Armenian cuisine is as ancient as its history. The plenty of meat dishes on Armenian tables is due to the development of cattle breeding in Armenia since the ancient times. It was also the source of many kinds of creamy dairies, such as many types of Armenian cheese and butter, which are daily meals for us. We are famous for our interesting Armenian recipes and have many mount-watering dishes.

This article will help you know what ingredients and instructions are needed to prepare some of them.

Hot dishes

Armenian recipe #1 Ghapama

The Armenians believe that their fruits and vegetables are the most delicious due to the sun of Armenia. If you want to try the fantastic taste of the sun, then probe our particular recipe of Ghapama.

Photo Credits: Heghine Cooking Show

To cook this dish, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 5–6 kg average pumpkin
• 1 1.5 kg half-boiled long-grain white rice
• 250 g sultanas
• 370 g dried apricots
• 150 g dried apples
• 150 g dried grape(raisin)
• 530 g honey
• 250 g butter melted

Instruction

• Cut the top of the pumpkin
• Slice the pumpkin to the top and empty the seeds and stringy material inside.
• Mix the boiled rice with the dried fruits.
• Fill in the pumpkin with the rice and dried fruit mixture.
• When the pumpkin is about half full, pour in 180 g of honey and 125 g of melted butter.
• Wait until the butter and honey spill over the mixture
• Again fill the pumpkin with the rice and dried fruit mixture.
• When the mix is full to the top, fill in the remaining honey and melted butter
• Put the head on the pumpkin.
• Put the pumpkin into the oven and bake it for about an hour.

Armenian recipe #2 Khash

Khash is one of the tastiest and the most famous Armenian dish especially eating in winter. We like enjoying khash with much garlic and vodka. And it is important to remember that the best time to eat khash is early morning.

Ingredients

• One diced onion
• One diced garlic
• The salt according to taste
• 1/2 tsp dry chives leaves
• Some water
• One cow foot (cut and washed)
• One chili pepper

How to make this very Armenian dish? Khash has a particular preparing method and requires a good amount of patience and time.

Instruction

• Separate the feet into pieces
• Wash them with cold water
• Fill the saucepan with water and feet
• Let them boil for 7-8 hours
• The dish will be ready until the water become milk-color, and the meat will separate from the bones
• Serve this particular dish with deep plates
• Add the garlic and salt according to your taste

Putting dried lavash on the table is essential. Another product to have with khash is the radish and mineral water. Khash is a heavy dish, and these products will help you to digest it quickly. Also, they make the taste of Khash tastier.

Armenian recipe #3 Tolma or Dolma

Tolma is considered to be an ancient Armenian dish. We always serve the dolma during the holidays. We like making creative kinds of dolma and prefer to use different types of aromatic leaves, such as cabbage, grape, bean leaves. During the summer our gardens are abundant with vegetables. And we like to cook our traditional dish with tomato, many kinds of tasty peppers and aubergine.

Photo Credits: Heghine Cooking Show

Dolma is very tasty during the months of autumn. Armenian wives like to put the quince beneath the saucepan, and after put the dolma on the quince. Quince gives a unique and delicious taste. Each Armenian family has its unique and special kind of dolma according to the taste of family members.

Ingredients

• 1 kg roasted cow meat
• 100 g lardy pork meat
• 100 g rice
• 2 medium onions
• Some greens
• Leaves according to your taste

But how to make Tolma?

• First of all, it is necessary to mince the meat
• Boil the cabbage leaves
• Then put the boiled leaves on the cold water
• Add the rice, salt, red and black peppers, minced onion, some dried greens with the meat and mix them very well.
• After you mix them it is necessary to wrap the seasoned meat with aromatic leaves.
• Put the wrapped dolmas in the saucepan, and boil for 30-40 minutes.

Armenian recipe #4 Harissa

Harissa is an ancient Armenian dish. This unique dish is a symbol of the victory resistance of Musa Ler mountain during Armenian genocide in 1915. Though it is necessary only two ingredients, the preparation requires a right amount of time and effort.

