This is a great idea: you will love it! We did. It’s a kind of Middle Eastern version of garlic bread but crispy, crunchy and light.
here they are: my garlicky crunchies with flaked red pepper, courtesy of Oya’s Cuisine |
Deliciously garlicky with a hint of spicy chili. Just right for drinks or with soup. Perfect to offer your friends with tea at 5 o’clock before a slice of cake.
I made these crunchies for friends the other night and served them instead of bread with tomato soup made with those beautiful big fat juicy Çanakkale tomatoes I bottled this summer in Assos. It was an irresistible combination and I was glad that I’d used all three sheets of lavaş in my packet as they all disappeared.
What exactly is lavaş (lavash)?
It‘s a soft thin flatbread apparently the most widely eaten type of bread in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. In English it is also known as cracker bread but I think that nowadays we are all familiar with the name lavash. Here in Turkey it is most commonly used with kebabs to make dürüm wraps. It is readily available in packets in the supermarkets. Make sure you keep it wrapped if you want to keep it pliable as it will dry out and become hard and brittle if you leave it exposed to the air.
Ingredients for My Garlicky Crunchies with Flaked Red Pepper
3 lavaş/lavash
3 tbsp soft butter (room temperature)
2 tbsp or to taste flaked red pepper/ pul biberi
2 big cloves garlic or to taste, crushed
3 tbsp grated parmesan or eski kaşar peyniri
Method
· Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F.
· Place the butter in a bowl and mash with a fork to make sure it’s soft. Add all the other ingredients and mash till well blended.
spreading the softened buttery mixture over the lavaş |
· Using a knife, spread the mixture over a sheet of lavaş making sure to spread all the way to the edges. With a knife or pizza cutter (preferable), cut into triangles. Actually, the shape and size are up to you. They don’t have to be uniform.
cutting the lavaş |
· Place in a single layer on a baking tray and put in the middle of your pre-heated oven. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Keep your eye on them as they can easily burn. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
cooling on the rack |
Tips
The ingredients are extremely flexible in terms of quantity. You don’t have to be exact here. The recipe specifies 3 lavaş but everything depends on their size. I wouldn’t worry about it. Adapt as you go.
The possibilities are endless for further versions: how about dried thyme/kekik or cumin/kimyon scattered with sesame/susam seeds or nigella/çörekotu?
Afiyet olsun!
Try these the next time you have visitors round! |
Oh, we've got a friend coming round for dinner on Saturday night so I might just make these as nibbles before we eat. They look lovely. Knowing me, I'll make too many and then we'll be full before we eat! 🙂
these are so good! i can get lavash here and i make these same things. i like to serve them with my hummus!
My Hubby will love these, his two of his favourite things chili flakes and garlic. Will be making these at the weekend. Thank you.
Yes, Julia, we polished off the lot – but they are very light (she said!).
Hi octoberfarm! Are you back?? Yes, they would go great with dips of all sorts.
Hello Bahar – well good they are just the thing for you then :))!
Oh yes…I like the sound of these. I think a sprinkle of yenibahar with pulbiber might taste nice too.
These look very tasty. I have never tried to find lavash here in Northern California so I will have to check to see if they are available.
Pul biber is one of my fav Turkish spices! I think it goes with everything!
Those look delish! Something easy enough for me to try.
We have guests around this evening for wine and nibbles. Just finished making these so we had to test them…. Delicious.