Azerbaijani recipe
How to make Dovga
Dovğa
All of Azerbaijan
A soup of yoghurt cooked with rice or chickpeas and a large amount of green herbs such as coriander, dill, mint and spinach. It is eaten warm in winter and chilled in summer, and at weddings it is served between the meat courses to help digestion.
Ingredients
- 750 g plain yoghurt (not Greek-style)
- 500 ml water
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 50 g short-grain rice, or 1 tin (400 g) chickpeas, drained
- 1 large bunch each of coriander and dill, and a small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- 100 g spinach, finely chopped
- Salt
Method
- Cook the rice in a little salted water until soft, or rinse the chickpeas, and set aside.
- In a large pan, whisk the yoghurt with the egg and flour until smooth, then whisk in the water.
- Put the pan over a medium heat and bring it slowly to a gentle boil, stirring all the time in the same direction so the yoghurt does not split. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once it bubbles, add the rice or chickpeas, the herbs and the spinach, with a little salt. Keep stirring and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes more.
- Serve hot, or let it cool and chill it in the fridge for a refreshing summer soup.
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