Photo Credits: Stylenews

Ingredients

• One hen
• 2kg ground wheat
• Salt(according to your taste)

Instruction

• Boil the hen
• Then separate all the meat from the bones
• Fill the cut meat and the washed wheat into the broth
• Put it on the light fire and regularly mix with the spoon.
• It is necessary to leave the Harissa on the fire for 3-4 hours
• Add the salt
• It is essential to serve it very hot
• When eating add butter or oil on the Harissa to make it tastier

Desserts

Armenian recipe #5 Gata

Besides the hot dishes, Armenian cuisine is vibrant with many delicious desserts. I will mention the most prominent one called Gata. Gata is a very ancient and creative dessert coming from very ancient times. During the holidays Gata is mandatory to prepare.

Photo Credits: Heghine Cooking Show

Ingredients

• For the dough
• You will need five eggs
• ⅕ tepid water
• 7-8 cup of flour
• 800 g butter
• For the kernel
• 3 tsp melted oil
• 1 cup of sugar
• ⅕ cup of flour
• A little vanilla

How to make Gata?

• Divide it into six equal balls.
• Place each ball on a lightly floured board.
• Slush the butter on each dough
• Wrap and roll the dough and put on the refrigerator. Do this several times.
• Then open the dough again and slush the kernel which the Armenian call khoriz
• Roll the dough and flatten with a rolling pin
• Slush egg on it cut it into several pieces
• And put in the oven

Armenian recipe #6 Pakhlava

Another tasty dessert is pakhlava. We adore to prepare it, especially at Christmas. Gavar town in Gegharkunik province is famous for its lovely people. These people are the most famous for their baklava (pakhlava) and their love for vodka, especially during the holiday season. Armenian people even have made up a joke about it. They say “The secret why people don’t get drunk here, even after drinking a lot, is that they eat baklava with the vodka”.

The ingredients you need

• 8 ounces walnuts
• 8 ounces plus 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• One sliced butter
• Four eggs
• soda

How can you bake pakhlava?

• Add flour and sliced butter into the bowl
• Mix until the flour crumbs.
• Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to sour cream. Separate egg whites from yolks.
• Make a hole in flour and add 3 egg yolks, sour cream, and water.
• Mix everything and knead the dough.
• The dough should be stiff and soft at the same time.
• Divide it into 3 parts and put them into the fridge for 1 hour

The kernel

• Cut the walnuts into little pieces
• Mix walnuts with sugar
• When the dough is ready, take it out, roll each piece the dough
• Put the dough layer into the baking pan and brush it with the lightly whipped egg whites, add half of the filling
• Put another layer on top of it and repeat
• Now roll the biggest piece of the dough, put it on top and wrap all the edges down.
• Brush baklava with yolk and cut it into pieces.
• Our Pakhlava is ready
• Put baklava into the oven.
• Bake it for 30-40 minutes
• Enjoy it

Armenian recipe #7 Sujuk

One of the tastiest desserts is sweet sujuk which usually served on festive days. Sujuk has a particular Armenian taste and aroma. Sometimes we use sharots or churchkhela words instead of sujuk. In Armenia, the best time to prepare sujuk is autumn because here we have the abundance of fruits. The taste of sujuk depends on the fruit we make of it.

What ingredients and preparing method you will need to prepare this mouth-watering and aromatic dessert?

Photo Credits: Blog News

• Walnuts (divided into two parts)
• Thread
• 1,5 cup of flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon spicery
• 2L grape juice or any juice you prefer
• Install the walnuts on through the thread
• Pour the juice and flour in the saucepan and mix
• Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix again
• Leave on a light fire and mix as soon as turns into a thick mixture
• Then, dip the threaded walnuts into the mixture
• Hang sharoc to dry in cold room for 6-7 days

That’s all, out tasty dessert is ready.

Enjoy!

Published Jan. 23, 2019
Article by Elen Sargsyan