Jingalov Hats
Throughout the seasons, I like learning about traditional meals that highlight a specific season we are eating in. This Armenian recipe celebrates the early spring greens, and is versatile to use really any mix of greens, just reveling in the earliest growth available. Armenian food is generally new to my kitchen, but my nieces are Armenian, (and I express love through food, so I am trying to learn more), and I modified this traditional recipe to work for my skill level, since I am not a skilled baker. These ingredients work well, but you may want to check out a real recipe to get good instructions of how to assemble and cook these well. I believe it is traditionally made with pomegranate seeds, which I never have at home, but if you do, definitely add them!
filling:
8 packed cups, finely chopped greens (combination of various greens is what you want… save this recipe for a bit later in the CSA season and add aromatic greens in the mix like parsley and cilantro and even fennel fronds… but for what we have available at the moment I use a combination of any of these: radish greens, salad turnip greens, kale, chard, spinach, bok choi, arugula, and pea shoots)
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped (or half a bunch of scallions and half a bunch of green garlic)
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dill
1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sunflower oil
dough:
1 cup flour
2/3 tsp salt
slightly less than 1/4 cup water
Mix the flour and salt together. Slowly stir in water. (It will be a sticky dough.) Put flour on your clean kitchen surface and knead the ball of dough until it stops sticking to your hands and work surface, dusting with more flour as needed. Lightly oil the dough ball, put it back in the bowl, cover it, and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the finely chopped greens, scallions, paprika, dill, lemon juice and salt. Divide the dough into 3 balls. On your floured kitchen surface, roll each ball out very thin. Divide the filling up onto each of those thin circles. Bring the two halves of a circle together and pinch them shut, so the filling is completely enclosed, and the shape is tapered to points on two ends, like an American football. Make sure it’s firmly closed, gently flip it over and pat it flat… It shouldn’t be more than about 1/2 inch thick. Do this to each circle. Once they are all assembled, heat a cast iron pan with the sunflower oil. Cooking one at a time, put the it seam side down once the oil is hot. Cook about 3 minutes on each side at medium heat, or until they lightly brown on each side. Remove from the pan and cook the rest. Enjoy!