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Bichak
بیچک (bichak): northern Afghan half-moon pastries filled with peppery pumpkin and onion
Across northern Afghanistan, around Mazar, Kunduz and Shibirghan, the autumn pumpkin harvest is turned into bichak, plump half-moon pastries that show the region's Uzbek and Turkmen neighbours in their name and shape. A soft, thin wheat dough wraps a filling of grated pumpkin and onion seasoned only with salt, black pepper and a little chilli, which bakes into something sweet, savoury and juicy, best eaten warm with a glass of tea or alongside a bowl of yogurt. Some families bake them, others fry them in a wok of oil; this version bakes them. The filling must not be wet, or the bottoms go soggy and the seams burst, so squeeze the grated pumpkin hard before mixing. Chef's tip: grate the onion finely too, so it melts into the pumpkin instead of staying in crunchy pieces.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 cup warm water
For the filling
- 1 ⅓ lb pumpkin or squash, peeledcoarsely grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 onionsfinely grated
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 /2 tsp ground coriander
To finish
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
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What you'll need
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt, add 2 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 cup warm water and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
10 minStep 2: Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile toss 1 ⅓ lb pumpkin or squash, peeled with 1 tsp salt in a sieve and leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze it by handfuls, very firmly, until no more juice runs out.
15 minStep 4: Mix the pumpkin with 2 onions, 2 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 /2 tsp red chilli flakes and 1 /2 tsp ground coriander. Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line two baking trays.
Step 5: Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll each on a floured surface into a thin 15 cm round.
Step 6: Put a heaped spoonful of filling on one half of each round, leaving a 1.5 cm border, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly together, then crimp them with a fork or pleat them with your fingers.
Step 7: Set on the trays, brush with 2 tbsp sunflower oil and bake for 22–25 minutes until golden and crisp at the edges and the filling bubbles at the seams.
25 minStep 8: Cool for 5 minutes before eating, as the filling stays very hot. They reheat well in a hot oven.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bichak take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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