Jajî bi Run (Kurdish Herbed Cheese Curds Cooked in Butter)

Name: Jajî bi Run (Kurdish Herbed Cheese Curds Cooked in Butter)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 g well-drained herbed cheese / curd cheese (jajî); 3 tablespoons butter; 1 small dry onion (finely chopped, optional); 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or sirmo (wild garlic), finely chopped; 1 pinch of salt (omit if the cheese is already salty); 2-3 tablespoons milk (for consistency, optional)

Jajî bi Run / Jajerûn

Jajî/jaj is a herbed cheese of the Kurdish villages of Van, made by mixing wild herbs (thyme, sirmo/wild garlic, watercress, nigella) into curds from raw sheep's milk and maturing it underground 2-3 months. Here the herbed cheese/curd is lightly pan-fried in butter as a warm breakfast dish. Note: a dish documented exactly as 'Jajerun' was not found; this is built on the documented jajî preparation.

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Prep

15 min

Cook

10 min

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Method

Drain the herbed/curd cheese well; if it is very briny, rinse in warm water and squeeze out the liquid.
Melt the butter in a wide pan over low heat; if you like, fry the finely chopped onion until softened and golden.
Add the drained cheese to the pan and gently fry over low heat for 4-5 minutes, crushing it with a wooden spoon.
Add the red pepper flakes and fresh herbs (thyme or wild garlic) and stir.
If it looks dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of milk and keep frying until the cheese melds with the butter and softens.
Check the salt and serve hot alongside tandır bread.

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