Armenian

The Armenian Cookbook
By Rachel Hogrogian
Illustrated By: Nonny Hogrogian 
Copyright © 1971 by Rachel Hogrogian
All rights reserved
Library of Congress catalog card number 76-139312
Published simultaneously in Canada by McClellan and Stewart Ltd. 
Manufactured in the United States of America by H. Wolf, New York
Designed by Nonny Hogrogian
Pages: 152

1. The author and illustrator are mother and daughter, both are delightful.
2. The book includes a glossary of terms, remember this was 1971, and even today some of these names are foreign to some. There is also  a chapter on menus and another one on Sources for Armenian ingredients
3. These are tried and true recipes that have been passed down for generations. They are not very detailed in description, but the recipes are very simple (and very delicious)
4. A whole lotta lamb. Not a big fan, I just use beef instead.
5. One of the best resources I’ve come across for traditional and true Armenian recipes.

Adjeh// Delicious parsley omelet usually made at Easter time

4 cups parsley, or a large bunch, finely chopped
4 cups scallions, or 2 large bunches, finely chopped 
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. 
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Drop the mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the skillet. When the omelets have browned on one side, turn them over to brown the other side, and remove them to a serving platter. Continue frying the balance of the mixture. Serve cold


Banirov Halvah//Halvah with cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cream or milk
1/2 pound Armenian cheese or mozzarella 
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sweet butter 
2 cups flour
Combine the sugar and cream in a bowl, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
Cut the cheese into 1/2 inch thick slices, and combine it with the water in a  small skillet. Set the skillet over low heat. When the cheese begins to soften on the bottom, turn it to the other side. The cheese should become soft and stringy. Keep it warm until the halvah is ready. 
Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Add the flour and stir the mixture until the butter and flour are well blended, stirring constantly. Over a low flame, press down with the back of the spoon, and stir until the mixture is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Add the sugar and cream mixture, and remove the skillet from the stove. Stir quickly and thoroughly until there are no lumps. Drain the water from the melted cheese, and add, swirling it lightly through the halvah with a fork. Pour into a serving platter, and smooth surface. Serve warm.

Halvah
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound sweet butter
2 cups flour
Combine the sugar and cream in a bowl, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Add the flour, and stir the mixture over a moderate flame until the butter and flour are will blending. Press down with the back of a spoon, and continue stirring until the mixture is lightly browned. It will take about 30 minutes. Add the sugar and cream mixture, and remove the skillet from the stove. Stir quickly and thoroughly until there are no lumps. Pour the halvah onto a serving plate, smooth the surface, and mark into a diamond pattern with a knife. Serve warm or cold. 

Karabich//Nut-filled cookies made with semolina and whiskey

Filling
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Combine the ingredients above in a small bowl and set it aside.

Dough
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 pound butter, clarified and chilled
1 cup flour
1 cup semolina
1/2 teaspoon mahleb
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon whiskey
1/4 cup water
1 egg, beaten
Combine the sugar and the cold butter in a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture with a beater until it is light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquids and continue beating until the dough is smooth and well blended. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 
Take a piece of dough the size of a walnut and roll it into a ball. Hold the ball of dough in your hand and form it into a cone shape. Press your index finger into the center of the cone and press it all around the outside wall to make a cup-shape. Place a teaspoonful of the walnut filling into the opening and seal it gently and securely by pushing the opening together until it is closed. Roll the filled cookie in the palm of your hands as you press it gently into an oval shape. Arrange the karabich on a baking sheet. Continue making the copies until all of the dough has been used. Bake at 375˚F. for 20 to 25 minutes. 
Frost each cookie with a teaspoonful of naatiffe.

Naatiffee// A fluffy, marshmallowy frosting, flavored with orange-blossom water

3/4 cup extra-fine granulated sugar
1/2 cup orange-flower water
pinch of salt
1 egg white
Combine the sugar and orange-water in a saucepan, and stir over a moderate flame until the sugar is dissolved. When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the flame and let the syrup simmer for 10 minutes, or until it corms a thread when dropped from a spoon. 
Add a pinch of salt to the egg white in a bowl. Whip the egg white with a beater until it is stiff and stands in peaks. Pour the hot syrup over the whipped egg whine in a very fine stream, beating constantly during the addition of the syrup and afterward until the frosting is stiff and stands in peaks when the beater is lifted. This frosting can be prepared and stored in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for a few days. It is served with mammal or karabich.

