Renowned Russian chef, TV presenter, and author of culinary books Stanislav (Stalik) Khankishiev prepared the traditional Turkmen dish dograma for the first time. He was assisted by Gulalek Chopanova, press attaché at the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Russia. The episode was published on the chef's YouTube channel.
Dograma is a unique Turkmen dish found nowhere else in Central Asian cuisine. It's made with simple ingredients: petir-churek, a traditional bread, fatty meat (lamb or beef), and onions. The bread is broken by hand, mixed with finely chopped onions and meat fibers, and then basted with the fat from the aromatic broth.
In the video, Khankishiev detailed the preparation process. He paid special attention to petir-churek, a dense bread traditionally baked in a tandoor without yeast, using only flour, water, and salt. The meat for dograma is simmered for 3-4 hours to create a rich broth, after which it is shredded by hand. For the broth, the chef used lamb neck and shank on the bone, and also added onions, carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Khankishiev noted the symbolic significance of dograma in Turkmen culture. "Dograma is a symbol of equality and justice, an important dish at family and national celebrations," he emphasized. The chef also shared personal memories: his family originates from Turkmenistan; his grandfather immigrated there from Iran, and his aunt Maryam was Turkmen and prepared traditional dishes.
