10 Most Popular Foods in Azerbaijan

This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links, at no cost to you.

Like all other countries, Azerbaijan also has some good cuisines. Azerbaijanian cuisines are packed with tasty vegetables, juicy meats, and dark spices. Though their foods are not extremely famous like the other Middle Eastern countries, they have some good cuisines to offer.

That’s why we have listed the 10 most popular foods in Azerbaijan, and everybody must try them because they are unique in taste and have great fragrance.

Table of Contents

1. Plov

Plov is a traditional Azerbaijanian food. It is prepared with a combination of meat and rice, which are the main ingredients. There are different varieties of plov like dried fruit plov, chilov plov, i.e., bean plov and fish, Shirin plov, mutton plov with onions, govourma plov, sebzi govourma plov, and chicken plov. The rice also contains saffron which is a common ingredient in the country.

Recipe for plov

2. Shah Pilaf

Shah pilaf is normally cooked as the main course in Azerbaijanian weddings. This traditional rice is highly aromatic and delicious. However, it is not easy to cook. It goes through various cooking stages before the end product. Locals mostly use basmati rice for shah pilaf.

Recipe for shah pilaf

3. Kebab

The Azerbaijanian kebab resembles the European and another Middle Eastern kebab. For making kebab, various vegetables and seasoned meats are skewered and then barbecued. It has various types, and the lyulya kebab is the most popular one, and locals in the country love it.

Recipe for kebab

4. Dolma

Dolma is a dish that is prepared by stuffing the grape leaves. The word dolma also translates to stuff. This dish has Mediterranean and European roots. For making dolma, make a blend of rice, meat, peas, spices, and onions and then wrap it in grape leaves.

Recipe for dolma

5. Buglama

Buglama is one of the favorite dishes of Azerbaijan’s residents. It is made of lamb pieces, stewed in onions, peppers, tomatoes, and spices like bay leaves, black peppers, etc. In buglama, the lamb is cooked in its juice which makes it tastier.

Recipe for buglama

6. Qutab

The structure of qutab resembles quesadilla. Qutab is prepared with paper-thin dough, while the fillings can be anything you want. The common fillings include meat, squash, and green vegetables. For garnishing, you can use chopped walnuts, parsley, sumac, and pomegranate seeds. This highly nutritious snack is used between meals.

Recipe for Qutab

7. Halva

Halva is commonly found across the Middle East and Europe. However, Azerbaijan’s version is different than other cuisines. Halva has different types, while the common ones are halva stirred into a tahini mixture. Follow the process until it transfers to a thick object.

Recipe for halva

8. Badambura

Badambura is an Azerbaijanian pastry made of various flay dough layers. The dough is also filled with almonds, ground cardamom, and sugar for better taste. The dough is brushed with egg before baking, and then it is baked until the color transforms into golden brown.

Recipe for badambura

9. Kufta Bozbash

Kufta is the local name for meatballs in most countries. For example, in kufta bozbash, a large meatball is boiled into the broth with mutton bones, potatoes, and peas. It is the national soup of Azerbaijan. You may find different varieties based on the region.

Recipe for kufta bozbash

10. Domates Dolmasi

Domates dolmasi has Turkish origin. It is a stuffed tomato. For making domates dolmasi, tomatoes are stuffed with a mixture of olive oil, rice, ground lamb, parsley, seasoning, and mint. These ingredients are filled inside the tomato and cooked well. Once cooked, the food is topped with sauce.

Recipe for domates dolmasi