Piti — Kars-Style Lamb and Chickpea Stew
Piti is a deeply comforting lamb-and-chickpea stew associated with Kars and the wider Caucasus region. Meat, chickpeas, rich broth, turmeric, tomato, and pepper are finished in individual earthenware pots.
SERVES
6–8
PREP
25 minutes, plus overnight soaking
COOK
About 2 hours 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 500 g bone-in lamb neck
• 500 g lamb shanks, cut into serving pieces
• Up to 200 g lamb tail fat (kuyruk yağı), diced; use less for a lighter result
• 500 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked until nearly tender
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds
• 2 green peppers, cut into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric (zerdeçal or sarıkök)
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• Water, as needed
• Torn flatbread or village bread, for serving
• Thinly sliced onion and sumac, optional
METHOD
1. Soak and cook the chickpeas. Cover the chickpeas generously with water and soak overnight. Drain, cover with fresh water, and simmer until nearly tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the lamb. Place the lamb neck, lamb shanks, and tail fat in a pressure cooker or heavy pot. Cover with water. Pressure-cook for about 40–50 minutes, or simmer gently for 1 1/2–2 hours, until the lamb is tender. Skim the broth as needed.
3. Season the broth. Add the turmeric, cooked chickpeas, and salt to the lamb and broth. Simmer together for 10 minutes.
4. Fill the pots. Divide the lamb among individual oven-safe earthenware pots, or use one large covered casserole. Add chickpeas and enough broth to come most of the way up the ingredients.
5. Add the vegetables. Top each pot with tomato slices and pieces of green pepper.
6. Finish in the oven. Bake uncovered at 375°F (190°C) for 25–35 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned on top.
7. Rest briefly. Let the pots stand for 5–10 minutes before serving; they will be extremely hot.
THE TRADITIONAL TWO-STAGE SERVING
First, pour the fragrant broth over torn bread in a deep bowl and eat it as a soup. Then mash or break up the lamb and chickpeas and enjoy them as the second course, often with onion and sumac.
COOK'S NOTES
• Tail fat gives traditional richness, but the amount may be reduced to taste.
• Bone-in lamb produces the fullest broth.
• Individual clay pots are traditional, but a heavy casserole works at home.
• Do not confuse this Kars-style Turkish piti with modern dishes that merely borrow the name.
WATCH
Piti Kebabı — Kars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuWcD1W3aok
REGIONAL NOTE
The Türkiye Culture Portal documents Piti as a Kars specialty made with lamb neck, lamb shank, tail fat, chickpeas, tomato, green pepper, and turmeric, then finished in earthenware pots.
