Azerbaijan

Levengi (ləvəngi) is a stuffing made from ground walnuts and dried fruit, typical of the southern Lenkoran area. Levengi is used as a stuffing for both poultry and fish. The fish most commonly stuffed with levengi is kutum, a 2-4 kg white fish unique to the Caspian. If you cannot …

The word chigirtma (çığırtma) in the name of a dish means that it includes eggs. Toyug chigirtmasi or chicken with eggs is popular across Azerbaijan. It can be baked in the oven or prepared on the stove top. Preparation time: 30 min Cooking time: 35 min Serves: 3-4 Ingredients

Rice pilaf with dried fruit is a popular Azerbaijani dish, which is thought to have originated in Baku. Shirin pilaf is usually served on its own but can be served with fried veal or lamb. Preparation time: 60 min Cooking time: 40 min Serves: 6-7

The term dolma covers a variety of stuffed vegetable dishes, widespread in the Middle East and Mediterranean area. While vine leaves stuffed with minced lamb and beef are the most popular forms of dolma in Azerbaijan, fish dolma are a refreshing alternative. Stuffed vine leaves are served as a main …

Aubergines (eggplants), tomatoes and onions grow in abundance in Azerbaijan in summer. Aubergine caviar is a tasty way of preserving this summer produce for the cold winter months. While this aubergine paste is primarily a way of preserving aubergines, it can also be eaten freshly made with bread or salad. …

The term khangal (xəngəl) is used for a variety of dishes made from wheat pasta found across the Caucasus. An ancient Turkic word, khangal occurs in the medieval Turkic chronicle the Oguzname. The recipe below is for a lamb soup with pasta squares. Preparation time: 40 min Cooking time: 15 …

This salad of aubergines (eggplant), peppers and tomatoes cooked on a barbecue has a delicious, smoky flavour. Although its name in Azerbaijani, soyug salat, translates as cold salad, the name barbecue salad is a better reflection of the dish. If the salad ingredients are the first food to go on …

An Azerbaijani sherbet (şərbət) is a refreshing, cooling drink made from fruit, sugar and water. The word sherbet comes from the Persian sharbat, itself an adaptation of the Arabic for drink, sharab. Sherbet entered the English language as sorbet, which is now more of an iced dessert or palate cleanser …

  Baklava, or pakhlava, is a sweet of pastry, nuts and honey popular across the Caucasus, Middle East and eastern Mediterranean. Azerbaijani cuisine has several varieties of baklava. Baku baklava is traditionally served at the Novruz spring holiday, together with shekerbura and gogal, but is also enjoyed throughout the year. …

The term dolma covers a variety of stuffed vegetable dishes, widespread in the Middle East and Mediterranean area. Stuffed aubergines (eggplant), peppers and tomatoes are a very popular form of summer dolma across Azerbaijan. Usually, all three are made at the same time. As in yarpaq dolması (stuffed vine leaves), …