 Stuffed fish (Azerbaijani:balıq ləvəngisi) | |
| Type | side |
|---|---|
| Course | main |
| Place of origin | Azerbaijan |
| Region or state | Lenkeran,Talysh |
| Serving temperature | hot |
| Main ingredients | walnut, onions, dried fruit |
| Variations | poultry, fish |
Levengi orlavangi (Azerbaijani:ləvəngi;Talysh:ləvəngin) is astuffing, typically for baked fish or poultry, in Azerbaijani cuisine. Typical ingredients include onions, walnuts, and dried fruit stuffed into poultry or fish.[1][2][3][4]
It is often served on special occasions such as holidays or at weddings.[3] It is a traditional dish ofAzerbaijan[4] and theTalysh people.[3][5] The dish is common in theLenkeran,Shrivan andSheki-Zagatala regions.[4][2]
Stuffed fish, also called "Balıq ləvəngisi", is usually prepared forNowruz; The preferred fish is theCaspian kutum,asp orcarp of theCaspian Sea, but white fish-beluga can also be suitable.[1]
The ingredients for stuffing include peeled walnuts, chopped and well-fried onions, sour prune or sour cherry or apomegranate juice syrup callednarsharab ("nar" is the local name of pomegranate in Azerbaijan), dried cherry-plums, raisins and vegetable oil. They are mixed with a cup of water, and salt and pepper are also added to taste,[1][6] if the fish hascaviar, it is also used in the filling.[citation needed]
The fish is skinned and washed, and then filled with stuffing after it dries. The belly of the fish is sewed (in order to make the stuffing stay in) and then outside of the fish is rubbed with narsharab or cherry-plum sauce. The fish is baked in the oven until the top of it fries.[1][7] It is typically served with pieces of lemon, bread andnarsharab.[8][9]
The stuffing is prepared by mincing the onions, squeezing them into a cloth to remove the left over juice and mixing all ingredients (crushed walnuts, onions, raisins, narsharab).[1]The chicken is rubbed with salt and pepper, stuffed with the levengi, and sewed shut. The exterior is rubbed with vegetable oil and cherry-plum paste before baking.[1][10]
It is often served with lemon pieces and simple rice-pilaf.[11]
