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Guru khingal is a traditional ground meat dish originating from Azerbaijan. The dish is usually made with a combination of ground meat (lamb or beef), onions, butter, salt, pepper, yogurt, garlic, and homemade square-shaped noodles consisting of flour, eggs, and salt.
The ground meat is fried in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. The onions are chopped and fried in butter until golden brown, while the noodles are cooked right before serving. The noodles are served on individual plates, topped with melted butter, ground meat, and fried onions, and the dish is ready to be enjoyed, ideally with yogurt-garlic sauce on the side.
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Lyulya kebab is a unique kebab variety popular throughout the Caucasus region. It typically consists of ground lamb combined with finely chopped onions. The mixture is seasoned with salt and black pepper, then skewered and grilled. Other types of meat such as fish and poultry can also be used in the preparation of lyulya.
What makes this kebab variety so unique is the process of kneading the meat for a long time so that it becomes denser and does not fall apart. The dish dates back to the 2nd century, and it was even praised by the famous Roman historian Pliny the Elder, as well as the famous Roman scientist Ptolemy.
MOST ICONIC Lyulya kebab
Kabab be al-karaz is a traditional and beloved Syrian dish of lamb kebab and cherries, especially popular in the city of Aleppo. It is made from minced meat mixed with onions and sour cherries (St. Lucie cherries traditionally), cooked with sugar and either ghee or butter until tender.
The meat is shaped into balls or patties and then fried until browned. Cherry sauce is added to the kebab, and the mixture is cooked together until the flavors meld. The dish is garnished with toasted pine nuts and parsley and served with Syrian bread or rice, offering a unique taste that combines sour and sweet flavors.
Russian golubtsy are cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef that is combined with either rice or buckwheat. However, not only rice and meat may be used as a filling, as cabbage stuffed with any ingredient is the only necessary component for the dish to be called golubtsy.
The name of the dish means little pigeons, referring to the 18th-century aristocratic practice of grilling doves. The poor people couldn't afford it, so they started cooking fake doves, or golubtsy. This dish is traditionally accompanied by a dollop or two of sour cream on the side.
MOST ICONIC Golubtsy
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Abkhazura is a traditional dish originating from Abkhazia. These spicy meatballs are prepared with a combination of beef, pork, parsley, dill, coriander, pepper, onions, and summer savory. The meat needs to be tightly rolled in caul fat before it's seasoned with spices and fried in a pan.
These meatballs are traditionally served with tkemali sauce.
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Dolma is Türkiye's national dish, and it signifies any sort of vegetable stuffed with a mixture based on rice. For traditional dolma, grape leaves are stuffed with rice and ground meat. Stuffed leaves were first made at the court of King Khusrow II in the early 7th century.
The popularity of dolma spread throughout the Muslim world, so there are numerous variations of the dish. Dolma is divided into two groups: dolma without meat and dolma with olive oil. Those without meat and cooked with olive oil are called yalanci, meaning imitation.
MOST ICONIC Tolma
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Azerbaijan's national dish is called yarpaq dolmasi, a savory meal consisting of vine leaves stuffed with chopped meat, onions, rice, salt, pepper, butter, and fresh herbs such as coriander, dill and mint. Dolma belongs to a family of stuffed dishes from the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and neighbouring regions such as Russia, Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central and South Asia.
Locals claim that Azerbaijan has the best dolma in the world, and the reasoning behind it is that the grape vines originated in the mountainous valleys of their country. Yarpaq dolmasi is usually consumed in the afternoon or evening, for late lunch or dinner.
MOST ICONIC Yarpaq dolması
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Hrechanyky are traditional Ukrainian patties that are especially popular in the region of Lemko. The patties are usually made with a combination of ground meat (beef, chicken, or pork), boiled buckwheat, eggs, onions, flour, breadcrumbs, coriander, sunflower oil, salt, and pepper.
The onions are chopped and sautéed in oil, and then mixed with the ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, coriander, and seasonings. The mixture is shaped into patties that are rolled in flour and fried in oil on both sides until golden brown. The patties are then baked in the oven, usually with a sauce based on tomatoes, mushrooms, or sour cream.
Domates dolmasi is a traditional dish that's also popular in Azerbaijan. It consists of stuffed and cooked tomatoes. The tomatoes are stuffed with a combination of ground lamb, rice, onions, parsley, olive oil, mint, and seasonings. They're then placed upright in a big pan and cooked until tender and the stuffing is fully cooked.
Once done, the stuffed tomatoes can be topped with a sauce consisting of the flesh of scooped tomatoes, red pepper paste, and olive oil. Garnish the dish with red pepper flakes and serve it with a bowl of plain yogurt on the side for the best experience.
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Tava kebab is an Azerbaijani variety of the world-famous meat dish, made with local herbs, vegetables, and eggs. The most common version starts by mixing the minced mutton (or beef) with finely chopped onions and garlic, shaping the mixture into meatballs and then pan-frying them.
Onions, tomatoes, green chilis, cilantro, and mint are then placed in the pan with the meat. Depending on the region and personal preferences, either beaten eggs can be poured into the mixture to blend all the ingredients together, or a sunny-side-up egg can be placed on top of the meat.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 12 Eastern European Ground Meat Dishes” list until February 14, 2025, 1,974 ratings were recorded, of which 705 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.