Azerbaijani lavangi (walnut-stuffed chicken)

An Azerbaijani chicken dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h

Organic sourcing

Onions and chicken benefit most from organic sourcing due to pesticide residues common in non-organic options. Walnuts have a lower pesticide load.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cleaned
• 2 cups walnuts
• 2 large onions
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Finely chop the onions.
3. In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent.
4. Grind the walnuts into a coarse meal.
5. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, sautéed onions, pomegranate molasses, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper.
6. Stuff the chicken cavity with the walnut mixture.
7. Secure the chicken opening with kitchen twine or skewers.
8. Place the stuffed chicken in a roasting pan.
9. Roast in the oven for about 1.5 hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked and golden brown.
10. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

• Serve with roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
• Leftover filling can be used in stuffed vegetables.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Azerbaijani recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.