Diyarbekir – Cuisine

Author: Sonia Tashjian, 27/01/20 (Last modified 27/01/20) - Translator: Simon Beugekian

During the Ottoman era, the city of Diyarbekir/Amit/Amed/Dikranagerd served as the administrative center of the eponymous province of Diyarbekir. Adjacent to the provinces of Harput, Aleppo, Bitlis, and Mosul, Diyarbekir was an important communications hub in the region.

The province’s mountains were covered with forests (consisting of willows, poplars, plans, firs, etc.) teeming with the rich local flora and fauna, and also serving as an important source of firewood for the locals. The area also featured vast fields, orchards, bridges, and watermills. The province was rich in water, with the Tigris River flowing right down the middle of it. A multitude of streams flowed down from the mountains during the spring, feeding the Tigris. To the west of the city was Mount Karadja, and from its base flowed the frigid spring called Hamrvat. The waters of this spring were diverted to the city using a stone-lined canal.

The region’s climate was temperate. The four seasons were clearly distinguishable, with snowy and cold winters and hot summers. In the fields, the wheat was harvested in late spring, alongside the vegetables and fruits. In the vast groves and orchards bordering the city, the locals grew a variety of vegetables, including eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, garlic, pumpkins, squashes, okra, green beans, carrots, beet, cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, radishes, etc. Potatoes were also widely cultivated. Among the locally grown fruits and nuts were pears, apples, quinces, apricots, prunes, peaches, cherries, sour cherries, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, figs, pomegranates, mulberries, olives, grapes, watermelons, melons, etc. Locally grown herbs included chard, spinach, peppermint, thyme, basil, parsley, and celery. Local cereals included wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, pea, corn, bean, broad bean, etc. People also reared animals, including sheep, goats, cows, oxen, horses, donkeys, mules, buffalo, chickens, geese, turkeys, etc. They hunted the local wildlife (deer, other game, wild boar, and birds) for their meat, and availed themselves to the plentiful river fish (djaro, congers, halibut, srink, shabot, kartag, and khdoud).

The other bounties of the local wildlife included a variety of roses, which were used to make dzaghgechour [rose water], shakarachour [sugar water], and brandy. People also consumed a variety of other herbs, mushrooms, medicinal plants and flower (azarole, dog rose, blackberries, artichoke, etc.)

The cultivation of grapes was of critical importance for the area, which produced and exported wine, brandy, raisins, grape molasses, bastegh (grape leather), etc. Dikranagerd melons and watermelons were also well-known, and their export made a significant contribution to the local economy. Local farmers produced varieties of melons and watermelons that could be preserved until the winter months in pantries, like many other fruits and vegetables. When harvest time arrived, entire families would temporarily move to the fields and orchards, staying until it ended. Harvest season was a time of festivities. People would work by day, and at night, gather around festive dinner tables and celebrate while musicians played. The same festive atmosphere reigned during the grape harvest season – each family would establish temporary residency in a structure built in the its vineyards, sleeping virtually under the open sky, and harvest its grapes. Part of the harvest would be sold off, while the remainder would be used to make various preserves, such as raisins, grape molasses, and grape leather. Later in the season, grapes would also be used to make rechal, as well as wine and brandy. the people of Diyarbekir celebrated harvest season with great zeal, sharing their joy and their bounty with their acquaintances, neighbors, and friends.

A significant number of Diyarbekir Armenians were wealthy landowners who lived comfortably. They were lively and gaudy, always looking for reasons to organize parties and celebrations. It was customary to organize exclusive, separate parties for men and women. The local cuisine, too, developed against this backdrop, and differed from the cuisine of other Armenian areas in both the type of foods eaten and their presentation. One of the unique characteristics of Diyarbekir Armenian cuisine was the generous use of various spices, which can be explained by the fact that the city was located at the crossroads of ancient highways. Not only the local meals and sweets, but also local juices and drinks contained large amounts of spices. The cuisine of Diyarbekir boasted many succulent and visually attractive dishes that required a great amount of labor. As for the extensive usage of meat in the local diet, this was a function of the locals’ affluence.

Almost every home in Diyarbekir had its own kitchen and tonterton (tonir room). Over the centuries, kitchen arrangements had been perfected. The women of Diyarbekir were proud to display their beghentsgark (sets of kitchen utensils), with large, medium, and small items lined in their proper order, from regular amnigs (saucers) to taprosh lakans (wide-rimmed tubs). Household tableware consisted of metallic, clay, wooden, glass, and earthen plates, trays, pitchers, bottles, and baskets.

Words: Onnik Dinkjian

Lavash was the everyday staple bread in the local diet, and was baked at home, in the tonir. However, the lavash of Diyarbekir differed from the thin lavash baked elsewhere in that it consisted of smaller and slightly thicker loaves. On holidays, the loaves were flavored with oil and spices.

Various bread products and pastries were also prepared by the market bakeries, which also baked boreg (Börek) stuffed with meat or cheese.

5-6 cups of flour
1 cup of oil
1 cup of milk
2 soupspoons of yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
Salt
An egg to spread on top

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk, alongside the sugar. Leave it to ferment. Add the other ingredients, knead with water, and set aside for an hour to ferment and rise. Use a rolling pin to shape the dough into round loaves with a diameter of 20 centimeters and thickness of 0.5 centimeters. Brush the raw egg onto the top, puncture with a fork, then bake.

