Stuffed magic of lavangi

17 February 2015 13:00 (UTC+04:00)

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By Nigar Orujova

Winter is a time when you can excuse yourself of an irregular appetite. Winter in Azerbaijan means that you can eat twice more delicious national food than you eat in summer.

This weekend you can dedicate to lavangi, stuffed chicken or fish. This meal is traditional in the Southern regions, Lankaran, Astara and Masalli.

Fresh air, tasteful food and mesmerizing landscapes are attracting visitors to these regions throughout the year. Why not to take a chance and taste lavangi this time?

In 250-300 km from Baku, you will find delectable stuffed meal that will blow your mind. Lavangi is a treasure of Azerbaijani cuisine. The stuffing is made of walnuts, onions, sweet and sour dried fruit, like plums, prunes, raisins and cherry plums.

Once you taste this meal, you will definitely want more and more. For this purpose, here is a receipt for those who love to cook.

To feast your friend with chicken and fish lavangi you will need two small chickens or one Black Sea roach fish, onions, dry fruits, butter and vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

For chicken lavangi take 2 chicken, 1 large onion, 1 cup of walnuts, 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of prunes, 1 cup of cherry plums and 50 grams of butter.

For 2-3 kg fish, you will need two onions, 1 cup of walnuts, 1 tea-spoon of sumac, 2 table spoon of cherry plum’s paste, vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

Prepare chicken and fish, defrost them if needed, pick clean and dry. Sprinkle the outside and inside of the chicken and fish generously with salt and pepper.

For stuffing, peel and chop the onion and fry in the butter until golden brown.

Crumble the nuts and grind clean dry fruits. Then mix all stuffing ingredients, add oil, if needed. Put the stuffing into the chicken or fish, packing them firmly inside.

Place chicken or fish your chicken in the roasting pan, and pour melted oil. You can coat the chicken with some cherry-plum pastille.

Put the stuffed chickens or fish in the 180 C oven and roast them for an hour and half until they are cooked.

This dish can be served alone and accompanying pilaf. Enjoy your meal!

Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar