Piti

Traditional Azerbaijani Piti is prepared by slow-cooking the ingredients in individual, lidded clay pots. The thick walls of the unglazed clay distribute heat slowly and evenly, which is essential for tenderizing the mutton. The dish is cooked and served directly in these individual pots to keep the broth piping hot.

The signature flavor of this Azerbaijani soup comes from a combination of saffron, sheep fat, and dried plums. The saffron gives the broth a deep yellow color, while the tart dried plums cut through the heavy richness of the mutton. Chestnuts are also boiled in the broth to add a unique, starchy texture to the soup.

When eating Piti, locals traditionally eat the solid ingredients and the broth separately in two distinct courses. First, the thick broth is poured over pieces of dried flatbread in a separate bowl to create a thick soup. The tender mutton, chickpeas, and chestnuts are then eaten as the main meat course from the clay pot.

Yes, because the cooking liquid relies entirely on the slow-braising process, you must soak the dried chickpeas overnight. The unglazed clay pot does not reach a rolling boil, so adding hard, unsoaked chickpeas will result in them being crunchy. The soaked chickpeas absorb the saffron broth and soften perfectly alongside the mutton.