5-6 cups of flour
1 cup of oil
1 cup of milk
2 soupspoons of yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of corn cockle seeds
1 teaspoon of sea fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of ginger
1 teaspoon of mahleb (an aromatic cherry spice)
Salt
An egg to spread on top

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk and mix in the sugar, then allow the yeast to ferment. Add the other ingredients, knead with water, and put aside for a few hours to allow it to ferment and rise. Use the rolling pin to make square pieces of the dough, each with a thickness of 1 centimeter. Brush the raw egg onto the top, puncture with a fork, then bake.

For the dough:
3-3.5 cups of flour
1 cup of water
One quarter cup of oil
One quarter cup of vinegar
Salt

For the filling:
Half a kilogram of fatty meat or salted cheese
2 onions
Parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Coriander powder
Salt

Mix the ingredients of the dough together, knead, and set aside for one hour.

Cook the chopped meat and onions together, then add the spices and herbs. If making the beoreg with cheese instead of meat, simply grate the cheese, chop the onions and parsley, season, and mix.

Roll the dough into small balls, then flatten these doughballs, add the filling, shape the dough into half-moon shapes with the filling inside, then fry in hot oil or bake in an oven after brushing them with a raw egg.

For the dough:
3-3.5 cups of dough
1 cup of water
One quarter cup of oil
One quarter cup of vinegar
Salt

Unsalted cheese for the filling
Oil for frying
Sugar powder to sprinkle on top

Knead the dough, roll into balls, and set aside for some time. Then open up each doughball with the fingers, fill up with the grated cheese, squeeze the dough shut, and fry (or bake in the oven). Sprinkle with sugar powder before serving.

This pastry is prepared with the same dough used to prepare beoreg. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to a thickness of 0.5 centimeters. Cut with a knife or with a cooking mold. Then fry in oil and sprinkle with sugar before serving.

1 kilogram of eggplants
Half a kilogram of fatty meat
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the meat and fry it in its own oil. Add the spices, some water, and boil. Add the chopped eggplants and boil together.

Serve with an onion, chopped green peppers, and garnished with parsley.

Yekhnis of green beans, squashes, and quince were prepared with the same ingredients and following the same directions.

Half a kilogram of fatty meat
1 kilogram of onions
2 soupspoons of tomato-pepper paste
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Fry the meat in its own oil, then add the onion, chopped into large pieces, and the other ingredients. Add water and continue cooking. Serve alongside rice or bulgur pilaf, alongside the recommended sides of radishes and herbs.

The same dish can be prepared without meat by first boiling the onions in oil, then adding the other ingredients and water and cooking together.

Half a kilogram of fatty meat
1 kilogram of quinces
1 teaspoon of sugar
One quarter cup of pomegranate paste
Salt

Fry the meat in its own oil, then add water and boil. Add the cleaned and chopped quince and the pomegranate paste, then continue cooking.

The same dish can be prepared without meat by boiling the quince in oil, then adding the water and paste and cooking together.

This was a dish featuring fried eggplants stuffed with meat. Due to its appearance, the dish was popularly known as mechke gabadz (“tied around the waist”).

1 kilogram of eggplants
Half a kilogram of ground, fatty meat
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
Parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt
Oil for frying the eggplants

Strip the eggplants of their rind, and fry lightly in the oil until red. Fry the meat in its own oil, alongside the chopped onions, garlic, and spices. Slice the eggplants lengthwise, stuff with the meat, then close them back up by tying a stalk of parsley around them. Line the stuffed eggplants in the pot and cook with a bit of water.

Half a kilogram of ground, fatty meat
2 eggplants
2 squashes
2 bell peppers
2 onions
4 tomatoes
1 head of garlic
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Season the meat, chop the eggplants and squashes into round pieces and arrange in the pot in rows. Chop the remaining vegetables and add to the other ingredients. Cook in the oven. The same dish can be cooked without meat and with oil.

1 kilogram of squashes
Half a kilogram of fatty meat
2 onions
1 head of garlic
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
Lemon juice
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Parsley
Salt

Chop the meat, fry it in its own oil, season, then boil in water. Add the squashes, tomato paste, onions, and garlic. Continue cooking.

1 kilogram of cabbages
Half a kilogram of fatty meat
Half a kilogram of large cracked wheat
2 onions
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Fresh coriander
Salt

Chop the meat, fry it in its own oil, season, then boil in water. Add the chopped cabbages, onions, cracked wheat, and tomato paste. Continue cooking. Before putting out the flame, add the chopped herbs.

1 kilogram of offal (heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys)
Half a kilogram of onions
2 soupspoons of oil or olive oil
Parsley
Scallions
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the meat into small pieces, then boil in a small amount of water. Drain the water, add the oil, onions, and spices, then fry. Serve it garnished with chopped herbs and scallions.

The meal was customarily prepared for pilgrimages and nature excursions, using various seasonal vegetables and half-ripe fruits. It was a recipe unique to Diyarbekir.

1 kilogram of fatty meat
2 kilograms of various vegetables, which may include eggplants, summer squashes, potatoes, carrots, string beans, okras, artichokes, peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic
Half a kilogram of half-ripe fruits, which may include apples, quinces, almonds, apricots, and prunes
1 bunch of parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the meat into small pieces, and the vegetables into bigger pieces. Arrange together in the pan, add the greens and fruits, season, and cook over a low flame, without removing the lid of the cooking pan.

The same dish was prepared as a regular daily meal without meat, using oil and butter.

1 sheep’s flank, split
200 grams of ground meat
2 cups of rice
1 cup of water
Bahar spice
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Fry the ground meat in its own oil, add the rice, scorch it, then add the spices and water. Built until all the water is absorbed. After letting it to cool down, stuff into the sheep’s flank. Place the stuffed flank in a baking pan, add a little water, and cook in the oven. Open the oven occasionally to baste the meat in the juices.

