What to eat if you are hungry in Azerbaijan

Don't leave without trying the Shah Pilaf and the Sheki Halva

Baku in Azerbaijan is the epicentre of the country's local cuisine: velvety pots of hummus, smoky kebabs, dolma (grape leaves stuffed with cooked rice, spiced meat and onions), lavangi (walnuts, onions and seasonings stuffed in fish or chicken and baked) and dushbara (dumplings filled with herbs and meat, somewhat akin to tortellini).

Azerbaijani cuisine is influenced by the provincial cuisines of Turkey, Iran and Georgia. Dishes made of lamb, mutton, fish, fowl and beef are extremely popular. Spices and herbs like saffron, cumin, bay leaf, star anise, coriander and mint are vital components in several dishes. Vegetables like peppers, eggplants, beetroot and tomatoes are are also to be found in most meals.

My search for authentic Azerbaijani cuisine leads me to Shirvanshah Museum restaurant. The 200-year-old heritage building in which it is housed doubles as a museum and a place to enjoy Azerbaijani warmth and cuisine.

Their Shah Pilaf (also known as crown pilaf) is worthy of royalty and is a meal in itself. Although their version stays true to the essence and spirit of the old-fashioned classic, they add simple but clever tweaks.

Long-grain rice is cooked in a bowl lined with lavash flatbread (thin and soft). Placed on top of the rice are layers of raisins, chestnuts, dried apricots and plums to create a distinctive balance of flavours and textures.

Finally, saffron water is poured over the rice. It is then covered with lavash and baked until golden brown. A delicious aroma wafts tantalisingly when the crisp crust is cut open after baking.

Halva in Sheki

A gastronome friend suggests we expand our horizons and head to Sheki, a major city that is considered the real gem of the Caucasus. Opulent in stories of the Silk Road, enticing merchants and travellers from the Middle Ages, it is well-known for its mesmerising architecture, delicious food, and welcoming residents.

The food is fascinatingly unfamiliar. We eat piti, a lamb stew cooked with chickpeas and saffron, served in a clay pot. However, the star of the evening is the most popular sweet, Sheki halva, a native variant of Baklava, made of sheets of rice dough lattices replete with ground nuts, syrup, spices and saffron.

Just as it takes an artisan to create the stunning Shebeke (stained glass windows of the palace of Sheki Khan), so does the finest Sheki Halva need a stable hand, a lifespan of training and a secret, multi-generational skill.

The Aliahmed Sweet store is said to have the best Sheki Halva. The kind owner lets me peek into the kitchen at the back, which has a devoted Sheki Halva room with speckled blue tiles. Functioning swiftly amid the two rishta pans (flat kitchen tray), one chef creates the lace-like rice paper levels, lifting one with a stick as soon as it's ready and placing it softly on a table behind him before doing the same with the other. Next to him, another chef is in charge of assembly.

For each Sheki Halva, 12 delicate rishtas are encrusted with nuts and spices, baked and then hand-painted with saffron and beet juice, either in a fine grid pattern or with personalised expressions. The end result is delicious and unique.

(Awarded the "Best food writer in the country" by the Indian culinary forum, WACS and the ministry of Tourism, Rupali Dean writes on food and travel)