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    Home » Recipes » Flatbreads & Crepes

    Kiymali Gozleme | Minced Meat Turkish Flatbread

    Published: Dec 8, 2020 · Modified: Sep 7, 2022 by Famidha Ashraf with Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Kiymali Gozleme, a Turkish flatbread with minced beef mixture is sealed and pan-roasted in olive oil or butter and served with lemon wedges. 

    four gozleme served with tomato and lemon wedges

    I love recipes that have little effort but maximum flavour! A simple dough stuffed with minced meat mixture and pan-roasted. And yet, they sell like hot cakes!

    Jump to:
    • What does gozleme mean in Turkish?
    • What is Kıymalı Gözleme?
    • Other popular Gozleme varieties
    • How to make kiymali gözleme at home?
    • What goes with gozleme?
    • 📖 Recipe

    I spent hours on the internet trying to find the traditional Gozleme recipe. But got lost in the sea of content about Turkish flatbread with minced beef recipes and how different each one was from the other. I then looked for Turkish websites and YouTube channels to find a more reliable source. After several hours (true story) I started making notes on Sticky Notes because Turkish language content gave a new perspective to my knowledge of Gozleme or gerz-leh-meh as you would have to pronounce it. 

    What does gozleme mean in Turkish?

    There are more than one meaning and history behind the name of this dish, Gözleme. Gozleme may have been derived from the Turkish word közleme - meaning "to cook on embers" or "grill". It may also have been derived from the word gözleri - meaning "eyes" referring to the dark spots after roasting on a sac pan. But in general and more commonly, Gozleme is translated as pancakes or flatbreads or waffles. 

    What is Kıymalı Gözleme?

    Now if Gozleme is a pancake, then it should be some kind of pancake or flatbread. There can be different types of Gozleme and each is called with the prefix of the specific type. For example, Kiymali Gozleme where Kıymalı means minced meat or ground meat. 

    Other popular Gozleme varieties

    • Patatesli, which are potato stuffed! - carb on carb! 
    • Yeşillik, which includes any type of greens
    • Ispanaklı, which is specifically spinach
    • Peynirli, which is made using cheese and Feta is preferred

    What really piqued my interest was the different names of Turkish flatbreads that are not very different from each other! Like, how different is Etli Ekmek (meaty bread) from Lahmacun (meat with dough)? I will leave that to you! 😝

    How to make kiymali gözleme at home?

    Dough

    All kinds of Gozleme starts with the simple well kneaded and well-rested dough prepared with just flour, salt and water. There are yeasted versions too but this recipe of Turkish flatbread with minced beef is without yeast. I divided my dough into 10 small balls that can fit my pan. So please divide the dough as per your pan size. 

    Rolling

    The dough is rolled until thin with more dry flour, filled with desired stuffing and sealed and brushed with oil then cooked on the sac or grill or a cast iron pan like I did. Unlike the muttabaq or porotta where the dough is dunked in oil and slapped to the thinnest, for Gozleme the dough is completely oil-free. You may use more flour to assist with the rolling, but the way the dough is kneaded and prepared, rolling is effortless. The dough stretches so neatly without tearing or giving up. So the key is to prepare the dough soft and give it resting time. 

    a ball of dough

    Knead flour and salt with enough water for 10 minutes or until smooth. Rest the dough for 20 minutes and divide into equal balls.

    minced meat gozleme stuffing

    Add the minced meat, onion, tomato, parsley leaves, and chilli flakes in a bowl. Mix with warm water and whisked egg (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    rolled out dough

    Dust the work counter with flour and roll the dough ball as thin as you can to make it.

    minced meat mixture placed on one half of the rolled out dough

    Place a ladle of the meat stuffing in one half of the rolled-out dough (leaving some space along the edge to seal later) and spread it to a thin even layer. 

    kiymali gözleme sealed and ready to pan cook

    Bring the other half and carefully close without trapping any air. Seal the sides by pressing down gently and pinching the dough if required. The assembled pancake should resemble a half-moon. 

    What goes with gozleme?

    An Anatolian classic dish, Gozleme was part of Breakfast but garnered popularity as street fast food across all the major western countries. So you can now find them on the menu in fast food trucks, cafes and hole-in-the-wall outlets as a takeaway dish. It is usually served with some yoghurt and lemon wedges which you need to generously squeeze all over the hot gozleme before you take a bite. 

    Recipe adapted from Ev Yemeği Tarifleri 

    📖 Recipe

    gozleme turkish meat stuffed flatbread recipe
    Print Recipe

    Kiymali Gozleme | Minced Meat Turkish Flatbread

    Kiymali Gozleme, a Turkish flatbread stuffed with minced meat mixture is sealed and pan-roasted in olive oil or butter and served with lemon wedges.
    Prep Time1 hr 10 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time1 hr 50 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: Turkish
    Keyword: Turkish street food, Turkish stuffed turnover
    Servings: 10 gozleme
    Author: Famidha Ashraf

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour maida
    • ¾ cup water (approx)
    • salt to taste

    For the stuffing

    • 400 grams ground beef or lamb
    • 1 large onion grated
    • 1 large tomato grated
    • 15 fresh parsley leaves only, chopped
    • 1 large egg optional
    • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
    • ½ cup lukewarm water
    • salt to taste

    For cooking

    • olive oil or butter

    For serving

    • Lemon wedges
    • Yoghurt

    Instructions

    Prepare the dough

    • Mix the flour and salt in a wide bowl. Start kneading with water in small additions. Keep a timer and knead for 10 minutes.
    • Rest the dough covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
    • Knead lightly and divide the dough into 10 equal balls. Smooth each of the balls into a neat dough ball.

    Prepare the stuffing

    • Stir in the minced meat, onion, tomato, parsley leaves, and chilli flakes.
    • Mix in the warm water and whisked egg (if using).
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Assemble Kıymalı Gözleme

    • Dust the work area with flour. Take one dough ball and start rolling it. Roll as thin as you can to make it.
    • Place a ladle of the meat stuffing in one half of the rolled-out dough (leaving some space along the edge to seal later) and spread it to a thin even layer.
    • Bring the other half and carefully close without trapping any air. Seal the sides by pressing down gently and pinching the dough if required. The assembled pancake should resemble a half-moon.

    Prepare Kıymalı Gözleme

    • Heat a thick-bottomed pan or cast iron pan and grease lightly with olive oil or butter.
    • Transfer the stuffed gozleme to the hot pan and cook on medium flame.
    • Flip and brush butter while roasting both sides.
    • Serve hot with yoghurt, lemon wedges, and some fresh vegetable salad.

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    I'm Famidha, a chai lover, Indian in UAE, Hooman of two cats, a Malabari who loves Tamil food and the cook cum writer behind But first Chai.

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