1 kilogram of eggplants
Half a kilogram of fatty meat
1 bunch of parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Chop the meat into small pieces, then fry in its own oil. Then arrange it in the center of a pot, and surround it by the chopped eggplants. Season, add a little water, cover the pot with the lid, and boil over a low flame. Garnish with the chopped parsley before serving.

Knead the ground beef alongside the spices, the chopped greens, and the onions. Using the hands, arrange on the skewers and roast over a low flame.

This dish is prepared the same way ghiyma kebabi is, but it is served alongside rice pilaf, roasted tomatoes and bell peppers, and an onion salad.

Fish was often roasted or sliced and fried. It was often served alongside concentrated pomegranate paste.

300 grams of ground, fatty beef
2 cups of coarse bulgur
Ground peppermint
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Wash the bulgur, season it, and set it aside to soften. Mix the ground beef with the other ingredients and knead it, then roll into meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in the middle of the cooking pot into a pyramid. Cover the pan with a smaller, but deeper pot. Add water to the sides, and cook until all the water is absorbed. Serve with onions, pickles, and greens.

Pacha was prepared with sheep’s hooves or a cow’s head, sometimes with both. Preparing the dish was considered a special ritual, and relatives and neighbors were invited to attend. Customarily, after making ghavourma with a slaughtered animal’s meat, its head, hooves, stomach, brain, tongue, and other offal that was not preserved was thrown together and boiled into pacha, which was then served in a holiday-like atmosphere.

The meat and the hooves were cooked all night in a large pot, with someone continually discarding the froth that forms on top. Pacha was served with ground garlic and lemon. Recommended sides included pickles, herbs, onions, and of course, arak. Lavash bread was also dipped into the stew and eaten.

Animal intestines
200 grams of ground, fatty beef
1 cup of coarse bulgur
Red and black ground pepper
Peppermint
Bay leaves
Black peppercorns
Salt

Wash the intestines with ash or bran flour, salt, and lemon. Mix the ingredients of the stuffing, knead, and stuff into the intestines. Tie a string around the intestines every 10 centimeters, then arrange in the cooking pan, add water, add the bay leaves and peppercorns to the water, and boil.

Herisa was traditionally made with pounded wheat (dzedzadz) or with meat, sometimes also with cracked wheat. The meat used was usually rooster’s meat, and on special occasions, mutton. Some people ate it with kharkheze.

This dish was prepared by melting the fat of a sheep’s tail. After straining away the oil, the red precipitate left behind was called kharkheze, and was eaten with bread.

500 grams of fatty meat
1 kilogram of eggplants
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
2 tomatoes
2 bell peppers
2 onions
1 head of garlic
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Sumac
Peppermint
Salt

Boil the meat in a small amount of water. Add the chopped vegetables, season, and cook. Before serving, pour the water into another pot, crush the garlic into it, then pour the water back on the other ingredients.

1 kilogram of fatty mutton
500 grams of onions
Half a cup of tomato juice
Red and black ground peppe
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the meat, fry it in its own oil, add the chopped onions, then the tomato juice and spices. Boil over a low flame. Pour it over bulgur pilaf and serve.

1 kilogram of eggplants, long and thin
350 grams of ground fatty beef
2 tomatoes
A bunch of parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Chop the tomatoes and parsley, mix with the beef, season, and knead. Make a two-centimeter cut in each eggplant, stuff it with the ground beef mixture, arrange in a cooking pan, and boil over a low flame.

1 kilogram of applies
300 grams of ground fatty beef
1 onion
Lemon juice
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Season the beef and cook with the chopped onions. Cut the apples in halves, remove the pits and seeds, and then make the pit slightly larger by hallowing it out. Fill the pits with the meat, then sprinkle with lemon juice and boil over a low flame.

For the dough:
1 kilogram of pounded beef
1 kilogram of fine bulgur
Coriander powder
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

For the stuffing:
Half a kilogram of ground fatty beef
600 grams of onions
1 bunch of parsley
Coriander powder
Bahar spice
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Chop the onions and fry them with the beef, in the beef’s own oil. Add the spices and the chopped parsley, then set aside to cool.

Mix the ingredients of the dough, knead with wet fingers, and then roll into walnut-sized balls. Open up each of the balls with the fingers, fill it up with the stuffing, close it back up, then roll into circular, but flat discs. Boil in salt water.

For the dough:
2 cups of fine bulgur
1 cup of fine-grained bulgur (simid)
Half a cup of flour
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

For the stuffing:
Half a kilogram of ground fatty beef
3 onions
Parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the onions, and cook with the meat. Season, set aside to cool, then add the chopped parsley.

Mix the ingredients of the dough. Knead with water, then roll into walnut-sized balls. Stuff the dough balls and shape into triangular pieces, then boil in salt water.

Half a kilogram of pounded beef
2 cups of fine-grained bulgur
1 soupspoon of hot pepper paste
Red and black ground pepper
Caraway
Bahar spice
Salt

Mix the meat and the bulgur together, season, then kneed with wet fingers until the mixture becomes sleek and soft. Shape it into meatballs with the fingers, and serve with onion salad.

This dish, one of the locals’ favorites, was prepared during Lent, specifically on Maundy Thursday, when the locals customarily ate pickled beet and a spicy soup.

1 kilogram of spinach (or beet)
Half a kilogram of coarse bulgur
Half a kilogram of onions
A quarter of a cup of oil
Lemon juice
Red and black ground pepper
Peppermint
Sumac
Salt

For the kouftas:
Half a kilogram of chickpeas
1 cup of flour
1 head of garlic
Red and black ground pepper
Peppermint
Salt

Soak the chickpeas in water in advance, then drain the water. Dry out the chickpeas, and chop into very small pieces. Crush the garlic, then mix it with the flour and spices. Roll the dough into circular, flat discs, and boil in salt water until they float to the top.

