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Qutab (Azerbaijani Stuffed Flatbread)

A recipe for Qutab (Azerbaijani Stuffed Flatbread) from the cookbook, Kaukasis! This thin flatbread is packed with a lamb, onion, and molasses filling and panfried.
Course Bread
Cuisine Azerbaijani
Keyword Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani, bread, flatbread, lamb, meat, qutab
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 16 minutes
Servings 10 Qutab

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 200 milliliters (7 fl oz, ~3/4 cup) cold water
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 500 grams (1 pound 2 ounces, ~3 1/2 cups) plain flour plus extra for kneading and dusting

Lamb, Onion & Molasses Filling:

  • 350 grams (12 ounces) minced lamb or a 50/50 mix of minced beef and pork
  • 150 grams (5 1/2 ounces) onions finely diced or grated
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

To serve:

  • Melted unsalted butter for brushing
  • Ground sumac for sprinkling

Instructions

To make the dough:

  • Mix the measured water, egg and salt together in a bowl, then gradually add the flour, combining it with your hand. Tip the dough out on to a well-floured work surface and start kneading it. The dough should be firm but not too dry and should stop sticking to your hands after kneading in some extra flour.
  • Divide the dough into 10 ball-shaped pieces and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, covered with a damp tea towel or clingfilm.

To make the Lamb, Onion & Molasses Filling:

  • Mix all the ingredients (except the butter and sumac) together.
  • Test the filling for seasoning by frying a little piece of the mixture in a small pan until cooked through and then tasting- it should be well seasoned.

To assemble:

  • Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface as thinly as you can into a 20 cm (8 inch) round.
  • Spread 50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) of the filling on the bottom half of each round, then fold the top half over the filling and pinch the edges together to create. half-moon shape.
  • Heat a large frying pan until hot- don't use any fat, as we are dry-frying here. Add 1-2 qutabs and cook over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until the flatbread is golden and speckled with dark blisters. If you are using a raw meat filling, try to cook the qutabs at a slightly lower temperature, making sure that the filling is thoroughly cooked through.
  • Brush the cooked qutabs with a little melted butter as soon as they come out of the pan and sprinkle over some sumac.