Jingalov Hats (Lavash bread stuffed with herbs) – a Specialty from Artsakh (Karabagh)

Name: Jingalov Hats
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 cups assorted fresh herbs like mint, parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory, dill, etc.; Kosher salt (to taste); 1 drizzle olive oil; 3 cups flour; ¼ tsp salt; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 cup water

9 years ago

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After reading a recipe for Jingalov (Djingialov) Hats in the AGBU cookbook, “Flavors with History – Armenian Cuisine”, I thought it might be interesting to try. It’s another Lenten-appropriate (vegan) recipe, and a reminder that it’s springtime.

With the bounty of fresh herbs currently available in our local farmers’ markets, gathering the necessary filling ingredients was no problem.

One source suggested using 20 different herbs, another said as many as 40 could be added to this bread.
20? 40? Really?? Well, I suppose you could, but that sounds like herbal overkill to me.

Creativity is key. Mix-and-match your favorite herbs; there are no set rules with this recipe. Use what’s available in your area, and what herbs you enjoy.

Wanting to be able to taste the individual herbs with each bite, I limited my herb selection to 5 – mint, tarragon, cilantro, thyme, and sage. (I understand that I violated a rule in this “no rules” recipe, by adding thyme to the mix. What can I say?)

To learn more about Jingalov Hats, read what my friend, Lena Tashjian, author of The Vegan Armenian Kitchen cookbook, has to say on this subject.

For the record, it is highly recommended to eat Jingalov Hats while sipping a good red wine.

Jingalov Hats

A Lenten-appropriate (vegan) recipe for homemade lavash bread stuffed with fresh herbs.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings loaves

Equipment

Technically, it's best to cook this on a tonir, but since we don’t own one, and never will, I used a 12-inch non-stick skillet coated with vegetable spray, and prepared it on the stove top. One source recommended cooking this on a preheated, inverted wok over a gas stove. So, if you have a wok – and – a gas stove, that could be an option.

Ingredients

Herb Filling

3 cups assorted fresh herbs like mint, parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory, dill, etc.
Kosher salt to taste
1 drizzle olive oil

Dough Ingredients

3 cups flour
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup water

Instructions

Herb Instructions

Wash and spin-dry or towel-dry the herbs.
Coarsely chop the herb assortment, and sprinkle with salt to taste, but don’t over-do it. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix together.
Set aside until ready to use.

Dough Instructions

Mix together flour, salt, oil and water to form a dough. If the dough seems too dry, add a bit more water. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour at a time.
Knead until dough is smooth.
Divide dough into 4 equal-sized balls.
On a very well-floured work surface, roll each ball into a very thin circle or rectangle – as though you were making lavash. The shape tends to be more rustic than uniform.

Assembling and Cooking Instructions

Place enough of the herb filling to almost cover one of the circles. Do not spread it all the way to the edge of the dough.
Fold the dough over the herb mixture, pinching the dough closed. Gently re-roll the dough to secure the herbs into the dough.
Coat a large non-stick skillet with vegetable spray, and bring to a medium to medium-high heat.
Place filled dough in skillet and cook on until brown spots appear on the dough’s surface. Carefully flip and cook on the second side.

Notes

Please Note: If the dough is rolled too thick or if it isn’t cooked long enough, the inner part will be doughy. This is a tricky balance that requires practice.

To Serve: As an appetizer, cut into portions, and eat with your hands – OR – eat the entire piece yourself. Don’t forget the red wine!

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View Comments

Sonia says:

May 3, 2014 at 5:16 pm

dear Lena Tachdjian,
the jingalov hats is never cooked in tonir. have you heard about SAJ???? it's like a bulging tray, on the fire. so as you have prepared it on a non-stick pen, it's wonderful.
the people of Artsakh used to put HONACHIR (dried Cornus) or GSOKHUR (Berberis vulgaris) in it. you can add some sumak instead of them to give some sour taste.
Unknown says:

May 13, 2015 at 7:04 pm

Dear Lena,
thank you for adding "Jingyalov hats" to the cooking book!
I am from Artsakh and live in Washington DC. You blog helped me to explain to my colleagues how I made it myself. I made my own Jingyalov hats for the first time yesterday and it turned out rather well.
I have seen my mom and my grandmas cooking it many times, but I have never tried it myself.
For the greens I used spinach, chervil, kale, chard (green part of red beets), cilantro, sorrel, green and yellow onions. And instead of "saj" which is usually made from cast iron I used my big cast iron pan.
Unknown says:

April 5, 2019 at 9:20 pm

Thank you for keeping Armenian culture alive. I use spinach instead of sorrel and lemon juice.
Lisa Wahl says:

October 15, 2020 at 8:06 pm

I cook them on a pre-heated griddle with nothing on it and they never stick. They come out looking like the picture.