For ttabour, boil the chickpeas and the chopped spinach, then add the onions, spices, and lemon juice.

Add the kouftas to the stew before serving.

2 cups of fine bulgur
2 onions
1 head of garlic
1 soupspoon of tomato paste
1 soupspoon of hot pepper paste
1 tomato
1 bell pepper
Oil
Parsley
Scallions
Red and black ground pepper
Cumin and bahar spice
Salt

Wash the bulgur with water. Mix with the pastes, spices, and the finely chopped vegetables, and knead. When the mixture becomes soft and sleek, dip the fingers in oil and shape the mixture into meatballs. Sprinkle with the parsley and the scallions.

Half a kilogram of fatty meat
Half a kilogram of pounded meat
1 kilogram of fine bulgur
2 soupspoons of oil
Parsley
Scallions
Red and black ground pepper
Coriander powder
Salt

Season the pounded meat and the bulgur, knead with water, then roll into balls and fry in oil. Chop the fatty meat, fry it in its own oil, then boil it with a small amount of water. Serve the meatballs on top of the boiled meat, garnished with the chopped parsley and onions.

For the dough:
2 cups of fine bulgur
1 cup of fine-grained bulgur
Half a cup of flour
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

For the stuffing:
2 cups of boiled chickpeas
3 onions
Parsley
Coriander
Red and black ground pepper
Cumin
Salt

Chop the onions and herbs, then add the chickpeas and spices. Mix the ingredients of the dough, knead with water, then roll into walnut-sized balls. Stuff the dough balls, then shape them into long and flat discs, then boil them in water.

1 kilogram of turnips
300 grams of fatty meat
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
2 bulbs of garlic
Sumac
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Chop the meat, fry it in its own oil, then add water and boil it with the tomato paste and spices. Then add the chopped turnips and continue cooking. Before serving, add the crushed garlic and lemon juice, according to preference.

This fish soup was usually prepared right after roasting or frying fish, using the fish’s heads and tails.

1 fish
1 onion
1 head of garlic
1 carrot
1 potato
1 soupspoon of tomato paste
Parsley
Bay leaves
Vinegar
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Cut the fish into small pieces, arrange in a frying pan, then cover it with the chopped vegetables. Add the spices and water, then boil. Before putting out the flame, add the vinegar and chopped herbs.

1 kilogram of spinach
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
Half a cup of rice
Lemon juice
Quarter of a cup of oil
Quarter of a cup of tomato or pepper paste
Red and black ground pepper
Cumin
Salt

Chop the onions, then boil with oil. Then add the chopped spinach, rice, spices, the paste, and a little water. Cook until the rice softens, then add the lemon juice and crushed garlic, boil together, and serve with fried onions on top.

This was a meal that was more commonly prepared during Lent. It was a type of khash, and was usually served with lavash crumbs.

2 cups of walnuts
1 head of garlic
Water
Red and black ground pepper
Salt
Lavash bread

Crush the walnuts, add water, season, and boil. Before putting out the flame, mix the crushed garlic. Serve with dry lavash.

One-and-a-half cups of red lentils
Half a cup of rice
10 small onions
2 large onions
Quarter of a cup of oil
Lemon
Hot red pepper
Peppermint
Fresh coriander
Salt

Boil the lentils, rice, and the small onions (whole) together. Add fried onions and the spices. Serve with chopped coriander and lemon juice.

This was a type of soup made with churned tan (doogh). Boil the tan, then add chopped onions and coarse bulgur. Boil together, and serve with chopped coriander sprinkled on top.

Half a kilogram of sour cabbage
Half a cup of coarse bulgur
2 onions
1 soupspoon of oil or olive oil
1 soupspoon of tomato paste
Coriander
Red and black ground pepper

Chop the sour cabbage, then boil in water. Add the chopped onions, bulgur, and paste, and continue cooking. Sprinkle with chopped coriander before putting the flame out.

2 cups of lentils
2 onions
1 head of garlic
1 soupspoon of tomato paste
1 soupspoon of oil or olive oil
Coriander
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Boil the lentils, mix with the chopped onions, the tomato paste, and the garlic, and boil together. Serve with chopped greens on top.

1 cup of rice
1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 soupspoon of oil
Coriander
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Boil the chopped vegetables, add the rice, and continue boiling. Season, mix in the oil, boil together, and serve with chopped greens on top.

1 cup of coarse bulgur
2 onions
1 soupspoon of flour
1 soupspoon of oil
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Boil the pounded wheat, mix with the chopped onions, and then add the flour thickened with water. Season, and boil for an additional 10 minutes.

1 cup of pounded wheat (dzedzadz)
Half a cup of chickpeas
2 onions
1 soupspoon of oil
Red and black ground pepper
Coriander
Salt

Soak the chickpeas in water in advance. Boil the pounded wheat with the chickpeas, then mix in the chopped onion and spices and continue boiling together. Serve with chopped vegetables on top.

Smnderg was a name given to the finest of all bulgurs, also called manratsavar or simid. The dish was a simple soup, sometimes prepared without oil, and simply by adding chopped onions to boiled water, adding the smnderg, and boiling again before serving.

In the summer months, the “tails” (stalks) of eggplants were dried and stored in order to later be used to prepare this soup.

Half a kilogram of eggplants
2 onions
1 head of garlic
1 cup of boiled chickpeas
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the eggplants, season with salt, and set aside to allow it to dehydrate. Boil the eggplants, add the chopped onions and other ingredients, and continue boiling.

