rice mound.

Salad "Mangal" with baked vegetables

Products and ingredients:

• 6 eggplants
• 6 tomatoes
• 1 hot green pepper
• 20 sprigs cilantro (green coriander)
• 10 sprigs basil
• 1 large red onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 5 tablespoons olive or corn oil
• 1.5 tablespoons wine vinegar 6%
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• A pinch of salt

Preparing the recipe for Mangal Salad with Baked Vegetables:

Wash the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants well. Bake whole in the oven (15 minutes is enough). After the vegetables have cooled, cut off the eggplant stalks and remove the pepper seeds.

Chop all the vegetables with a knife and strain off excess liquid through a sieve or colander. After this, put it in a deep bowl.

Chop the washed basil and cilantro very finely and add to the vegetables. Finely chop or grate the garlic and onion and add to the bowl.

Make a salad dressing by mixing wine vinegar, olive or corn oil, salt and pepper. Season the vegetables in a bowl, move them around well, and transfer them to a salad dish. After cooking, the salad should “infuse”, then its taste will be more pronounced.

Walnut baklava

Products and ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 spoon of fresh yeast
• 1 spoon of milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 liter jar walnuts
• 0.5 liter jar of powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• A pinch of ground saffron
• Vanillin packet

Preparation of the recipe: Nut baklava:

Mash the yeast and dissolve in warmed milk. Stir in 2 eggs, half a portion of melted butter, ground saffron, salt. Beat the mass with a whisk, stirring, add flour. Knead a plastic dough, put it in a bowl, cover with a thick towel and leave to rise for 1.5 hours. Then cut the expanded dough into 12 pieces. Make 2 pieces a little larger than the rest.

Make the filling:

Mix the ground nuts with 1 cup of powdered sugar, saffron and vanilla.

Roll out a larger piece of dough as thin as possible and line the bottom of a tall frying pan with it. Brush this layer with melted butter. Place a thinly rolled smaller layer on top, and place the filling on it in a thin layer. Repeat this until the layers and filling are finished. Cover the pie with a second large layer.

Using a sharp long knife, cut the pie into small diamonds and brush the top with yolk. Place the pan in a hot oven. Bake this sweet puff pastry you need at least 50 minutes.

Make syrup by boiling the remaining powdered sugar in 1 glass of water. Once the baklava is ready, pour hot syrup over it and place in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Spicy stuffed eggplants

Products and ingredients:

• 4 eggplants
• 2 cups minced lamb or beef
• 8 tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1 large onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 10-12 sprigs of basil
• 10-12 sprigs of dill
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper

Preparation of the recipe: Spicy stuffed eggplants:

In mutton or Ground beef stir in chopped onion, salt and pepper. Place in a frying pan, fry, stirring for about half an hour. The finished mass should be light brown and crumbly. Leave it until it cools, then combine it with chopped basil. Stir.

Cut off one end of the eggplants and scrape out the pulp with a spoon. Place the eggplants in boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes. Cool, stuff. Place in a saucepan or saucepan, cover with chopped garlic and chopped tomatoes.

Fill hot water with salt dissolved in it. Simmer in an open container for about 20 minutes, then close the lid and leave to simmer for 10 minutes over very low heat.

Hamrashi - bean soup with homemade noodles

Products and ingredients:

• 1 cup minced beef or lamb
• 2 medium onions
• 10 spoons of flour
• 3 yolks
• 5 tablespoons brown beans
• 1 spoon of tomato
• 2.5 tablespoons chopped cilantro (green coriander)
• 5-6 dried mint leaves
• Pepper

Preparation of Hamrashi recipe - bean soup with homemade noodles:

Grind the meat and onion in a meat grinder. Roll the minced meat into very small meatballs. There should be 20-25 pieces in total. Boil the beans until they become soft, but do not spread.

Knead unleavened dough made from water, flour and egg yolks. Roll out very thin, dry the layer and cut into long ribbons 0.5-0.8 mm wide.

Pour water into a 2-liter saucepan and boil. Add meatballs and boil. Add noodles and cook for no more than 3 minutes. Add cooked brown beans. Sauté in butter tomato paste, put in a saucepan. You can cut the tomatoes, but increase the simmering time to 3-4 minutes. Let it simmer for just a little bit – about 1 minute.

When the soup is ready, pepper it and add fresh cilantro. Sprinkle dried mint in bowls.

Khingal - Azerbaijani lasagna

Products and ingredients:

• 5 cups wheat flour
• 2 fresh chicken eggs
• 2 onions
• 300 ml water
• 2 tablespoons corn or olive oil
• 250 ml sour milk or kefir
• 2 full tablespoons butter or ghee
• 2 cloves garlic

Preparing the recipe Khingal - Azerbaijani lasagna:

Combine flour, water, eggs and salt in a bowl, make a thick dough. Then cut it into 6-7 pieces, put it on a wooden board and put it in a cool place (can be on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator). Take pieces of dough and roll them into thin circles on a table sprinkled thickly with flour. Cut the circles into not very wide strips (7-8 mm).