Imam Bayeldi// Baked eggplant
1 large eggplant
salt 1/2 cup olive oil
3 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Wash and cut off the stem end of the eggplant. Cut lengthwise into quarters, and cut each piece in half across the width. Make deep slit down the center of each piece. Sprinkle the eggplant generously with salt and set aside for 1/2 hour. The salt will release a dark liquid. Wash the eggplant with cold water to remove the salt and wash away the dark liquid, and dry the pieces with paper towels. Put a little olive oil in a skillet, and brown the eggplant quickly and lightly. Arrange the browned eggplant in a shallow baking dish. Combine the balance of the olive oil, onions, green pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in the skillet. Sauté the mixture as you stir, until the onions are transparent. Add the parsley and tomato, and cook 1 minute longer. Take a tablespoon of the onion mixture and stuff it into the slit in the eggplant. Stuff the balance of the eggplant. Combine the tomato sauce and water, and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Pour this liquid into the baking dish. Bake in a 375˚F. oven for 1 hour. Serve cold. 

Enguinar//Artichokes stuffed with white onions
12 white onions
6 artichokes
2 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 1/2 cups water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
Peel the onions and set them aside. Pull the outer layer of petals of each of the artichokes. Cut the tops of the leaves off by cutting across the artichoke halfway up and discarding the tops. Scoop out the thistle like center of the artichoke with a teaspoon and discard it. Cut away all but 1 inch of the stem. Trim around the bottom part of the artichoke and the outer part of the stem. Rub the artichokes generously with the 2 lemons as you clean them to prevent them from turning color. Drop the artichokes and the lemons into salted water until you are ready to cook them.
Cut the cleaned artichokes in half and arrange them in a shallow saucepan. Place a cleaned white onion in the center of each artichoke half. Sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, sugar and dill. Place a saucer upside down over the artichokes. Add the water, lemon juice, and half of the olive oil. Simmer the artichokes over a moderate flame for 35 minutes. Add the rest of the olive oil and cook them for another 10 minutes. 
Chill them and serve them as  a first course.

Kufta//Armenian meatballs with an exotic filling

Filling
1 pound shoulder of lamb, chopped (with some of the fat left on the meat)
****I use beef instead of lamb, as do most people I have spoken to***
1 large onion, finely chopped salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander
1/2 cup chopped pine nuts
Sauté the meat in a skillet over a moderate flame, stirring occasionally. When the meat is partially cooked, push it to one side in the pan. Sauté the onions until they are transparent. add the seasonings and mix all of the ingredients in the skillet. Continue cooking the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked and begins to brown slightly. Remove from flame. Add the nuts and cool. It is best to prepare the filling a day ahead to allow the mixture to be chilled.

Kheyma (outside)
3/4 bulgur #1 (very fine)
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup very lean lamb, cut from a leg of lamb, ground twice 
****I use beef instead of lamb, as do most people I have spoken to***
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander
Mix the bulgur and the water in a mixing bowl. Add the meat, salt, pepper, and coriander to the bulgur and knead like dough. Moisten your hands with cold water occasionally as you knead the mixture. Continue kneading for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Sini Kufta//Baked Kufta
1 recipe of kofta and filling 
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup water
Prepare the kofta and filling. Divide the kofta into two portions. Spread one portion evenly into a buttered 9×9-inch baking dish. Wet your hand with cold water to smooth the layer. Spread the filling over the first layer evenly. Wet your hands with cold water again, and take a small amount of the balance of the kofta. Flatten it out in the palm of your hands, and place it over the filling. Continue with the balance of the kofta until you have covered the surface of the filling. Smooth the surface with your hand, and spread the soft butter over it. Cut through with a knife into diamond-shaped pieces about 2×3 inches. 
Sprinkle the surface with the water, and bake in a 400˚F. oven for 45 minutes.