1 cup of medium-grained bulgur
2 cups of water
1 soupspoon of oil
Mint
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Boil the water, then add the remaining ingredients to it. Continue boiling over a low flame until the water evaporates completely.

Like in other areas of Ottoman Armenia, the people of Diyarbekir prepared tarhana in the summer, dried it, then used it to make soups in the winter.

5 pieces of tarhana
1 cup of red lentils
2 onions
Salt

Wash the tarhana in water, then use the same water to boil the lentils and chopped onions. Add the tarhana and continue boiling. During Lent, this dish was eaten without oil, and on non-Lenten days, it was served with a piece of butter added to each plate.

1 liter of yogurt
1 soupspoon of flour
1 egg
1 soupspoon of oil
1 cup of rice
2 cups of water
Peppermint
Salt

Beat the eggs with the yogurt and flour, then boil. Meanwhile, boil the rice with 2 cups of water and the oil. When it is ready, add and mix the boiled yogurt. Season and serve hot.

200 grams of milk curds (or 1 liter of yogurt, 1 soupspoon of flour, and 1 egg)
2 soupspoons of oil
2 cups of coarse bulgur
7 cups of water
Peppermint
Ground hot red pepper
Salt

Soak the milk curds in water, then thicken them by pinching them (or beat the eggs with the yogurt and flour). Then boil the curds with the water used to soak them. Meanwhile, boil the chickpeas in water. Heat the oil and add the spices. Serve by including the bulgur, boiled curds, and spiced oil in each plate.

3 cups of milk
1 cup of flour
1 soupspoon of oil
Salt

Dissolve the flour in cold milk and then boil. Mix in the oil and salt, and enjoy the dish while hot by dipping bread into it. Some preferred adding grape molasses on top.

1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of oil
Half a cup of sugar water or grape molasses
Salt

Roast the flour with the oil until it turns gold. Add the sugar water or grape molasses while continuously stirring. Boil after adding water (if necessary).

1 cup of lentils
2 onions
1 cup of apricot juice and one cup of plum juice
Half a cup of walnuts
Quarter of a cup of raisins
Coriander
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Boil the lentils, add the chopped onions, the chopped dry fruits, walnuts, and raisings. Season, and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped greens.

The same dish was also made with beet or squashes, without dry fruits, with just the lentils, onions, beet or squash, and greens.

Half a cup of vermicelli
2 cups of rice
4 cups of water
2 soupspoons of oil
Strip of cinnamon
Bay leaves
Salt

Redden the vermicelli in hot oil, mix in the rice, singe slightly, then add the water, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Boil over a low flame until the water is completely evaporated and morsels are formed.

Half a cup of vermicelli
2 cups of coarse bulgur
4 cups of water
2 soupspoons of oil
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Peppermint
Salt

Redden the vermicelli in hot oil, mix in the bulgur, roast for a little while, then add the water, spices, and boil over a low flame until the water completely evaporates.

200 grams of kavourma meat, with its oil
2 onions
2 cups of coarse bulgur
4 cups of water
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Chop the kavourma meat, add the spices, and fry in its own oil alongside the chopped onions. Add the bulgur and water, and boil over a low flame until the water is completely absorbed.

Half a kilogram of dried apricots
Half a cup of vermicelli
2 cups of rice
4 cups of water
100 grams of butter
Cinnamon chunks
Bay leaves
Salt

Melt half of the butter, redden the vermicelli, mix in the rice, and roast for a little while. Add the water, bay leaves, and cinnamon, and boil over a low flame until all the water is absorbed. Wash the dry apricots with hot water, drain, and set aside to cool down. Lightly fry the remaining ingredients with butter, and serve with the dry apricots arranged on top of the pilaf.

2 cups of lentils
1 cup of rice
2 cups of water
3 onions
2 soupspoons of oil
Black ground pepper
Powder coriander
Salt

Boil the lentils until they are cooked, but remove from the flame before they soften. Drain, and set aside to cool. Boil the rice separately with two cups of water. Chop the onions and fry until golden. When the water in which the rice is boiling has completely evaporated, carefully mix the lentils with the rice. Add some of the fried onions, season, and then boil over a low flame for 10 minutes. Spread the remainder of the fried onions on top and serve.

The same dish can be prepared with lentils and coarse bulgur.

3 eggplants
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
2 soupspoons of oil
4 eggs
Parsley
Red and black ground pepper
Salt

Chop the eggplants and onion, season, and fry in oil. Add the scrambled eggs and crushed garlic. Chop the parsley and sprinkle it on top before serving.

1 bunch of scallions
2 soupspoons of oil
4 eggs
2 soupspoons of flour
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Salt

Chop the scallions, then boil in the oi. Season, and add the scrambled eggs mixed with flour. Cover with the lid and continue cooking over a low flame.

Slice the dry meat into thin strips, fry with oil, wrap in bread, and serve alongside soups. According to preference, add scrambled eggs to make the dish an omelet.

5 eggs
2 soupspoons of oil
Red ground pepper
Salt

Heat the oil, then crack the eggs into it. Add the salt and black pepper, then cook over a low flame without stirring.

1 long, stale loaf of bread
3 eggs
2 soupspoons of oil
Salt

Cut up the bread, dip them in the scrambled eggs, then fry in hot oil. According to preference, add spices to the eggs. Others prefer enjoying the bread with sugar sprinkled on it, or after dipping it in grape molasses.

1 cup of dates
5 eggs
2 soupspoons of oil
Salt

Deseed the dates and lightly sear the dates in oil, then the scrambled eggs, and cook together.

