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Tjvjik
Tjvjik: quick Armenian fry of lamb liver, heart and kidneys with onion and tomato
In Armenian villages tjvjik is the dish cooked on the day a lamb is killed for a celebration, made with the fresh liver, heart and kidneys while the rest of the feast is being prepared; in Yerevan it is a cheap, hearty plate in taverns, eaten with lavash and a lot of onions. The offal is cut small and fried hard and fast, then tossed with tomato and herbs. A common mistake is cooking the liver as long as the heart, which turns it grainy and bitter. Chef's tip: add the pieces in order of toughness, heart first and liver last, so everything finishes tender together. Offal should be cooked until no pink remains, 71 °C.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the tjvjik
- 10 ½ oz lamb's hearttrimmed and cut into 1.5 cm pieces
- 4 lamb's kidneyscores removed, cut into quarters
- 10 ½ oz lamb's livercut into 2 cm pieces
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry 10 ½ oz lamb's heart for 5 minutes, stirring, until browned.
5 minStep 2: Add 4 lamb's kidneys and 2 onions and fry for 5 minutes more.
5 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz lamb's liver, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and ½ tsp sweet paprika and fry for 3–4 minutes, until browned and no longer pink inside. Common mistake: adding the liver with the heart; it overcooks.
4 minStep 4: Add 2 tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, until they soften into a light sauce.
3 minStep 5: Scatter with ½ oz fresh coriander and serve hot with lavash.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tjvjik take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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