How many in culinary recipes there are unexpected, but at the same time quite witty names. After all, culinary specialists are creative people, it’s impossible to do without imagination and a sense of humor, so memorable names appear, and such, without which the dish itself, perhaps, would not have aroused such interest, but the name already attracts to itself. These include Armenians – a fairly popular spicy tomato appetizer.
Now it is already difficult to say with all certainty whether the sharpness of the appetizer gave rise to such a cute name, or historically this recipe fell to most housewives from Armenian families. But the name has been preserved and strengthened, although there are many variations of its manufacture. In autumn, for example, green tomato Armenians are especially popular, because due to sudden vagaries of the weather, a large number of unripe tomatoes always remain on the bushes.
“yummy” recipe
In addition to the wonderful taste that distinguishes this green tomato appetizer, its recipe is so simple that even a beginner can handle it. In addition, the dish is prepared quite quickly, which is also important in our time of constant haste and whirlwind.
But if desired, the finished tomato dish can be decomposed into sterile jars, sterilized and hermetically sealed.
In order to please your guests or household at the festive table, you need to start preparing the dish about 3-4 days before the celebration. Before you prepare a snack of 3 kg of green tomatoes, look for 4-5 pods of hot peppers and a bunch of celery greens, as well as half a glass of the following ingredients:
- Year;
- Sahara;
- minced garlic;
- 9% table vinegar.
Tomatoes need to be washed and, cutting each into quarters, put in a separate container.
Peppers are cleaned from seed chambers and cut into thin rings, and celery is washed well and chopped into small pieces with a sharp knife.
Garlic, after peeling and dividing into slices, is also crushed either with a garlic crusher or with a knife.
Celery, pepper and garlic are thoroughly mixed in a separate bowl. Then the chopped pieces of tomatoes are sprinkled with salt and sugar, the required amount of vinegar is poured into the same container. Lastly, all spicy greens are added to the container with tomatoes. Everything is mixed well and a lid or a plate with a load is placed on top of the tomatoes. On the third day, spicy Armenians are ready to serve. And if the guests do not cope with them completely, the rest of the tomato dish must be stored in the refrigerator.
Pickled Armenians
Also tasty, but even more beautiful, Armenians from green tomatoes are obtained according to the following recipe, especially since there is a suspicion that this recipe is older, because in the countries of the Caucasus they rarely used vinegar, especially table vinegar, but mostly preferred naturally fermented spicy snacks .
This time, green tomatoes are not cut into pieces, but are used whole, but not just like that, but are cut in different ways so that a delicious filling of spicy vegetables and herbs can be placed inside. Each housewife can change the composition of this filling at will, but garlic, hot red pepper, cilantro, parsley and basil are considered traditional ingredients. Many people like to add sweet peppers, celery, carrots, apples, and sometimes even cabbage to it.
Most often, tomatoes are cut in the following ways, as in the photo below:
- On the back side of the ponytail in the form of a cross, quite deep;
- Having previously cut a tail from a tomato in the form of a triangle;
- Not completely cutting the tomato into 6-8 parts in the form of a flower;
- Cut off almost completely the upper or lower part of the tomato, and use it as a lid. And the other part plays the role of a kind of basket.
- Cut the tomatoes in half, but not completely.
All vegetable and fruit components are taken in arbitrary proportions, but the brine is prepared according to the following recipe: 3 g of salt and 200 g of granulated sugar are put into 50 liters of water. In order for the tomato preparation to be stored longer, the brine must be boiled and cooled. Stuffed with all sorts of stuff, green tomatoes are placed in clean containers and poured with cold brine. Then a load is placed on top and in this form the dish stays warm for about a week.
Armenians in marinade
In principle, according to the same recipe as pickled tomatoes, cook marinated Armenians. It is only necessary after the brine boils, add one glass of vinegar to 3 liters of water. It is advisable to use natural apple, and even better grape vinegar.
True, in this case, it is advisable to add spices such as allspice and black peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves to the marinade for taste.
This dish provides a lot of room for experimentation, tomatoes can be cut in various ways and stuffed with vegetables and herbs of various colors and tastes. Perhaps one day you will be able to come up with something completely new, and the recipe will even be named after you.
