Yarpag Khengeli (Azerbaijani Pasta with Meat and Yogurt)

A recipe for Yarpag Khengeli (Yarpaq Xəngəli, Azerbaijani Pasta with Meat and Yogurt)! Handmade pieces of diamond-shaped pasta are covered with butter, garlicky yogurt, and a ground meat topping.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

I first came across Yarpag Khengeli on AZ Cookbook and it has since become one of my favorite comfort foods! Also known as Guru Khingal (Quru Xəngəl) or Suzme Khingal (Süzmə Xəngəl), this Azerbaijani pasta dish takes some time to prepare, but the layering of each part creates such an incredible combination of flavors for quite the memorable meal.

For the base, a basic egg pasta dough is hand rolled and cut into diamonds similar in shape to Baklava. The pieces are boiled until just tender (this doesn’t take long), then topped with a drizzle of butter, garlic yogurt, and a crisp meat and onion mixture. Serve the Yarpag Khengeli immediately after assembling.

A Few Tips

If the pasta dough is too dry and crumbly, slowly add a little more water. If too wet and sticky, slowly add a little more flour until easier to handle (take care not to add too much).

Make sure you have a large work surface to roll out the pasta. If one is not available, divide the dough in half and roll out each separately. Roll the dough in as thin a sheet as possible, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.

The diamond-shaped pieces of pasta should be about 2 inches (5 centimeters) long. To help make the strips more even, I used a 5-wheel pastry cutter (on Amazon).

Most of the recipes I came across keep the pasta simple with the noodles, butter, meat/onion, and garlic yogurt. Others add additional spices to the meat such as turmeric and saffron.

Adjust the amount of garlic in the yogurt more or less to taste.

I layered the garlic yogurt with the noodles and meat. Many recipes also keep it in a bowl on the side so you can add the amount as desired.

Looking for more recipes with handmade pasta?

Try my 

• Tsuivan (Mongolian Noodles with Meat and Vegetables)
• Kakaós Tészta (Hungarian Cocoa Noodles)
• Eski Peynirli Hangel (Turkish Handkerchief Noodles with Blue Cheese and Butter)

Yarpag Khengeli (Azerbaijani Pasta with Meat and Yogurt) Recipe

Adapted from AZ Cookbook

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Yarpag Khengeli (Azerbaijani Pasta with Meat and Yogurt)

A recipe for Yarpag Khengeli (Yarpaq Xəngəli, Azerbaijani Pasta with Meat and Yogurt)! Handmade pieces of diamond-shaped pasta are covered with butter, garlicky yogurt, and a ground meat topping.

Course Main

Cuisine Azerbaijani

Keyword Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani, beef, garlic, meat, noodle, pasta, yogurt

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Garlic Yogurt:

• 12 ounces (340 grams) plain yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• Pinch salt

Pasta:

• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup (158 milliliters) water

Meat and Onion Topping:

• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 pound (450 grams) ground lamb or beef
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter melted

Instructions

To make the Garlic Yogurt:

• Place the yogurt in a medium bowl.
• Use a mortar and pestle (or side of a knife and the palm of your hand if mortar not available) to crush the garlic cloves. Mix into the yogurt along with a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

To prepare the pasta:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix in the egg, then slowly add water until a dough comes together.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Add only enough flour to be able to handle the dough. If it is still too dry, add a little more water. Cover with plastic or transfer to a bowl, cover, and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

To prepare the Meat and Onion Topping:

• While the pasta is resting, prepare the meat and onion topping.
• In a skillet or pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion slices and cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Adjust the heat between medium and low as needed to keep the onions from burning.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the caramelized onions to a plate and set aside, leaving the butter in the pan.
• Increase heat to medium and crumble the ground meat into the pan. Cook, breaking apart the meat into small pieces, until browned and starting to crisp around the edges.
• Stir back in the caramelized onion, season with salt and pepper, and keep over low heat as pasta cooks.

To assemble the pasta:

• On lightly floured surface, roll out the rested dough into a thin sheet about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, flouring as needed to keep from sticking.
• Cut the circle into strips about 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Cut across the strips at an angle to create 2 inch (5 cm) diamonds.
• Separate the pieces and arrange in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in batches, stirring to separate the pieces. Remove with a slotted spoon as they rise to the surface and are al dente, just tender. Place drained pasta on serving platter or divide among bowls.
• Drizzle melted butter over the pasta, followed by the garlic yogurt (or keep in a bowl on the side to add individually). Top with the meat and onion mixture and serve immediately.