Levengi facts for kids
Stuffed fish (Azerbaijani: Balıq Ləvəngisi)
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| Course | main |
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| Place of origin |  Iran,  Azerbaijan |
| Region or state | Gilan province, Lankaran |
| Main ingredients | walnut and onions |
| Variations | chicken, fish, duck |
Levengi (sometimes called Lavangi) is a special and popular dish from Azerbaijan and Iran. It's also enjoyed by the Talysh people. This tasty meal is made by stuffing fish or chicken with a mix of walnuts, onions, and different spices. Then, it's baked until it's perfectly cooked.
You'll find Levengi most often in the Absheron Peninsula of Azerbaijan. It's also very popular in the Lankaran, Lerik, Astara, Masally, Salyan, and Neftchala areas. Besides fish and chicken, Levengi can also be made with duck or even aubergine (eggplant).
Contents
Stuffed Fish: Balıq Ləvəngisi
Stuffed fish, known as "Balıq Ləvəngisi," is a favorite dish, especially during the Nowruz celebration. For this dish, people often choose fish like the Caspian kutum, asp, or carp from the Caspian Sea. Sometimes, white fish like beluga are also used.
What's in the Fish Stuffing?
The yummy stuffing for the fish includes several ingredients:
- Peeled walnuts
- Chopped and fried onions
- A sour syrup made from prunes, sour cherries, or pomegranate juice. This pomegranate syrup is called narsharab.
- Dried cherry-plums
- Raisins
- Vegetable oil
These ingredients are mixed with a little water. Salt and pepper are added to make it taste just right. If the fish has caviar, it's sometimes added to the filling too!
How to Cook Stuffed Fish
First, the fish is cleaned and washed. After it dries, it's filled with the special stuffing. To make sure the stuffing stays inside, the fish's belly is sewn shut. Then, the outside of the fish is rubbed with narsharab or a cherry-plum sauce. Finally, the fish is baked in the oven until it's golden brown on top. It's usually served with slices of lemon, bread, and more narsharab.
Stuffed Chicken: Toyuq Ləvəngisi
Stuffed chicken, or "Toyuq Ləvəngisi," is another popular way to enjoy Levengi.
Making the Chicken Stuffing
To prepare the stuffing for chicken, first, the onions are minced (chopped very finely). Then, the extra juice is squeezed out of the onions using a cloth. All the ingredients are then mixed together. This includes crushed walnuts, the prepared onions, raisins, and narsharab.
Cooking the Stuffed Chicken
Before stuffing, the chicken is rubbed with salt and pepper. Then, it's filled with the delicious mixture. The chicken is sewn shut to keep the stuffing inside. The outside of the chicken is rubbed with vegetable oil and a cherry-plum paste. It's then baked in a medium oven until it turns a nice reddish color.
Stuffed chicken is often served with lemon slices and a simple rice dish called pilaf. For this pilaf, rice is fried in butter and then cooked in chicken broth. Sesame seeds, ginger, salt, and pepper are added for flavor. Roasted almonds are often served on top.
See also
In Spanish: Lavangi (comida) para niños
