Gözleme (Stuffed Turkish Flatbread)
گوزلمے (بھری ہوئی ترکی روٹی)
Gözleme is the Turkish village woman's paratha. On a big domed griddle called a *sac*, women roll unleavened dough into huge, paper-thin sheets, fill them with spinach and cheese, potato or mince, fold them into a parcel and cook them with butter until spotted and crisp. Pakistani cooks will feel completely at home: the dough is just flour, water and salt, and a does the job perfectly. It's a lovely breakfast or light lunch with a glass of ayran.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 40 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the flour and salt, add the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Mix the spinach and onion with a pinch of salt and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Add the cheese and pul biber.
Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll each into a very thin circle, about 35 cm across, using a little flour.
Spread a quarter of the filling over one half of the circle, fold the other half over and press the edges to seal, making a half-moon. Or fold all four sides in to make a square parcel.
Cook on a hot over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes on each side, brushing generously with butter, until crisp and blistered with brown spots.
Brush once more with butter, cut into pieces and serve hot with ayran or tea.
Kitchen notes
Squeeze the spinach really dry. Wet filling tears the thin dough and makes it soggy.
Pakistani paneer works well in place of Turkish white cheese, but add a little more salt, as paneer is much milder.
Potato filling: mash 3 boiled potatoes with sautéed onion, pul biber and parsley.
The village paratha of Turkey
At markets and roadside stalls across Turkey, you’ll see women sitting cross-legged in front of a domed sac griddle, rolling dough with a long thin rolling pin until you can almost see through it. That’s gözleme, and it’s one of the most familiar-feeling Turkish foods for a Pakistani cook.
The dough
Gözleme dough is simple and unleavened: flour, water, salt and a little oil. Resting it for half an hour makes it stretchy enough to roll very thin. Half atta, half maida gives a nuttier flavour and is closer to village versions.
Fillings
- Spinach and white cheese (ıspanaklı peynirli), the classic.
- Potato (patatesli), mashed with onion, pul biber and parsley.
- Mince (kıymalı), cooked dry like a keema.
Whatever the filling, keep it dry and spread it thinly.
Cooking
Medium-high heat, a dry and lots of butter brushed on as it cooks give the blistered, crisp surface. Turn once or twice; it cooks quickly because it’s so thin.
Serving
Cut into wedges and serve hot with ayran or Turkish tea. It’s great for breakfast, a light lunch or a weekend brunch alongside menemen.
Questions people ask
How is gözleme different from a stuffed paratha?
The idea is the same. Gözleme dough is rolled much thinner, folded around the filling like a parcel, and cooked with butter rather than ghee. The fillings are usually spinach and cheese or potato with mild seasoning.
Can I use ready-made samosa patti or tortillas?
Tortilla-style wraps work as a shortcut: fill, fold and cook on the tawa with butter.
Can I make them ahead?
Fill and fold them up to an hour ahead and keep covered. Cook just before serving; they lose their crispness as they sit.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 470
- Protein
- 15 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 53 g
