Azerbaijani cuisine is one of the most original and unique. Despite the proximity to other states and the constant exchange of cultural values, the people of Azerbaijan managed to maintain their identity and cultural values. It’s worth starting an acquaintance with dishes from Azerbaijani salads. They are easy to prepare, tasty and can always diversify the daily and festive table.
Tomato salad
The list of the most popular dishes is often called vegetable snacks and salads. This bright salad is worth a try for everyone. There are no meat products in the dish, so it can also be prepared for a vegetarian table.
Despite the simplicity of preparation, gourmets can appreciate the taste of the dish. The main feature of this salad is spices. The following products will be required for the preparation of Azerbaijani salad:
- tomatoes - you need to choose ripe but strong enough fruits that do not fall apart when cutting - 8-10 pcs. (depending on the size of the fruit);
- onions - 1 large head;
- peeled walnut - about 200-250 g;
- vegetable oil (it is better to take olive) - a little for dressing;
- narsharab sauce - about 2 tablespoons;
- ground red pepper - to taste;
- salt - a pinch;
- sumy (oriental spice) - 1 tsp.
Tomatoes are washed and diced. Vegetables should be placed in a deep salad bowl. The next layer lay onion sliced in thin half rings. Sprinkle with chopped walnut kernels. You can clean it yourself, but it’s much faster and easier to use already cleaned kernels. You can grind them in any convenient way (coffee grinder, blender, mortar).
All crushed products are poured with oil and seasoned with spices. Before serving, lettuce should stand for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the delicate aroma of the dish is fully revealed. You can serve such a salad with any fish or meat dish.
Pomegranate meat salad
Azerbaijani recipes for salads and hot dishes most often include lamb. You can take any other, while the national cuisine does not accept the use of pork for food (most representatives of this nationality are Muslims). For a salad with lamb you will need:
- meat (pulp) - about 300 g;
- pomegranate grains - 100-120 g;
- onions - 1 head of a small size;
- yogurt (unsweetened without additives) - 100 ml;
- garlic - 1-2 cloves to taste;
- salt - a pinch;
- coriander - 1 tsp incomplete.
Boil the meat in salted water until soft, cool and cut into small pieces. Onions are cut in half rings and mixed with meat. In a separate container, mix yogurt, garlic, passed through a press and spices. The resulting sauce is poured meat with onions. Top the dish sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. The sweet and sour taste of pomegranate well complements the taste of meat and gives the dish a piquancy.
Beet and Quince Salad
This light Azerbaijani salad can be served with any meat dish. In addition, vegetarians can appreciate it.
In the list of ingredients:
- beets - 2 pcs. (large);
- quince - 1 pc.;
- walnuts (kernels) 0.5 tbsp .;
- mayonnaise - about 50 g;
- garlic 1-2 cloves.
Beets are boiled until fully cooked in any convenient way (in a pan or microwave), peeled and grated. Quince is best cut into thin strips. All products are combined in a salad bowl, mixed thoroughly and left for 5-10 minutes.
Chicken Salad
Meat-eaters should try an Azerbaijani salad with tender chicken meat. This dish has a spicy taste and a unique aroma, which is added by spices.
The following products are required for cooking:
- chicken fillet - about 200-250 g;
- green lettuce leaves - 100 g;
- vegetable oil for dressing - 1-1.5 tbsp. l .;
- mustard - about 1 tsp. (taste);
- garlic - a pair of cloves;
- citric acid - 1 tsp;
- some walnuts - about 1 tbsp. l
While chicken is boiled, rinse and cut lettuce leaves. To prepare the sauce, mix oil, citric acid, garlic, mustard and chopped nuts passed through a press. The boiled meat is cooled and cut into small cubes. All ingredients are combined in a salad bowl.
Azerbaijani vegetable salad “Choban”
“Choban” is literally translated as “shepherd”. This name is due to the fact that before this food was one of the main dishes of shepherds. Due to its composition, this dish is light, healthy and nutritious. To cook it, you will need:
- tomato - 2 pcs. (you should choose strong fruits);
- cucumbers - 2 pcs.;
- Bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs. (to make the dish bright, you should choose peppers of different colors);
- feta cheese or hard cheese (at its discretion) - 150-200 g;
- greens to taste - it can be chives, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro;
- vegetable oil - for refueling.
Wash tomatoes and cucumbers, cut into small cubes. Seeds are removed from the pepper and cut into strips or squares. Cheese is cut into cubes. All vegetables are mixed, salted, black pepper and vegetable oil are added. Top salad sprinkled with finely chopped herbs.
Beans in the marinade
Salad with white beans is suitable for both a festive and casual table. The composition does not contain mayonnaise and harmful components, so this dish can be included in a healthy diet.
In the product list:
- white beans - 100 g (quantity indicated for dry product);
- olive oil - 1-1.5 tbsp. l .;
- grapes - about 20-30 g (you need to choose seedless varieties);
- lemon - a few slices;
- almonds - 30 g;
- greens to taste - parsley, cilantro, dill.
The beans are washed and boiled until soft. After cooling, the beans are placed in a salad bowl, grapes and chopped almonds are added to it. All ingredients are mixed, salted and oil is added. Sprinkle with chopped greens on top and garnish with a pair of lemon slices.