Delicious vegan jingalov hatz with Lena Tashjian

Armenian cuisine and meat go together like tahini bread and coffee. They feel inseparable. For Lena Tashjian, trying to eat vegan, it certainly felt that way on her birthright Armenia trip. Many ‘vegan’ dishes would just so happen to feature some secret butter, or surprise chicken stock, to amp the flavour.

This was why jingalov hatz was such an incredible surprise when it was served on the bus during that trip. Lena decided she’d need to return to Armenia the next year to learn how to make the dish herself. She shared the recipe with us.

Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ⅓ cups (800 mL) flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
- 1 ⅓ cup (320 mL) water

Filling
- 2 bunches dill
- 2 bunches green onions
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 cups (720 mL) densely packed spinach
- 1 serano pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of salt (and more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) Aleppo pepper (substitute with smoked paprika)
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons (75 mL) olive oil