Chigirtma facts for kids
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| Region or state | Azerbaijan |
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| Serving temperature | Hot |
Chigirtma (Azerbaijani: Çığırtma) is a yummy egg dish from Azerbaijan, a country in Western Asia. The word 'chigirtma' (pronounced chee-ghirt-MAH) comes from the Azerbaijani language. It means the dish always has eggs in it!
Interestingly, 'chigirtma' also means 'screaming' in Azerbaijani. People think it got this name because of the sizzling sound the ingredients make when they cook in hot oil! You can find many kinds of chigirtma, like ones made with chicken, eggplants, green beans, spinach, or even lamb.
Contents
Chicken Chigirtma: A Sizzling Meal
Chicken chigirtma (Azerbaijani: Toyuq çığırtması) is a popular version of this dish. Its main ingredients are chicken, onions, lemon juice, eggs, and some vegetable oil or melted butter. Of course, spices are added for flavor!
How to Make Chicken Chigirtma
First, the chicken is boiled until it's cooked. Then, it's placed in a pan. Next, chopped and fried onions are added, along with lemon juice and spices. A little bit of chicken broth is poured in. The mixture then simmers gently for about 20 minutes.
Finally, eggs are added to the chicken. The dish cooks until the eggs are just right. Chicken chigirtma is often served with plain plov, a rice dish. When served together, it's called chigirtma-plov!
Green Bean Chigirtma: A Veggie Delight
Green bean chigirtma (Azerbaijani: Lobya çığırtması) is another tasty type. To make it, you need green beans, onions, eggs, fresh dill, vegetable oil, and spices.
The green beans are cut into small pieces and boiled until tender. In a separate pan, onions are fried. Then, the cooked beans are added to the fried onions. In a bowl, eggs are mixed with chopped dill and spices. This egg mixture is then poured over the beans and onions. The dish cooks until the eggs are set. Green bean chigirtma is often served with "sarimsagli gatig," which is yogurt mixed with crushed garlic.
Eggplant Chigirtma: A Purple Treat
Eggplant chigirtma, also known as badimjan chighirtma, uses eggplants as its main ingredient. You also need onions, melted butter, eggs, fresh parsley, and spices.
First, the eggplants are sliced. They are salted and pressed to remove any bitter juice. Then, the eggplant slices are added to fried onions and cooked until soft. After that, eggs are added to the pan. Just before serving, melted butter and fresh greens like parsley are added for extra flavor.
Forcemeat Chigirtma: Meaty and Flavorful
Forcemeat chigirtma (Azerbaijani: Qiymə çığırtması) is made with forcemeat, which is finely ground or minced meat. This version typically uses mutton (lamb meat). Other ingredients include onions, melted butter, a pinch of saffron for color and flavor, and eggs. Before serving, chopped dill is sprinkled on top.
Spinach Chigirtma: Healthy and Delicious
Ispanag (spinach) chigirtma is a healthy and delicious option. Its main ingredients are fresh spinach, sorrel (a leafy green vegetable), onions, eggs, and melted butter. This dish is often served with soured milk and chopped parsley.