5 eggs
2 soupspoons of oil
Half a cup of grape molasses

Heat the oil, crack the eggs into it, mix, then add the molasses, boil together, and serve hot.

5 eggs
Half a kilogram of grape leather
Half a cup of grape molasses or sugar water
Oil for frying
Salt

Slice the grape leather small and thin, mix with the eggs, and knead. Heat the oil, and add the egg mixture into the oil by the spoonful. Fry both sides. Spread grape molasses on top, and serve.

2 eggplants
2 soupspoons of oil
5 eggs
2 soupspoons of flour
1 clove of garlic
Red and black ground pepper
Parsley
Scallions
Salt

Slice the eggplants into thin strips. Beat the eggs and flour together with the spices, then dip the slices of the eggplants into the eggs and fry with oil. Then arrange all the ingredients in a frying man. Mix the crushed garlic into the remaining eggs, pour it over the fried eggplants, cover with the lid, and cook for a few minutes over a low flame. Garnish with chopped greens and onions.

The same dish can be made with squashes or watermelons.

200 grams of kavourma beef in its oil
5 eggs
2 soupspoons of vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
Red hot pepper
Salt

Chop the beef, fry it in its own oil, add the beaten eggs, sprinkle the red pepper, and cook over a low flame. Crush the garlic and add to the vinegar, then pour the vinegar on the eggs before serving.

5 eggs
2 soupspoons of oil
3 cups of water
Garlic
Black ground pepper
Salt

Heat the water, add the salt, pepper, and oil, then boil. Add the eggs, unbeaten, to the water, stir, and continue boiling. Add the crushed garlic before putting out the flame. Eat by scooping it with lavash bread.

Half a kilogram of ground, fatty meat
A few pieces of bone
1 head of garlic
2 cups of coarse wheat
2 chopped onions
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
Lemon juice
Parsley
Ground red and black pepper
Sumac
Bahar spice
Salt
Fresh peppermint
Eggplants and bell peppers (to be stuffed)

Place the bones, the garlic, and the peppermint at the bottom of the pot. Mix together the other ingredients for the stuffing. Stuff the eggplants and bell peppers, and place them in rows in the pot. Add enough water to cover the dolmas. Hold the dolmas in place by placing a plate on top of them, so that they do not become dislodged during cooking. Cook until the water has evaporated.

Half a kilogram of ground, fatty meat
2 cups of rice
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1 head of garlic
2 soupspoons of tomato paste
Lemon juice
Parsley
Ground red and black pepper
Sumac
Bahar spice
Coriander
Cumin
Salt
Fresh peppermint
Cabbage or grape leaves

Mix the ingredients. Place the garlic and peppermint at the bottom of the pot. Wrap the dolmas, arrange in the pot, then add enough water to submerge the dolmas. Place a plate on top so that nothing moves around during cooking. Cook until the water evaporates.

This dish was usually prepared with grape leaves, which was called paghatoup. It was used to wrap thin and long dolmas, which were arranged radially in the cooking pot, with slices of carrots and cloves of garlic in the gaps.

2 cups of rice
1 cup of boiled chickpeas
2 onions
1 head of garlic
1 cup of chopped walnuts
Half a cup of raisins
Lemon juice
Half a cup of oil
1 bunch of parsley and 1 bunch of peppermint
Red and black ground pepper
Bahar spice
Coriander
Sumac
Cumin
Salt
Grape leaves

Mix the ingredients, wrap the dolmas, arrange in the cooking pot, then submerge them in water. Place a plate on top, so that nothing moves while cooking. Cook until the water evaporates.

This dish, unique among Armenian dolmas, was one of the specialties of Diyarbekir cuisine. Its name reflected the way it was served – pete means to wrap (pattel) the dolma, and pele means to demolish (pelel), which was done once it was served.

2 cups of coarse bulgur
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
Lemon juice
Red and black ground pepper
Peppermint
Sumac
Salt
Preserved grape leaves
5 eggs
100 grams of butter
1 liter of yogurt
2 cloves of garlic
Salt

Chop the onions and garlic, mix in the bulgur, spices, and lemon juice, then wrap the mixture in grape leaves and fold the grape leaves in the shape of squares. Weigh them down, submerge them in water, and cook until the water completely evaporates.

Prepare the omelet by beating the eggs, then pouring them into the hot oil. Arrange the dolmas in a tray, take them apart, then add the omelet on top. Serve with garlic yogurt.

Chop half a kilogram of cabbages. Add chopped small scallions, garlic, and parsley. Season with sumac, ground red pepper, peppermint, coriander, oil, vinegar, and salt.

Chop plenty of tomatoes, one bell pepper, one onion, as well as parsley and peppermint. Season with sumac, caraway, red and black ground pepper, oil, vinegar, and salt.

Chop some cucumbers, scallions, garlic, and fresh coriander. Season with sumac, ground red pepper, peppermint, oil, vinegar, and salt.

Chop a few onions and mix with chopped parsley. Season with hot red ground pepper, sumac, mint, pomegranate paste, oil, and salt.

Boil the potatoes, then cut them into cubes with a mold. Chop a tomato, pepper, onion, some parsley, and some peppermint. Add caraway, red pepper, olive oil, lemon, and salt.

In the spring and summer, beet were cleaned. Some were left raw, while others were dehydrated by being partially boiled. Then, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and oil were added.

This dish was prepared on the eve of Easter to break the Easter fast. Slice boiled eggs, and sprinkle with chopped parsley, peppermint, scallions, salt, and pepper.

This snack was usually prepared on the day when bread was baked. The last loaf baked, while still hot, was crumbed to make it, hence its name [djmrel in Armenian means to crumb or crumple].

