Azerbaijan

Cornelian cherries, or cornels, are widespread across the Caucasus and southern Russia. They had an attractive fruity tang to this simple chicken dish, ovrishta (ovriştə). Preparation time: 30 min Cooking time: 40 min Serves: 3-4

Game birds – partridge, pheasant, grouse or quail – are a traditional feature of Azerbaijani cuisine. Smaller varieties of game bird, such as the quail or francolin, are often cooked on a barbecue, as in this recipe. The birds can also be cooked under the grill, but will lose the …

Barbecued meat, fish and vegetables are a perennial favourite in Azerbaijan, especially in summer. Barbecuing is a tasty way to cook liver. The liver can be grilled too, but will lose the smoky flavour of the barbecue. Preparation time: 20 min Cooking time: 20 min Serves: 3-4

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 name of the dish suzma khangal (süzmə xəngəl) can be translated literally as “drained pasta”. This is …

Doymaj (döyməc) is a tangy purée of fruit and garlic, usually eaten at the end of a meal to aid digestion. The name doymaj is derived from the Azerbaijani verb doymak (döymək), meaning to grind, powder or crumble. Preparation time: 30 min Serves: 4-5

Azma (əzmə) is a tasty way of cooking liver. Traditional azma is made with quyrug, fat from a sheep’s tail (the most common breed of sheep in Azerbaijan has a high fatty rump or tail). If no sheep’s fat is available, or you are looking for a lower-fat option, leave …

Kebabs – barbecued meat, fish and vegetables – are a perennial favourite in Azerbaijan. Aubergine (eggplant) kebabs are usually cooked to accompany lamb and lule kebabs. Aubergines to be cooked on the barbecue should not be too large or they will blacken on the outside before they are cooked through. …

The city of Ganja is renowned in Azerbaijan for its baklava, a sweet of pastry, nuts and honey. Traditional Ganja baklava has more layers of pastry than its Baku equivalent and rose water is added both to the pastry and the filling. In 2010, a 15-metre long and 5-metre wide …

Onion pickled with sloe an appetizer going well with any type of meals. Pickled onions can be used as a side dish or added to sandwiches for extra punch. Made with vinegar and salt, pickled onion recipes can be tweaked to provide various flavorings. Preparation time: 60 min Cooking time: …

Kalakosh is a delicious soup with yogurt, rice and flour. Kalakosh is the yogurt soup with the tone of the walnut, garlic and onion. This is the outstanding example of the yogurt soups in Azerbaijan cuisine. Preparation time: 30 min Cooking time: 25 min Serves: 4