Lavash
Paper-thin unleavened flatbread, blistered and scored in the tradition of the hearth.
Step-by-step →Main · Ejmiatsin, Ararat
BOILED KUFTA
Քյուֆթա
Veal beaten to a pale, airy paste and poached into a soft ball the size of a fist.
2 h
Total time
Serves 6
Yield
4
Steps
Step by step
HOW IT IS MADE
- 01
Beat, do not mince
Traditionally the meat is pounded with a wooden mallet for an hour. A food processor works if you keep everything ice cold.
- 02
Whip in cold water
Add iced water a spoonful at a time, beating constantly, until the paste is pale, sticky and light. This is the whole dish.
- 03
Shape and poach
Wet your hands, form large smooth balls and lower them into barely simmering salted water for 30–40 minutes.
- 04
Serve with butter
Lift out, cut open at the table and pour melted butter over. Nothing else is needed.
At a glance
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Energy
- ≈ 350 kcal per serving
- Preparation
- 1 h beating
- Cooking
- 40 min poaching
- Season
- All year
- Occasion
- Weddings, big holidays, honoured guests
Cook's notes
GET IT RIGHT
- Everything must be cold — meat, water, bowl and hands.
- Beat far longer than seems reasonable; aeration is the entire texture.
- Test one small ball first: if it falls apart, beat in a little more starch.
- Keep the water at a bare tremble, never a rolling boil.
Variations
Sini kufta
The bulgur-shelled baked tray version — a different dish with the same name family.
With filling
A spoon of fried onion and butter hidden in the centre.
Questions
ASKED IN THE KITCHEN
Why is mine dense?
Underbeaten, or the meat warmed up. Both remove the lift.
Can I use a processor?
Yes, in short bursts with ice water, but stop before the paste warms.
History & Culture
WHY THIS DISH
Ejmiatsin kufta is a test dish: the texture comes only from aeration, so a good one is springy and almost white, and a bad one is a heavy meatball.
Because the beating took hours, it was cooked for weddings and important guests, often by several men taking turns at the mallet — a rare instance of Armenian cooking as public performance.
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