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Vegetarian, Maghreb and Middle East

Jingalov hats, Armenian herb flatbread with yogurt

Jingalov hats is an Armenian flatbread stuffed with a mountain of fresh herbs and spinach, serving 4, ready in 1 hour, with medium difficulty, for €1.90 per person. The key to success is pressing the filling as dry as possible so the bread stays crisp when cooked.

Get ready for a green feast, flatbreads stuffed with a mountain of fresh herbs, crisp and fragrant, just like in the mountains of Artsakh.

Jingalov hats, Armenian herb flatbread with yogurt
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.90
Calories per person
520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer

Under a golden, slightly crackly crust, jingalov hats hides a bright green filling scented with cilantro, parsley, and dill, with the gentle softness of spinach running through it. Lemon lifts the whole thing and plain yogurt brings the coolness that balances this wave of herbs. It's bread you eat hot, with your hands, and it always surprises with how bold it tastes.

This recipe is ideal for a spring or summer dinner when fresh herbs are plentiful and cheap. It takes a bit of time and care to shape the flatbreads, which makes it more of a weekend project or a relaxed evening meal for adults and older kids curious about new flavors.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 400 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 2 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh spinach 400 g
  • Fresh cilantro 1 bunch
  • Flat leaf parsley 1 bunch
  • Fresh dill 1 bunch
  • Scallions 1 bunch
  • Lemon 1

Dairy

  • Plain yogurt 4 cup

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the flour, salt, two tablespoons of oil, and about 20 cl of warm water, knead for five minutes, then let rest under a kitchen towel. 15 min

    The dough should be soft and a little sticky, that's what makes it easy to roll out very thin.

  2. Wash all the herbs and spinach, chop them finely with the scallions, and press them in a kitchen towel.

    It's better to have too much greenery than not enough, the filling shrinks a lot during cooking.

  3. Season the filling with salt, lemon juice, and a tablespoon of oil, mix without crushing the herbs.

    Salt the filling at the last minute, salt draws the water out of the leaves.

  4. Divide the dough into four balls, roll them into circles, fill one half with the filling, fold into a half moon, and seal the edges with your fingers.

    Prick the flatbreads with a fork to let steam escape and keep them from puffing up.

  5. Cook each flatbread in a hot dry skillet, two to three minutes per side, brush with oil, and serve with the yogurt. 12 min

    Wipe the skillet with an oiled paper towel between breads, this keeps the heat gentle and even.

Our tips to get it right

  • Chop the herbs by hand rather than in a food processor, the texture stays livelier and less mushy in the filling.
  • Roll the dough as thin as you can, a thick flatbread cooks poorly in the center and stays chewy.
  • Keep shaped flatbreads under a damp towel while you cook the others, they dry out fast once exposed to air.

The variations

  • Swap the dill for fresh mint for a milder, more fragrant version.
  • Add a little crumbled feta to the filling for a richer, saltier version.
  • For a quicker version, shape smaller flatbreads and cook two at a time in the pan.

What to serve it with

  • Plain yogurt or labneh
  • Black tea or mint tea
  • Tomato and cucumber salad

Storage

The flatbreads keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can freeze them uncooked, before frying, layered with parchment paper. Reheat cooked flatbreads for a few minutes in a dry skillet so they crisp back up.

Questions about this dish

Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?

Yes, thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible. It can actually be easier, since frozen spinach often releases less water during cooking than poorly drained fresh spinach.

Can I make the filling ahead of time?

You can chop and press the herbs the day before, then store them in a sealed container in the fridge. Season the filling with salt and lemon only right before stuffing the breads.

How much herbs should I use if my bunches are small?

Aim for a big bowlful of chopped herbs and spinach before pressing, since the filling shrinks a lot. It's better to have too much greenery than too little, as the bread should be generously filled.

Can I bake these in the oven instead of cooking them in a skillet?

A dry skillet gives the typical golden, crackly crust of this bread. If you use the oven, preheat it very hot with a baking sheet inside and watch closely, since the result will be different.

How long does it take to make a jingalov hats, an Armenian flatbread stuffed with fresh herbs, served with yogurt?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a jingalov hats, an Armenian flatbread stuffed with fresh herbs, served with yogurt?

About 520 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a jingalov hats, an Armenian flatbread stuffed with fresh herbs, served with yogurt cost?

About €1.90 per serving, or €7.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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