Lambros' kitchen travellog

Slowly but surely, we reached the last “A”-country in my list! Let’s see what Azerbaijan has to offer! I did an even easier version of these flatbread, I used a ready made dough, mainly because I am not a big fan of doughs… I’ve even tried baking some in the oven, as an alternative, to be honest, I preferred the ones from the ovan than in the frying pan. I think that the main problem was that (as always) I put too much filling in the doughs, so it was more difficult to cook in the pan.

Ingredients

• Dough: 350 g plain flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 200 ml warm water, 1 tbsp oil
• Filling: 350 g ground beef, 1 small onion (grated or very finely chopped), 1/2 bunch parsley (chopped), 1/2 bunch dill (chopped, optional but great), 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sumac (optional), salt + pepper
• Optional: 1–2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or a squeeze of lemon (brightens filling)
• To serve: yoghurt (or sour cream), lemon wedges, extra sumac/chilli flakes
• For cooking: a dry pan; butter for brushing (optional)

Steps

• Make dough: Mix flour and salt. Add warm water and oil; knead 5–6 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
• Mix filling: Combine beef, onion, herbs, cumin, sumac (if using), salt and pepper. Add pomegranate molasses/lemon if you like. Keep mixture loose (add 1 tbsp water if very stiff).
• Divide: Split dough into 8 balls. Keep covered.
• Roll: Roll each ball into a very thin circle (about 22–24 cm).
• Fill & seal: Spread a thin layer of filling over half the circle, leaving a small border. Fold over to make a half-moon and press edges firmly (crimp).
• Cook: Heat a dry pan over medium-high. Cook qutab 2–3 min per side until browned spots appear and meat is cooked through (reduce heat if browning too fast).
• Finish: Optional: brush with a little butter while hot. Stack and keep warm under a towel.
• Serve: Serve with yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon; sprinkle sumac if you have it.

Notes

If you want it milder for kids, skip chilli and keep cumin light. You can swap beef for lamb or use a cheesenherb filling (spinach + feta) another time. If the dough springs back, let it rest 5 minutes and roll again