Piti Azerbaijani
“A long-simmered mutton and chickpea soup cooked and served in individual glazed clay crocks called dopu. It is eaten in two stages: the fragrant broth poured over flatbread first, then the meat and chickpeas mashed with sumac.”
Where it comes from
Piti is the signature dish of the northern city of Sheki and is widely called the national soup of Azerbaijan; it is traditionally prepared and served in individual crocks.
On the plate
The broth arrives golden and intensely meaty, perfumed with saffron and softened by the slow-melting tail fat. When you mash the second course, the chickpeas turn creamy and the sour plums spark against the rich lamb, while raw onion and sumac add a sharp, tangy lift.
How it works
Cooking each portion in a narrow clay crock traps steam and concentrates the broth, while the very long, gentle simmer breaks down collagen in the bones for body; the two-stage service separates the delicate broth from the hearty paste.
Variations
piti with extra chestnuts, version with quince added, Tabriz-style piti, piti without tail fat for a lighter broth
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓30 min active · 180 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 110 min
Soak the chickpeas overnight, then drain.
- 28 min
Place bone-in mutton pieces, soaked chickpeas and a whole onion into individual clay crocks.
- 35 min
Cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring slowly to a bare simmer.
- 4150 min
Simmer very gently for two to three hours until the meat is meltingly tender.
- 530 min
Add chestnuts, dried plums (alycha) and a pinch of saffron and a knob of tail fat in the last half hour.
- 64 min
Tear flatbread into a bowl, pour over the clear broth as the first course, and dust with sumac.
- 73 min
Mash the remaining meat, chickpeas and plums into a thick paste for the second course.
- 82 min
Serve the paste with sumac, sliced raw onion and fresh herbs alongside.
