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Jingalov hats
Zhingyalov khats: Artsakh flatbread stuffed with wild greens
Jingalov hats comes from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), where women in Stepanakert markets would roll the dough around armfuls of greens and cook the flat parcels on a hot saj in front of the queue. The filling is nothing but herbs and leaves, ten to twenty kinds when spring greens are at their best: sorrel, spinach, dill, coriander, spring onion, beet leaves, mint and nettle, wilted with oil and salt. The bread is eaten hot from the griddle at Easter and through Lent, folded in half and dripping with green juices. Displaced families now sell it in Yerevan, where it has become a street-food symbol of home. Chef's tip: mix at least six different greens and keep some sharp ones such as sorrel or lemon juice in the mix; with spinach alone the filling tastes flat.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup warm water into a soft dough and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth and supple, softer than bread dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
8 minStep 2: While it rests, chop 7 oz spinach, 3 ½ oz sorrel or chard, 3 ½ oz beetroot leaves or more chard, 1 ⅜ oz dill, 1 ⅜ oz coriander, 1 oz parsley, ½ oz mint leaves and 6 spring onions very finely; a big knife works better than a processor, which turns them to paste.
Step 3: Put all the greens in a large bowl with 4 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp chilli flakes and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Squeeze with your hands for a minute so they wilt and release a little juice; the pile should shrink by about a third.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll one into a thin oval about 30 x 20 cm. Spread a sixth of the greens over one half, leaving a 2 cm border.
Step 5: Fold the empty half over, then pinch the edges together, folding them over themselves so they are well sealed. Press gently with your palm to spread the filling and flatten the parcel to about 1 cm thick.
Step 6: Heat a large dry frying pan or griddle over a medium-high heat. Cook one parcel at a time for 2–3 minutes per side, until the dough has charred brown spots, puffs in places and the greens inside turn bright and steaming.
5 minStep 7: One mistake is overfilling or using wet greens: the juice leaks, burns on the pan and the bread tears. Dry the leaves well after washing and keep the layer no thicker than 2 cm.
Step 8: Stack the cooked breads on a plate under a towel while you cook the rest. Serve hot, folded in half.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 275 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jingalov hats take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of coriander?
- Flat-leaf parsley with a little mint.
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