Ingredients
Dough
- 400 gplain flour
- 200 mlwarm water
- 1 tspsalt
- 1egg, optional
Herb filling
- 500 gmixed greens: spinach, coriander, dill, spring onion, sorrel
- 1onion, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbspbutter
Meat filling
- 400 gminced lamb
- 2onions, grated
- 1 tspsalt
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 1 tbspchopped mint
Pumpkin filling
- 600 gpumpkin, grated
- 1onion
- 2 tbspbutter
- 1 tspcinnamon
- salt
To finish
- 80 gbutter, melted
- sumac
- thick yoghurt with garlic
Equipment
- a saj, or a large heavy flat pan
Directions
- Mix the flour, salt and warm water into a firm dough and knead it hard for 10 minutes. Knead it thoroughly, because it has to roll out almost transparent and an under-worked dough tears. Wrap it and rest it 30 minutes. The rest relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls thin without springing back.
- Salt draws water out of greens within minutes, so salt at the last moment or you will be filling with a puddle. The meat cooks in the two or three minutes on the griddle because the layer is so thin, which is why it goes in raw.
- Grate the onion rather than chopping it, so it disappears into the mince. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each out into a very thin round of about 20 cm. Roll them as thin as you possibly can, close to translucent. A thick qutab is a different and much duller thing.
- Spread the filling thinly over one half only, leaving a border. Use a thin layer of filling. Fold the dough over into a half-moon and press the edge firmly with your fingers.
- Press the seam properly, and trim it with a fluted wheel if you want a neat edge. Now heat the saj or a heavy flat pan over a medium heat, completely dry. Cook it on a dry surface with no oil at all. Cook 2 to 3 minutes a side until it is covered in brown blistered spots.
- Press it gently with a cloth or spatula as it cooks so it makes full contact. It should be dry, blistered and flexible, not crisp. Butter it while it is still hot, so it soaks in rather than sitting on the surface, and this is what makes it rich.
- Stack them as they come off and keep them under a cloth. Dust generously with sumac before serving. Serve with thick yoghurt beaten with crushed garlic. Eat them hot, folded or rolled, with your hands.
Technique
- The saj gives a better result than a flat pan because its convex surface cooks the thin dough evenly.
- Camel meat qutab is a speciality in some regions.
- They freeze well cooked and are reheated on a dry pan.
Substitutions
- A large heavy flat pan or an upturned wok in place of a saj.
- Any mix of soft green herbs and spinach.
Variations
- With pumpkin, which is the autumn version.
- With minced lamb and pomegranate seeds.
- Kutab with cheese, which is a modern favourite.
History
Thin folded flatbreads cooked on a saj griddle and filled with greens, pumpkin or minced meat.
Frequently asked questions
What is Qutab?
Qutab is a street food from Azerbaijan: thin half-moon flatbread filled with greens, meat or pumpkin, griddled. Thin folded flatbreads cooked on a saj griddle and filled with greens, pumpkin or minced meat.
How long does Qutab take to make?
Qutab takes 40 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 12. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Qutab?
Yes, within limits. A large heavy flat pan or an upturned wok in place of a saj. Any mix of soft green herbs and spinach.
What is the most important thing to get right in Qutab?
Salt draws water out of greens within minutes, so salt at the last moment or you will be filling with a puddle. The meat cooks in the two or three minutes on the griddle because the layer is so thin, which is why it goes in raw.
