2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
The aroma of oriental spices, tender meat, fried vegetables, thin pita bread and incredibly delicious flowing gravy - it's all about him, about saj. This delicacy seems to take you to the world of ancient oriental fairy tales, intricate patterned carpets, sonorous Transcaucasian songs… And you can taste saj not only in your historical homeland - its recipe has spread all over the world.
What is this?
The word "saj" came to us from Central Asia. So in Azerbaijan they call a special cast-iron frying pan with a sloping bottom, which is heated over a small brazier with coals. The same word refers to the dish itself. They prepare it in different ways. Every self-respecting Azerbaijani housewife is sure that she knows the best recipe. And culinary experts around the world are adapting the methods of preparing this dish for themselves, introducing new ingredients, experimenting with seasonings. Most often, the dish consists of meat, eggplant, bell pepper, small tomatoes, pita bread. Chopped greens are usually served with it: basil, cilantro, dill, young onions. Let's try and cook a delicious saj, the recipe of which came to us from time immemorial.
How to cook saj?
The cooking principle is as follows: the ingredients are very quicklyfried over high heat in fat tail fat. Lavash rolled or cut into triangles is placed at the bottom of the dish, and the rest of the fried components are placed on it. The dish is served on the table most often with a brazier. All this time, the coals are smoldering, not allowing the products to cool. The process of joint extinguishing of components is very long. The juice flowing from them soaks the pita bread, and many consider this part of the dish to be the most delicious.
Pork Saj
Initially, this dish was prepared only from young lamb, putting meat from different parts of the carcass into the pan. But tender pork is just as good. The dish is very juicy and flavorful. The recipe for "Pork Saj" suggests using the shoulder and pelvic parts, moderately fatty and quite soft. You can add mushrooms, cauliflower to this dish. As the food is cooked, you need to add s alt and sprinkle with spices.
Beef Saj
Suitable for this dish beef or veal. The meat is cut into long pieces, a little more than a finger thick. Fat tail fat is crushed and laid out in a heated saj. Beef recipe can be supplemented with white asparagus.
Chicken Saj
Tender fillet or fat thighs are a wonderful ingredient for a dish. Chicken saj, which is as popular in Asia as lamb, is easy to make. In Azerbaijan, meat is cut from the whole chicken carcass, cut into pieces and put in a bowl. Domestic chickens are much more flavorful, but broilers can also be used.
How to cook saj: a recipe for beginners
If you have a special dish with a brazier, preparing a delicacy is not problematic even at home. But the process can be somewhat simplified. To do this, all the ingredients are alternately fried in a regular frying pan or wok. And only when served on the table are they transferred to the saj. The recipe allows you to replace fat tail fat with lard or chicken fat.
How do they eat saj?
This dish is just meant for a nice little company! Sadj will gather friends around the table, give the evening a magical atmosphere and everyone will definitely like it. There are no strict rules, you can eat saj as you like. It is permissible to take pieces with your hands directly from a common dish, dipping pita bread into the flowing gravy. You can arrange the food on plates, dividing the meat and vegetables equally. The use of spoons and forks is not essential. In a word, in order to enjoy this wonderful dish, it is not at all necessary to follow strict etiquette.
Wonder-ware
You can cook in an unusual pan not only the dish of the same name. In many restaurants of oriental cuisine, the preparation of saj is a real show. Visitors can enjoy not only the taste, but also the spectacle. First, the cook puts the brazier upside down and allows it to warm up well over the coals. At this time, he begins to conjure over the dough, rolling it into a thin layer. Then he places the round cakes right on the convex bottom of the saj! Lavash are quickly fried, exuding a magical aroma. When there are enough of them, the cook flipssaj and proceeds to prepare the main course. As a result, the performance smoothly flows into a festive feast.
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