Armenian dishes are humble and rustic. This one is a party dish which combines everyday ingredients in a complex way. The serving is something of a ritual.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the chicken in a large pan with the drained chickpeas. Cover with 3 or more quarts of water, add the cinnamon stick, and bring to the boil. Remove the scum and simmer, covered, for about 1 1/4–1 1/2 hours, until the chicken and the chickpeas are very tender. Add salt and pepper when the chickpeas have begun to soften.
Step 2
Make the dumplings. Finely chop the onion in a food processor. Rinse the bulgur and drain, squeezing out the excess water, then add the bulgur to the chopped onions in the food processor, along with the meat and a little salt and pepper. Blend to a soft paste. Rub your hands with oil. Take lumps of the paste and roll into small walnut-sized balls. Arrange them on a plate.
Step 3
Pour off the chicken stock into another pan, leaving just enough to keep the chickpeas and chicken moist. Lift out the chicken, remove the skin and bones, and cut it into pieces, then return the pieces to the pan with the chickpeas.
Step 4
Drop the dumplings into the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and keep aside in the pan with the chicken and chickpeas.
Step 5
Reduce the stock to about 4 cups. Mix the egg yolks with the cornstarch in a large bowl to a smooth paste, and beat in the yogurt (the yolks and cornstarch will prevent it from curdling when it cooks). Beat in a ladle of the hot stock, pour this into the pan with the simmering stock, and stir constantly over low heat until the mixture begins to boil and thickens very slightly (it will be quite soupy).
Step 6
Before serving, add the chicken, chickpeas, and dumplings, drained of their stock, and heat through.
Step 7
Serve in soup plates with the melted butter and mint dribbled over the top.
