Azerbaijani cuisine was formed under the influence of traditions, religion and the geographic location of the state. It is distinguished by a large number of lamb dishes, fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits, as well as very spicy and aromatic treats obtained from the use of many spices.
Dolma is one of the traditional Azerbaijani meat dishes. To prepare it, you will need: 500 g of minced lamb, 200 g of fresh grape leaves, 100 g of boiled rice, onions, fresh mint and parsley, a pinch of thyme, vegetable broth and olive oil.
For the preparation of dolma, grape leaves, previously seasoned in brine, are also used.
Pour boiling water over the leaves and leave for about an hour. Then they take it out and dry it on a towel, but do not pour out the water. Minced meat is mixed with rice, onions, parsley and mint. Salt, pepper and thyme are added. Mix everything well. Then part of the prepared mixture is spread on a grape leaf, rolled up and placed in a saucepan.
When the bottom of the pan is completely covered with rolls in one layer, salt them a little and cover with an inverted plate so that they do not unroll during cooking. Then pour vegetable broth mixed with water left over from soaking grape leaves. The liquid should barely cover the rolls. Put on fire, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Put the finished dolma on a dish, sprinkle with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.
Dolma is sometimes served with a white sauce in Azerbaijan, which can be made from yogurt, cilantro, dill and garlic.
Another traditional Azerbaijani dish resembles Russian dumplings and is called dushbara. For its preparation, lamb bones with pulp are used. Minced meat is prepared from the latter, and broth is prepared from the bones, in which the dish will be cooked. Unleavened dough is rolled out in a thin layer, from which squares 1, 5 by 1, 5 cm are cut out. Minced lamb, onion and spices are placed in them. Then the edges are connected in the same way as for Russian dumplings. Dushbara is cooked in a rich salted broth for 5 minutes, and served with cilantro, mint and wine vinegar.
Dovga - fermented milk soup is often prepared for the festive table in Azerbaijan. To prepare it, use yogurt or yogurt, lamb on the bone, chickpeas, flour, various herbs and spices. Matsoni is mixed with flour and broth to the consistency of kefir, put on fire and brought to a boil, making sure that the mixture does not curdle. Then chickpeas soaked and boiled until half cooked, lamb and onion meatballs are added to it. Rice is also often added. All are boiled until tender, salted and pepper. At the end, add finely chopped greens: dill, parsley, cilantro or sorrel. Dovga can be served both hot and cold.
Among sweets in Azerbaijan, cookies with shaker bora filling are especially popular. For its preparation you need: 500 g of flour, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of sour cream, 100 ml of milk, 100 g of butter, 5 eggs, a bag of yeast, salt. The filling requires any nuts in the amount of 300 g, 250 g of sugar and a bag of vanillin.
First, the dough is made, which must necessarily "rest" before cooking for at least an hour. Then balls are formed from it, rolled into a cake, in the center of which is a filling of a mixture of nuts, sugar and vanilla. The edges of the cake are wrapped like those of pies, and different patterns are made on the sides with a special device. Shaker borax is baked for about 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 ° C.
