Koolunja, Koolenja, or Kooroonja: No Matter Which Name You Use, it’s Still an Easy, ‘Old-Fashioned’ Choreg Recipe!

4 years ago

In the early days of The Armenian Kitchen, I received an email from a gentleman in MA asking if I had a recipe for Koolunja, a Kharpertsi variation of choreg. He went on to say that unlike the braided, softer choreg, koolunja has a drier texture that is cut into squares, triangles, or diamond-shapes. I searched but came up empty-handed.

Since I couldn’t oblige, I posted a request to readers of Kharpertsi descent asking for their help. I received only one response and passed along the recipe. He appreciated my help, but it wasn’t exactly what he was looking for.

Present day:

Just a week or so ago, I received another inquiry about Koolunja – this time from a woman in Fresno, CA. As I searched through my Armenian cookbooks and other resources, I found 3 variations of this ‘Old-Fashioned Choreg. I promptly sent along one of recipes, much to her delight.

The recipe I’ve prepared for this post, is my adaptation of a ‘Koolenja’ recipe found in the cookbook, ‘Armenian Cuisine-Preserving Our Heritage’ from St. John Armenian Church in Michigan.
(Note: As stated in the past, many recipes have different spellings and/or ingredient variations based on geographic locations.)

I made minor adjustments to the cookbook’s recipe by incorporating some freshly ground spices that I love in choreg – mahlab, fennel seed, and anise seed.

If you prefer the taste of old-fashioned choreg, feel free to omit those spices.

I hope you’ll try – and – like this version!

Koolunja (or Koolenja – or- Kooroonja!)

Unlike the braided, softer choreg, koolunja has a drier texture that is cut into squares, triangles, or diamond-shapes.

Course Snack

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Dough rising time 1

Total Time 1 45

Servings pieces

Ingredients

½ lb. unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 cup milk
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar Note: If you prefer a sweeter product, you can increase the sugar to ½ cup, but then you might not want to add the optional seasonings listed below.
1 pkg. active dry yeast
½ cup warm water Plus ½ tsp. sugar
6 cups all-purpose flour

Optional seasonings:

1 Tbsp. freshly ground mahlab
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
½ tsp. ground anise seed

Egg wash

1 egg beaten
1 Tbsp. water

Garnish

sesame seeds and/or Nigella seeds

Instructions

In a large bowl thoroughly combine melted butter, milk, beaten eggs, salt, sugar, and optional seasonings, if using.
In a liquid measuring cup, combine yeast with 1/2 cup warm water (105-110 degress F) and ½ tsp. sugar; cover and allow to proof.
Add the proofed yeast mixture and some of the flour to the ingredients in the bowl with the butter-milk mixture. Add enough of the remaining flour to create a workable dough. Knead dough until smooth.
Place dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, approximately 1hour.
Remove dough and place on a clean work surface. Pat down dough with your hands to create a rectangular shape that’s about ¾” thick.
Using a pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut dough into uniformly-sized squares, triangles, or diamond shapes, for even baking.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Arrange the cut pieces on two baking trays. Be sure to leave room between each piece to allow for expansion during baking.
Lightly beat one egg and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to create the egg wash for the topping. Brush the surface of each piece with the egg wash. Garnish the tops with sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds, if desired.
Place one tray on the center rack and bake for about 15 – 25 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces) or until golden brown. When the first tray is done, follow the same procedure for baking the second tray. Remove baked koolunja from the baking tray and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Store cooled pieces in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

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View Comments

Janice Okoomian says:

February 25, 2021 at 8:51 pm

My family is Gesaratsi, and my mother and grandmother told me that our "koulenje" recipe is from there. My Kharpetsi relatives make the more commonly known cheoreg.

This Koulenje recipe is a little different than mine, but it does look delicious!
- Robyn Kalajian says:
  
  February 27, 2021 at 3:58 pm
  
  Hi Janice, Koolunja (spelling varies!) was new to me until a reader requested a recipe. I'm open to anything I can learn about it. Would your family be willing to share their version? If so, please email me: Robyn@thearmeniankitchen.com. Thanks!
Dana Johnson says:

December 23, 2024 at 7:10 pm

Thank you for sharing this recipe! It brings back many memories from when my Armenian mother used to make it. (She has since passed away and I can find no written recipe for kooloonja as she used to spell it, and her ancestors were also from Kharpert). I used another good recipe from YouTube for choreg a few days ago. But it requires the braiding of the risen dough, a skill that is difficult to acquire. I did the braiding (badly) for most of them, but reserved the last bit of dough (after it was in the fridge for 2 days), unrolled it and pressed the dough into squares, cut with a knife, then baked them since that is how she did it. I baked at 350 for 12-15 minutes, of course it varies by oven and size/thickness of dough pieces, but I am happy with the result. The taste is close to my mom's. But I am still trying to achieve the unforgettable yellowish/golden brown color hers had and the exact taste. I believe she used anise also in her recipe, and rose water. Will keep trying!