Boil salted water in a large saucepan. Carefully place one strip of dough into the boiling water, being careful not to let them stick together. When cooking, the dough will become translucent - this will be a signal that the noodles are ready. Drain the water through a colander.

Cut the onion into thin half rings. Fry it over low heat, combining vegetable and butter. After frying, the onions should have a beautiful golden color.
For the sauce, combine yogurt or kefir, crushed garlic, and salt.

Kutaby - unleavened pies with herbs

Products and ingredients:

• 10 full spoons of white flour
• 1 tightly filled glass of parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, sorrel, green onions (optional).
• 100 ml heated water
• A pinch of salt

Preparation of the Kutaba recipe - unleavened pies with herbs:

Pour flour into a bowl. Pour half a portion of heated water into it, in which salt is dissolved. Stir with a spoon or wooden spatula. Continue stirring, gradually adding the remaining water. Then transfer the mixture to a table sprinkled with flour. After kneading, the dough should come out tight and dense. Form the dough into a ball and cover it with a towel for 40 minutes.

Cut the greens as finely as possible, add salt and mix.

Divide the dough ball into 4 parts. Roll out each individual part into a thin round layer. Place part of the greenery on half the layer, cover the second greenery. Seal along the edges with a fork, being careful not to allow any air bubbles to form between the layers.

Heat a large frying pan and, without greasing it, fry the pies on both sides (1 minute on each).

Place the finished kutabs on a dish and coat each with a piece of butter. Hot kutabs are especially good with sour cream or kefir. In Azerbaijan, they are traditionally served with feta cheese.

Chicken with nuts and raisins

Products and ingredients:

• 1 large chicken
• 3-4 medium onions
• 8 tablespoons ground nuts (walnuts or peanuts)
• 5-6 tablespoons light raisins
• 6-8 tablespoons of marshmallow or jam (apricot or apple)
• 1 heaped spoon of sugar
• A pinch of salt, black pepper, curry
• 4 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil

Preparing the recipe: Chicken with nuts and raisins:

Grind the onion, squeeze well and strain the juice. Dry the onion a little in a frying pan without oil, then combine with ground nuts, raisins, sugar, marshmallow or jam steamed for 15 minutes in boiling water.

Rub the chicken with salt and pepper, brush with marshmallow or jam. Top with curry mixture vegetable oil– this will give the finished chicken a beautiful, even color.

Stuff the prepared chicken carcass, securely fasten the skin with threads. Place the chicken on a baking sheet generously greased with oil. You can use a wire rack: bake the chicken, periodically basting with fat. Both on a baking sheet and on a wire rack, you need to cook the chicken in the oven for at least 60 minutes.

Chicken with nuts and raisins is delicious hot or cold. It is better to cut it into portions right on the table before the meal.

Pickled grapes

Products and ingredients:

• 1 liter jar of grapes
• 3 tablespoons vinegar 3% (better than grape vinegar)
• 4 spoons of sugar
• A pinch of cinnamon powder
• A pinch of star anise seeds (anise seeds).
• 4 peppercorns
• 5 pieces of carnation buds

Preparing the recipe: Pickled grapes:

First cook the marinade. In a small enamel pan pour 300 ml of warm water, add sugar. Boil and immediately pour in vinegar. Add spices to the marinade: pepper, star anise, cinnamon, cloves. Cover with a lid and leave for 6-7 hours. Wash the grapes, trying to keep the skins on the berries intact, then pour them onto a towel and dry. Place the berries tightly in a jar and fill with infused cold marinade to the top. Cover with a lid, saucer, board. Place the jar in the basement or pantry for 10-12 days (the main thing is that it is dark and not too hot). After this period, the pickled grapes are ready. For long-term storage You can roll it up with a metal lid. It is better to marinate white grapes.

Sweet Shaker-churek

Products and ingredients:

• 0.5 kg white flour
• 5 full spoons of ghee
• 1 egg
• 10 heaped tablespoons of powdered sugar
• Vanillin packet

Preparation of the recipe Sweet Shaker-churek:

Combine softened butter and powdered sugar and rub thoroughly until a homogeneous, grain-free mass is formed. white. It should be light and fluffy. At the same time, add the tightly beaten egg white in parts. When the mixture is almost ready, add vanillin and stir. Then combine the mixture with flour and immediately knead a fairly tight dough.

Pinch off pieces of dough weighing approximately 70 g and roll into balls. To ensure that the balls are of the correct shape, your palms must be periodically moistened with water or lubricated with vegetable oil.

Heat the oven. Line a baking sheet with oiled paper or parchment, place the balls on it at a distance of about 4 cm from each other, as they will increase in size during baking. Using a brush or feather, brush each ball with yolk on top. Bake in the oven at medium temperature for about half an hour, making sure that the products do not burn on the bottom. Sprinkle hot sweets with powdered sugar and cover with a napkin or towel.