Cut up 1-2 loaves of bread, pour 2 soupspoons of oil on top, then crumb with the fingers. According to preference, add sugar or grape molasses.

Melt one soupspoon of oil, add to 200 grams of salted, grated cheese, and boil. After putting out the flame, crumble some bread into the dish and enjoy. According to preference, the dish can also include peppermint or red ground pepper.

1 cup of rice
6 cups of milk
Half a cup of sugar
50 grams of butter
Flower water or rose water
Salt
Cinnamon powder

Cook the rice slowly in the milk, then add and mix the sugar and rose water. Add the butter, and boil all the ingredients together. Serve with cinnamon powder sprinkled on top.

1 cup of rice
6 cups of water
Half a cup of dates
Half a cup of raisins
1 cup of walnuts
Cinnamon powder
Clove powder
Salt

Boil the rice slowly in water. When it is ready, add the other ingredients and remove from the flame.

This was a dessert prepared during Lent, with the milk replaced by melon seeds previously cleaned and dried in the summer months.

1 cup of melon seeds
1 cup of rice
6 cups of water
Half a cup of sugar
Flower or rose water
Cinnamon powder
Salt

Boil the rice slowly in the water. Meanwhile, grind the melon seeds, mix with the rice, add the sugar and rose water, and continue boiling. Serve cold or lukewarm, sprinkling the cinnamon powder on top.

This was a dish served to women after giving birth, in order to ensure a plentiful supply of breast milk and to allow her to regain her strength.

1 cup of farina
3 cups of water
1 cup of grape molasses
Half a cup of oil

Dissolve the farina in the water. Mix in the molasses and boil. Before the liquid thickens, add the oil. Stir constantly.

1 cup of farina
1 cup of water
1 cup of grape molasses
2 soupspoons of oil

Dissolve the farina in the water. Mix in the molasses and add the oil while boiling. Boil until the liquid thickens and the contents separate into bits.

2 cups of flour
100 grams of butter
Half a cup of water
1 cup of sugar
Cinnamon powder
Nuts

Dissolve the sugar in the water and boil, then set aside. Melt the butter, mixed in the flour, and roast over a low flame while stirring constantly until the mixture turns pink. Slowly pour the sugar-water over the pink mixture, stirring briskly, and pour into a bowl while it is still hot. Flatten, then make slices of your preferred size. Sprinkle the cinnamon powder on top and garnish with the nuts.

During Lent, locals also made halva with sesameseeds and walnuts, using roasted and ground sesame seeds and walnuts instead of oil.

Dghatsgani or Dznntgani (new mother’s) halva was made when a family welcomed a new child.

Mix the following ingredients - corn cockle seeds, cloves, mastic tree seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, anise, coriander, ginger, bahar spice, black pepper, cardamom, etc. Knead with honey, roll into small balls, roll in sesame seeds, and arrange on a tray.

This was a pastry customarily prepared for Christmas and Easter. It was either in the shape of a large braid or in smaller shapes, like circles or knots. Unlike other areas of Ottoman Armenia, the locals used multiple spices simultaneously.

5-6 cups of flour
1 cup of oil
Half a cup of olive oil
2 soupspoons of yeast
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
Powder cinnamon, cloves
Ginger
Nutmeg
Anise, fennel seeds
Corn cockle seeds, mahleb
Cardamom, salt
Mustard, to sprinkle on top
1-2 eggs to spread on top

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk with a little bit of sugar. Add the other ingredients while adding the flour. The dough must be of medium consistency. Set aside to ferment. Shape into a large braid or smaller shapes. Spread the raw egg on top, sprinkle the sesame seeds, and bake.

1.5-2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of yeast
1 cup of water
Salt
Oil for frying
Sugar water or water with grape molasses

Allow the yeast to ferment in lukewarm water, mix in the flour, knead into a loose dough, and then set aside to ferment. Heat the oil, and pour the dough into the pan by the spoonful. Leave on a colander after frying to drain the oil. Then submerge in sugar water for a few minutes, and drain again.

It was a unique dessert, usually reserved for celebrations of births. It was served in small plates, alongside coffee or tea.

5 cups of roasted chickpeas (leblebi)
1.5-2 cups of powder sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of ginger
1 teaspoon of anise
Half a teaspoon of cloves
Half a teaspoon of mahleb (mahlepi)

For the toppings:
Nuts, raisins, anise seeds, and candy

Grind all the ingredients, mix together, and pour into a tray. Flatten, and add the chopped walnuts, raisins, and candy on top.

When infants grew their first teeth, an agrahadig was prepared to celebrate the occasion. Boil the pounded wheat (dzedzadz) with anise and coriander seeds, then mix in the boiled chickpeas. Decorate by sprinkling with sugar, powder cinnamon, leblebi, walnuts, almonds, and raisins.

150 grams of filo dough (kataif dough)
200 grams of butter
300 grams of chopped green peanuts or walnuts

For the sugar-water:
1 cup of sugar
Half a cup of sugar
1 soupspoon of rose water

Knead the filo dough with the melted butter. Spread half of it at the bottom of a tray, and flatten. Spread the nuts on top, then cover it with the remaining dough. Put pressure on the dough with the palm, and flatten. Bake in the oven until the dough turns golden. After removing from the oven, pour the previously prepared sugar water on top.

