Levengi
Levengi, levangi, lavengi or lavangi is a stuffing, typically for baked fish or poultry, in Talish cuisine. Typical ingredients include onions, walnuts, and dried fruit stuffed into poultry or fish.
• The dish is deeply rooted in Talysh cuisine and local culinary traditions of southern Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. Cooksense+1
• Locals consider it a signature or hallmark dish — cooked for weddings, holidays, feasts, and special gatherings. MEYDAN.TV
Etymology
The word lavangi is of Talysh origin.
In Talysh, the name is associated with the method of preparation, specifically stuffing food inside the belly of poultry or fish.
Meaning of the Word
• In the Talysh language, the root of lavangi is said to come from “lava” meaning belly/stomach and “gi” meaning to hide, reflecting its method of cooking — stuffed inside the stomach of bird or fish. today.az
The term does not originate from Persian, Turkish, or Arabic culinary terminology, and its use outside the Talysh region reflects regional borrowing, not independent origin.
It is often served on special occasions such as holidays or at weddings. It is a traditional dish of Azerbaijan and the Talysh people. The dish is common in the Talysh region.
Fish lavangi
Fish lavangi is usually prepared for Nowruz; The preferred fish is the Caspian kutum, asp or carp of the Caspian Sea, but white fish-beluga can also be suitable.The ingredients for stuffing include peeled walnuts, chopped and well-fried onions, sour prune or sour cherry or a pomegranate syrup called narsharab, dried cherry-plums, raisins and vegetable oil. They are mixed with a cup of water, and salt and pepper are also added to taste.
The fish is skinned and washed, and then filled with stuffing after it dries. The belly of the fish is sewed and then outside of the fish is rubbed with narsharab or cherry-plum sauce. The fish is baked in the oven until the top of it fries. It is typically served with pieces of lemon, bread and narsharab.