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Göyərti qutabı
Herb-filled flatbreads
Herb qutab: Azerbaijani thin griddled flatbreads with greens and butter
Qutab are the thin half-moon flatbreads that Baku eats at any hour, folded around a filling and cooked in seconds on a domed iron saj, then stacked and brushed with butter. Göyərti qutabı, the green version, is the spring favourite: a handful of chopped spinach, sorrel, dill, coriander and spring onion sealed inside dough rolled so thin the greens show through. They are eaten hot, three or four at a time, sprinkled with sumac and dipped in garlicky yogurt, and appear on every table at Novruz in March. In autumn the same dough wraps pumpkin; that variation is in the steps. Chef's tip: season the greens only just before filling; salt draws out water, and wet greens tear the paper-thin dough.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- ¾ cup warm water
- ½ tsp salt
For the green filling
- 9 oz spinachwashed, dried and finely chopped
- 1 ¾ oz sorrelfinely chopped; or 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 oz dillfinely chopped
- 1 oz corianderfinely chopped
- 4 spring onionsfinely chopped
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
To finish
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
- 2 tsp sumac
- 7 oz plain yogurt (optional)mixed with 1 crushed garlic clove, to serve
For the pumpkin variation (optional)
- 1 ⅛ lb pumpkin or butternut squash (optional)peeled and grated
- 1 onion (optional)finely chopped
- 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, ½ tsp salt and ¾ cup warm water and knead for 7–8 minutes into a smooth, medium-soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, until it feels relaxed and stretchy.
30 minStep 2: Put 9 oz spinach, 1 ¾ oz sorrel, 1 oz dill, 1 oz coriander and 4 spring onions in a bowl but do not salt them yet.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 12 balls the size of a walnut. On a lightly floured surface roll each one into a very thin round, about 20 cm across and 1 mm thick.
Step 4: Now season the greens with ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and toss. Spread 2 tablespoons in a thin layer over half of one round, leaving a 1 cm edge. Fold the other half over and press the edges firmly, then trim with a saucer or crimp with a fork.
Step 5: Heat a large dry frying pan or saj over a medium-high heat. Cook the qutab one or two at a time for 1–1½ minutes per side, until the dough is dotted with brown blisters and the greens inside look bright and steaming.
3 minStep 6: As each comes off, brush it straight away with 1 ¾ oz butter and stack on a plate; the stack softens the edges. A common mistake is cooking them on too low a heat: the dough dries before it browns and turns leathery.
Step 7: For pumpkin qutab (balqabaq qutabı): fry 1 onion in a little butter until soft, add 1 ⅛ lb pumpkin or butternut squash and cook for 10 minutes until dry and soft, then stir in 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Fill and cook exactly as above.
12 minStep 8: Serve hot, sprinkled with 2 tsp sumac, with 7 oz plain yogurt for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does göyərti qutabı take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 coriander?
- Flat-leaf parsley with a little mint.
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