Cuisine · Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani cooking

Azerbaijani recipes tested and adapted for the home kitchen — 5 dishes from Azerbaijan, each with step-by-step instructions and ingredient notes.

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Baklava (Azerbaijani Pakhlava) with walnuts, honey and flour — Azerbaijan recipe

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Flour and Confectionery Products

Baklava (Azerbaijani Pakhlava)

Azerbaijani pakhlava is a layered walnut pastry cut into diamonds and soaked in honey — the centerpiece of the Novruz spring table alongside shekerbura and gogal. Unlike Greek-style baklava made with paper-thin phyllo, the Baku version uses a soft yeast dough layered with walnut-cardamom filling. Each diamond is topped with an egg yolk and saffron glaze and a whole walnut half, and warm honey is poured over after baking. The dough needs an hour to rise, and the pakhlava should cool completely in the tray before serving.

120 min420 kcal25 serves

🌿Vegetarian

Dushbara with ground lamb, lamb broth and dried mint — Azerbaijan recipe

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Soups

Dushbara

A classic Azerbaijani soup of tiny meat-filled dumplings simmered in a clear lamb broth. The dumplings are famously small, and the soup is served with crushed garlic and vinegar, dried mint, and cilantro for a sharp, tangy finish. The lamb broth is made ahead — ribs or bones simmered for about 2 hours — and is not counted in the cooking time.

90 min420 kcal5 serves

Lavangi (Azerbaijani Walnut-Stuffed Fish) with sea bass, walnuts and onion — Azerbaijan recipe

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Fish and Seafood Dishes

Lavangi (Azerbaijani Walnut-Stuffed Fish)

Lavangi is an Azerbaijani fish stuffed with a paste of walnuts, onion, and sour plums with narsharab. The grated onion must be squeezed dry, or the filling turns watery. The fish is stuffed, sewn shut, rubbed with narsharab, and baked until the skin is dark and glossy. It's a festive Talysh and Lankaran dish, a classic of the Novruz table.

75 min450 kcal4 serves

💪High protein🌾Gluten-free

Lyulya Kebab (Azerbaijani Lamb Skewers) with ground lamb, lamb tail fat and onion — Azerbaijan recipe

🌍AzerbaijanMedium

Meat Dishes

Lyulya Kebab (Azerbaijani Lamb Skewers)

Lyulya kebab (lülə kabab) is ground-lamb skewers grilled over a mangal, made across the South Caucasus; this is the Azerbaijani version, with lamb tail fat and sumac. The meat is kneaded long with grated onion and lamb tail fat until it turns dense and tacky — with no egg or bread, that kneading is what keeps it on the skewer. The mince rests in the fridge for at least an hour before shaping. Makes 8 kebabs, 2 per serving. They grill to a browned crust and are served on lavash with red onion tossed in sumac.

55 min500 kcal4 serves

🥑Keto💪High protein🌾Gluten-free

Narsharab with pomegranate juice, cinnamon and ground coriander — Azerbaijan recipe

🌍AzerbaijanMedium

Sauces and Dips

Narsharab

An Azerbaijani sauce of 100 percent pomegranate juice slowly reduced to a thick ruby syrup and seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon, coriander, and basil. Its name means pomegranate wine; this version is made without sugar, so it stays sharp and tart, and it is served with grilled meat and fish.

55 min35 kcal16 serves

🌱Vegan🌾Gluten-free