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Azerbaijan · Dough and pastry
Azerbaijani Qutab
Local name: Qutab
Thin, half-moon flatbreads filled with spiced lamb and onion, cooked on a dry griddle and brushed with butter.
- Servings4
- Prep55 min
- Cooking25 min
- Total time1 h 20 min
- DifficultyMedium
Contains glutenContains dairy
About this dish
Qutab is an Azerbaijani dish of thinly rolled dough filled and folded into a half-moon, then cooked briefly on a griddle (saj). Meat, herb and pumpkin fillings are common, and it is eaten as an appetizer or a light meal.
It is made for family meals and gatherings. After cooking it is brushed with butter and served with garlicky dill yogurt and sumac. Size, filling and cooking method vary by region; this recipe is the classic meat version.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.
Dough
Filling
To serve
Method
Put the flour in a large bowl, add the salt and gradually add the water, kneading until the dough is firm and smooth, about 8 minutes.
Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so it rolls out easily.
For the filling, grate the onion and squeeze out some of the juice. Cook it with the mince in a dry pan over medium heat, breaking up the meat, for about 8 minutes until no pink remains and the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the salt, pepper and sumac, then let the filling cool to room temperature.
Mix the yogurt with the dill, crushed garlic and a pinch of salt; keep it in the fridge until serving.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a very thin circle about 15 cm across on a floured surface.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cooled filling over half of each circle, fold the other half over to make a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
Heat a non-stick pan or saj, dry, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
Cook the qutabs in batches of 3-4, about 2 minutes per side, until puffed with brown spots; the filling is already cooked.
Brush the hot qutabs with melted butter straight away and stack them under a cloth to keep them soft.
Serve hot with the garlic dill yogurt and a sprinkle of sumac.
💡 Tips
- Always rest the dough; unrested dough springs back and will not roll thin.
- Squeeze the grated onion, or the filling will release liquid and make the dough soggy.
- Fill with cooled filling; hot filling softens and tears the thin dough.
- Seal the edges well so the filling does not escape.
- Use a dry, well-heated pan; otherwise the qutabs turn out pale instead of blistered.
- Brush with butter while they are still hot so it soaks in.
🛒 Can't find it abroad?
- Sumac — Use grated lemon zest and a little lemon juice for a sour note.
- Minced lamb — Use minced beef and add a little butter or lamb fat to increase the fat.
- Thick strained yogurt — Strain plain yogurt in a clean cloth for 30 minutes.
This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.
