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Kystybyy
Kystybyy (кыстыбый): Tatar flatbreads folded around buttery mashed potato
RussianAsk anyone in Kazan what they ate after school and many will say kystybyy, the folded Tatar flatbread sold warm in canteens and kiosks all over Tatarstan. Paper-thin rounds of unleavened dough are dry-cooked in a hot pan, filled while soft with mashed potato whipped with milk, butter and fried onion, folded into a half-moon and brushed with more butter. In older Tatar village kitchens the filling was millet porridge, which works just as well. Serve with tea, a bowl of soup or a glass of katyk, the Tatar soured milk. A common mistake is leaving the cooked flatbreads uncovered; they dry out and crack when folded, so stack them under a towel. Chef's tip: keep the pan dry and hot; 30–40 seconds a side gives brown freckles without stiffening the bread.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
For the flatbreads
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup warm water
- 3 ½ tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
For the filling
- 1 ¾ lb floury potatoespeeled and halved
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ cup whole milkhot
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
To finish
- 1 ⅜ oz buttermelted
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix the 10 ½ oz plain flour, ½ tsp salt, ½ cup warm water, 3 ½ tbsp whole milk and 1 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
25 minStep 2: Boil the 1 ¾ lb floury potatoes in water with the 1 tsp salt for about 20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
20 minStep 3: Meanwhile fry the 1 onion in the 1 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium heat for 8 minutes, until golden.
8 minStep 4: Drain the potatoes and mash them with the ½ cup whole milk and 1 ⅜ oz butter until fluffy, then fold in the onion. Keep warm.
4 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 10 pieces and roll each very thinly into a 20 cm round.
10 minStep 6: Cook the rounds one at a time in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 30–40 seconds a side, until freckled with brown but still soft. Stack them under a tea towel.
10 minStep 7: Spread 2 heaped tablespoons of filling over half of each flatbread, fold over and press lightly.
5 minStep 8: Brush with the 1 ⅜ oz butter and serve warm.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kystybyy take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 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 whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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