For the dough:
1 cup of water
1 egg
2-2.5 cups of flour
A pinch of salt

For the filling:
Butter
Walnuts
Powder cinnamon
Cardamom
Honey water

Prepare the dough. It should be soft, but not sticky. Roll into 10 walnut-sized balls, then set aside. Chop the walnuts, mix in the powder cinnamon, and melt the butter. Roll open the dough to the thickness of lavash bread, and place it at the bottom of a baking pan. Spread butter on top of it. Add consecutive layers of dough. After the fifth layer, spread the chopped walnuts, then cover with a layer of dough and continue adding the layers. Cut up according to preference. Bake at a low temperature until the surface browns. Dissolve the honey in cold water. After taking the pakhlava out of the oven, pour the honey-water on top, and allow it to absorb.

Like Armenians in all regions of the Ottoman Empire, the residents of Diyarbekir preserved meat for the winters. However, they prepared kavourma differently from Armenians in other areas.

3 kilograms of red mutton, unoiled
1 kilogram of ground sheep’s tail fat
1 quince
1 apple
Ground black pepper
Bay leaves
Salt

Chop the mutton, then place the pieces on a colander. Sprinkle with large salt, then put aside to allow the blood to drain away. The next day, after washing the mutton, arrange in a cooking pot, season, and boil with a small amount of water, until all the water is absorbed. Melt the tail fat using a low flame, and spread on the meat. Fill the spaces in the cooking pot with the chopped apple and quince, then fry over a low flame. Afterwards, arrange the mutton in a glass tray, remove the slices of apple and quince, and then submerge the mutton completely in melted fat. Preserve by refrigerating.

1 shrtan (large intestine)
1 kilogram of ground meat
2 soupspoons of coriander powder
1 soupspoon of ground black pepper
1 soupspoon of bahar spice
Salt

Wash the intestines with ashes or flour husk, as well as salt and lemon. Season the meat, knead, and stuff into the intestines. Hang the intestines outdoors and in the shade to dry. Choose a breezy location. Then store in a cool area.

3 cups of sesame seeds
1 cup of coriander
Half a cup of thyme
1 soupspoon of hot pepper paste
Salt

Lightly roast the sesame seeds and coriander, let them cool down, then crush and grind with a mortar and pestle or a grinder. Also grind the dry thyme into a powder. Mix all the ingredients and store. Serve with oil.

3 cups of roasted chickpeas (leblebi)
Half a cup of thyme
1 soupspoon of hot red pepper paste
1 soupspoon of bahar spice
Salt

Season all the ingredients, mix them together, and store. Serve with oil.

1 kilogram of pounded wheat (dzedzadz)
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of peppermint
3 green peppers
3 hot red peppers
2 cups of flour
Salt

Knead the flour with water until the dough is soft and sticky. Set it aside and cover it for a whole day, so that it can ferment and turn into sourdough.

Boil the pounded wheat then drain the water. Then thicken the dough with some water and add the pounded wheat, chopped greens, and pepper. Season. Set it aside for one or two days to allow it to ferment further, and so that the water can be absorbed and the dough can harden.

Roll the resulting dough into egg-sized balls, pit them with the fingers, arrange on a plank, and set aside to dry. To store, hang in canvas sack in a dry area.

• Karakugh(butter oil) was made by collecting milk skin, then churning it with ice. It was then salted and preserved.
• Artar Yugh (true oil) was made by churning yogurt, then using a low flame to melt the resulting butter until it became milky and the oil became transparent.
• Azokh(sour grape juice) was made by crushing and pressing green, sour grapes. Salt was added, and the juice was then boiled. The resulting juice would be preserved in sealed bottles stored in a dark and cool corner of the pantry.
• Vinegar was made from grapes or apples.
• Grape Molasses were prepared in late summer, when the harvested grapes were sweetest. The grapes were crushed or pressed, and then the juice boiled until it thickened.
• Raisins were made by dipping bunches of seedless grapes in a mixture of ash and water. The bunches were then hung in the sun to dry.
• Rachals (marmalades) were made from the rind of eggplants, squashes, or oranges. The rind would first be dried, then cooked in water and grape molasses.
• Shirik was prepared by roasting, then crushing sesame seeds. It was the most important staple of the Lenten diet.
• A variety of produce was used to make pickles. The most popular were eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, cabbages, turnips, etc.

3 kilograms of turnips
1 kilogram of carrots
1 kilogram of beet
2-3 hot peppers

For the pickle juice:
10 liters of water
2 cups of flour
600 grams of large-grained salt
1 soupspoon of mustard powder

Knead the flour with water, cover, and allow to rise. Clean and chop the vegetables, then arrange in a jar. Saturate the fermented flour with water, then add the salt and mustard powder. Submerge the vegetables in salt water, then set aside to pickle.

In the summer, fruits and vegetables were hung from strings and dried by sunlight. Hollowed-out eggplants, peppers, and squashes were dried to be used for dolmas.

For celebrations, the people of Diyarbekir made wine, brandy, and also sweeter, weaker liquors for the ladies.

A variety of fruits were boiled in hot water to create juices. The boiled juices were first strained, then boiled again with sugar until they thickened. In the winter, juices were served mixed with water, while in the summer, they were served with ice. During the winter, ice was stored in the wells near the city to be used as ice in the summer.

• Dikran Mgount, Amidayi Artsakankner [Echoes of Amida], Volume A, New York, 1950.
• Anahid Haneyan, Dikranagerdi Parpare [The Dialect of Dikranagerd], published by the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic Academy of Science, Yerevan, 1978.
• Dikris [Tigris] yearbook, Dikranagerd Compatriotic Union, 1946, Aleppo.
• Dikranagerd, Haygagan Dohmig Or, Djashatsang 4 [Dikranagerd, Armenian Holidays, List of Dishes #4], Hamazkayin Cultural Association, Beirut, 1982.