Gouvaj: Lamb with Vegetables
Gouvaj is an Armenian dish that combines slowly roasted lamb meat and vegetables. It's a hearty, flavorful meal. The basic ingredients include lamb meat (shoulder is preferred), beans, zucchinis, okra, bell peppers, onions, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, salt and spices. Instead of lamb, beef can also be used.
Everything is slowly baked in the oven until the meat starts to fall apart. When served in a restaurant, you might find (as with other Armenian dishes) that your portion is reheated in a ceramic bowl covered with a flatbread. The perfect sealing during reheating helps further meld the flavors and you can eat the flatbread as a side to the meal.
I had the opportunity to taste lamb gouvaj at the Anteb restaurant in Yerevan, with one portion priced at 3,600 AMD, approximately 8.80 EUR.
Bon appétit!
Anteb Restaurant
