A recipe from Gemo

Sheki Piti

Name: Sheki Piti
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 165 min
Total time: 190 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 200 g Chickpeas (dried; soaked overnight); 800 g Lamb Shoulder (fatty pieces, bone-in if available); 1.5 l Water (or enough to barely cover); 2 pc Onion (one quartered, one thinly sliced for serving); 200 g Chestnut (cooked and peeled; use potato if unavailable); 4 pc Prunes (or dried sour plums); 0.25 tsp Saffron (threads, steeped in hot water); 0.25 tsp Turmeric (optional color support); 1.25 tsp Salt (plus more to taste); 0.5 tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground); 2 tsp Sumac (for serving); 4 pc Lavash (or sturdy flatbread, for serving); 0.25 bunch Cilantro (Coriander) (chopped, optional for serving)

გემო (ოფიციალური გვერდი)Chef

190 minMedium4 servings

A slow Azerbaijani lamb and chickpea stew from Sheki, cooked gently with chestnuts, sour fruit, and saffron, then served in the traditional two-stage style with bread, onion, and sumac.

Method

01
Soak 200 g chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain them. Put 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads in 3 tablespoons of hot water and let them steep while you prepare the pot.
02
Place 800 g lamb, the drained chickpeas, 1 quartered onion, and 1.5 liters water in a Dutch oven or individual oven-safe clay pots. Bring just to a simmer, skim the surface, then season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
⏱ 20 min
03
Cover and cook very gently over low heat, or in a 160 C oven, until the lamb and chickpeas are nearly tender, about 2 hours. Keep the liquid at a quiet simmer and add a little hot water if the pot looks dry.
⏱ 120 min
04
Add 200 g chestnuts, 4 prunes, and the saffron water. Continue cooking gently until the lamb is very tender and the broth is golden and fragrant, 35 to 45 minutes more.
⏱ 40 min
05
Taste and adjust the salt. For the traditional Sheki serving style, tear lavash into bowls, ladle the hot broth over it first, then serve the lamb, chickpeas, and chestnuts separately or lightly crushed with sliced onion, sumac, and cilantro.