Kitchen · Խոհանոց
Nene's kitchen
Home cooking from Western Armenian kitchens, with real quantities and substitutions you can find at an American grocery store. Every recipe scales, and "Start cooking" walks you through one step at a time with timers.
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Անուշապուր
Anoushabour
Wheat berries simmered with dried apricots and raisins, set like a soft pudding, and covered with nuts and pomegranate. The "sweet soup" of the New Year table.
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Պլղուրի փիլաւ
Bulgur pilaf with vermicelli
Butter-toasted vermicelli, coarse bulgur and broth. The side dish under half the dinners in a Western Armenian kitchen.
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Չորեկ
Choreg
Soft, braided Easter bread scented with mahleb, brushed with egg and covered in sesame seeds.
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Լահմաջուն
Lahmajoun
Paper-thin rounds of dough under a layer of spiced meat, peppers and parsley, baked hot and fast. Squeeze lemon on it, roll it up, eat it standing.
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Հարիսա
Harissa
Wheat and chicken cooked for hours until they fall apart, then beaten smooth and finished with browned butter and cumin.
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Մանթի
Manti
Tiny open dumplings of spiced meat, baked until crisp, finished in broth and buried under garlic yogurt.
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Իչ
Eetch
Fine bulgur soaked in a warm tomato and pepper sauce, then tossed with lemon, parsley and scallions. Meatless, and better the next day.
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Եալանճի
Yalanchi
Grape leaves rolled tight around rice, sweet onions, herbs and pine nuts, simmered in olive oil and lemon and served cold.
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Սուրճ
Armenian coffee
Coffee ground as fine as flour, boiled with sugar in a small pot until it foams, poured with the grounds into small cups.
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Թան
Tan
Yogurt whisked with cold water and a pinch of salt until frothy. The drink for hot days, lahmajoun and barbecues.
Stock the pantry Մառան
These twelve jars and bags cover most of the cooking here. Find them at Armenian, Middle Eastern, Greek or Turkish grocers, and online.
- Հալէպի պղպեղ
Aleppo pepper
Coarse, oily red pepper flakes with a mild, fruity heat. Goes on almost everything savory: lahmajoun, eggs, yogurt, kufta.
Buying it: Sold as Aleppo, Marash or pul biber at Middle Eastern grocers. Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne is a fallback.
- Մահլեպ
Mahleb
Ground kernels from a sour cherry pit. Tastes like almond and cherry, and it is what makes choreg smell like choreg.
Buying it: Buy whole kernels and grind as needed, or buy small bags of ground. It goes stale in a few months; keep it in the freezer.
- Մաստիկ
Mastic
Pine-scented resin tears from Chios. A little goes into choreg and puddings.
Buying it: Grind the tears with a pinch of sugar so they don't gum up. Use sparingly; it turns bitter in large amounts.
- Պլղուր
Bulgur
Cracked wheat that has been parboiled and dried. Fine for kufta and salads, coarse for pilaf.
Buying it: Grades are numbered: #1 fine, #2 medium, #3 or #4 coarse. Buy coarse for pilaf.
- Սումախ
Sumac
Dark red, lemony berry powder. Sprinkled on onions, salads and grilled meat.
Buying it: Should be deep burgundy and slightly moist, not brown and dusty.
- Թահին
Tahini
Sesame paste. Used in sauces, in hummus, and in sweet Lenten pastries.
Buying it: Stir well before using. Lebanese and Armenian brands tend to be smoother and less bitter.
- Պղպեղի մածուկ
Red pepper paste
Thick paste of sun-dried red peppers, mild or hot. Gives color and depth to lahmajoun, kufta and pilaf.
Buying it: Often labeled biber salçası. Tomato paste works in a pinch, with a little extra Aleppo pepper.
- Չորցած ծիրան
Dried apricots
The apricot is practically a national symbol. Dried ones go into anoushabour, stews and stuffed dishes.
Buying it: Unsulfured apricots are brown, not orange, and taste deeper. Either works.
- Պաստըրմա
Basterma
Air-dried beef cured under a thick paste of fenugreek (chaimen), garlic and red pepper. Associated with Kayseri.
Buying it: Ask for it sliced paper-thin at an Armenian or Middle Eastern deli. Fry slices with eggs for breakfast.
- Չոր անանուխ
Dried mint
Stronger and earthier than fresh. Crumbled into yogurt soups, salads and bulgur dishes.
Buying it: Rub between your palms right before adding to release the smell.
- Վարդաջուր
Rose water
Distilled rose petals for syrups, puddings and anoushabour.
Buying it: Brands vary in strength. Start with a teaspoon and taste.
- Քիմոն
Cumin
Warm and earthy. In kufta, sujuk, and the paste on basterma.
Buying it: Whole seeds, toasted and ground, taste far better than old ground cumin.