How to Make Armenian Jingalov Hats from Lavash the Cookbook
I’m a fool for greens of all varieties. I love small plates, snacks, tapas or bar bites by any name. These Armenian ‘hats’ are a terrific example of something hot, tasty and inexpensive to serve a small or large crowd. However, washing and chopping a mountain of mixed greens is either fun to you—or not.
Once you have washed and spun the greens dry, which means they are still too wet, lay them out on a bath towel for several hours to get really dry or you will have a mushy mess in the food processor. All the greens pictured above produced about eight cups of finely chopped material needed for the recipe. The text advises using a variety of neutral, herbal and sour greens and herbs. I used chard, collards, cilantro, parsley and watercress. A small amount of oil, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes dresses the chopped greens.
As a non-baker who seldom gets out a rolling pin, I found this dough easy to pull together with my hands as instructed to knead four minutes. The big ball rests for 20+ minutes in an oiled bowl covered with a dish towel before dividing it into four pieces and rolling out into 8-inch circles. My little football was not as neat and tidy as the photo in the book but close. Two or three minutes per side on a hot griddle is all it takes to cook them. Slice each hat into three or more pieces and serve immediately.
I was impressed with how bold the flavors were and called one hat more than enough for my dinner. Next time I will make the hats smaller to make one individual serving and offer garlic yogurt or a vinaigrette as a dipping sauce. (This recipe appeared in the New York Times January 1, 2020, in a slightly different version with more greens but not more dough. I followed the recipe in the book. I had greens leftover which I used in a quiche like concoction for breakfast.)
Dough
2/3 cup (160ml) lukewarm water
1 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose flour
Filling
8 cups (440g) finely sliced greens and herbs such as the combination below mixing neutral, herbal and sour greens:
4 cups neutral greens (beet greens, chard, collards, purslane or spinach)
2 cups herbal greens (chervil, cilantro, dill, flat leaf parsley or
tarragon)
2 cups sour greens (dandelion greens, radish tops, sorrel or watercress)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1-1/2 tbs sunflower or any neutral oil
1 tbs lemon juice
My dear friends Gabor and Melissa gave me this book after attending a tasting menu and book signing. It’s going to be fun having it in my library. I will make these for you when I see you next!