Khangal

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain flour
• 1egg
• 150 mlwater
• 1 tspsalt

Meat

• 500 gminced lamb or beef
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspbutter
• salt

Onion topping

• 3onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbspbutter

Yoghurt

• 400 gthick yoghurt or qatiq
• 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
• salt

To finish

• 2 tspdried mint
• melted butter
• sumac

Directions

1. Make a firm dough with the flour, egg, water and salt, knead it 10 minutes, and rest it 30 minutes.
2. Roll it out thin, about 2 mm, and cut it into squares or diamonds about 5 cm across.
3. Cut them large. Khangal is defined by wide flat pieces of dough, and cut small it becomes a different dish entirely.
4. Let the cut pieces dry on a floured cloth for 15 minutes while you cook everything else.
5. Fry the sliced onions in butter slowly, for 20 minutes, until deep gold and sweet.
6. Fry the minced meat separately with the chopped onion, cinnamon and pepper until browned and dry.
7. Cinnamon in a savoury meat filling is the Azerbaijani signature here and it should be noticeable rather than a hint.
8. Crush the garlic into the yoghurt with a pinch of salt and let it sit.
9. Take the yoghurt out of the fridge early. Cold yoghurt against hot dough seizes into a lumpy skin and it should be at room temperature.
10. Boil the dough squares in plenty of salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until they float and turn translucent.
11. Use a wide pot and plenty of water. Crowded, the flat squares glue themselves together into a single sheet.
12. Drain them and toss them immediately with a knob of butter.
13. Butter them the second they are drained, or they stick to each other as they sit.
14. Now the assembly, which is layered rather than mixed. Spread the dough squares on a warmed platter.
15. Spoon the garlic yoghurt over them, then the fried meat, then the caramelised onion.
16. Pour melted butter over the whole thing, scatter dried mint and sumac, and serve at once.
17. It is layered and eaten by cutting down through, so every forkful carries dough, yoghurt, meat and onion together.
18. It is a Baku and northern Azerbaijani dish and the same name covers several different things across the country.

Technique

• Khangal is the flat square version; khingal in some regions means a different shape entirely.
• The dried mint is not a garnish and it goes on generously.
• It is often served with a bowl of the cooking broth alongside.

Substitutions

• Fresh lasagne sheets cut into squares, which is a genuine shortcut.
• Greek yoghurt thinned slightly, in place of qatiq.

Variations

• Sulu khangal, served in broth as a soup.
• With qurut, dried sour whey, dissolved in place of yoghurt.
• Made with kaurma, preserved lamb, which is the traditional filling.

History

Turkic dough dish with many regional forms; sheets are torn by hand and topped with garlicky qatiq.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khangal?

Khangal is a main from Azerbaijan: wide boiled dough squares with fried meat, onions and garlic yoghurt. Turkic dough dish with many regional forms; sheets are torn by hand and topped with garlicky qatiq.

How long does Khangal take to make?

Khangal takes 45 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Khangal?

Yes, within limits. Fresh lasagne sheets cut into squares, which is a genuine shortcut. Greek yoghurt thinned slightly, in place of qatiq.

What is the most important thing to get right in Khangal?

Cinnamon in a savoury meat filling is the Azerbaijani signature here and it should be noticeable rather than a hint.