Piti (food) facts for kids
Azerbaijani Sheki piti
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| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Mutton, vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas) |
Piti is a delicious and hearty national dish from Azerbaijan. It's a type of stew or soup, often cooked in special clay pots. You can find Piti not only in Azerbaijan but also in nearby countries and parts of Central Asia.
This tasty meal is made with mutton (lamb meat), onions, and potatoes. It also includes chickpeas and gets a special color and flavor from saffron water. A piece of fat, called Goyruk, is placed on top. All these ingredients are cooked slowly in a sealed clay pot in an oven. Piti is usually served right in its pot. People often use an extra plate to separate the liquid soup part from the meat and vegetables. This way, you can enjoy it as two different courses!
Piti is known for being very filling and full of flavor. It's traditionally cooked in earthenware pots that have different names like chanag, kyupe, or dopu. The name "Piti" comes from a Turkic word, bitdi, which means "the end of needing to eat more food." This shows how satisfying the dish is! The secret to a really good Piti is cooking it slowly for a long time.
What's in Piti?
The main ingredients for Piti are mutton, tail fat, chickpeas, potatoes, and onions. People also add dried alycha (a type of cherry plum) and saffron.
First, the meat and chickpeas, which have been soaked in water, are slowly cooked together in the Piti pots. About 30 minutes before the dish is ready, potatoes, onions, alycha, and saffron water are added. Sometimes, sumac powder is served separately to sprinkle on top.
How to Eat Piti
In Azerbaijan, people usually eat Piti in two steps. It's a fun way to enjoy the meal!
First, you tear pieces of flatbread (like lavash) into an empty plate. Then, you sprinkle a purple mix of spices over the bread. Next, the clear soup part of the Piti is poured over the bread and spices. You eat this mixture as a warm, hearty soup.
For the second step, you add more torn bread to the same plate. Then, the rest of the Piti – the mutton fat, the meat, and the vegetables – is poured over the bread. You sprinkle more of the same spices on top. Everything is mixed together, breaking down the fat and meat, and then you eat this delicious second course.
Piti is cooked in different ways across Azerbaijan. The Shaki region is especially famous for its unique Piti recipe.
Shaki Piti
Shaki Piti is special because it uses boiled chestnuts instead of potatoes. It's cooked in a specific earthenware pot called a "dopu," which should not be a brand new one.
Here's how it's made:
- First, chickpeas are placed at the bottom of the ceramic pots.
- Then, small pieces of mutton are added.
- The top layer is salted tail fat.
- After all the ingredients are in, water is poured into the pot.
Shaki Piti cooks for a very long time, usually 8 to 9 hours. This slow cooking makes the meat super tender and the flavors blend perfectly.
Images for kids
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Azerbaijani Sheki piti
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Putuk or piti cooked with covering bread in Armenia
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A stamp from Azerbaijan showing Shaki Piti
See also
In Spanish: Piti (plato) para niños
