🇹🇲 Turkmen Cuisine

Ishlekli

Turkmen Meat Pie

Prep Time 1.5 hours
Servings 6
Difficulty Medium
Calories 446 kcal

A large round layered pie of thin dough filled with seasoned lamb and onion, baked until golden and served in generous wedges.

Ingredients

  • 500g all-purpose flour
  • 250ml warm water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 500g ground lamb
  • 3 large onions, finely diced
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 egg yolk for glaze

Instructions

  1. 1 Mix flour, salt, and warm water to form a smooth elastic dough then divide into two portions with one slightly larger than the other.
  2. 2 Combine ground lamb with finely diced onions, cumin, black pepper, and salt mixing thoroughly until evenly seasoned throughout.
  3. 3 Roll the larger dough portion into a thin round sheet and lay it on an oiled baking tray letting edges drape over the sides.
  4. 4 Spread the seasoned lamb and onion filling evenly across the dough in a thick layer leaving a small border at the edges.
  5. 5 Roll the smaller dough portion into a round sheet and place it over the filling then crimp the edges together to seal completely.
  6. 6 Brush with egg yolk and bake at two hundred degrees Celsius for forty minutes until the pie is deep golden brown and crispy.

Did You Know?

Ishlekli is traditionally baked directly on hot sand or ashes in the desert, giving it a distinctive smoky flavor.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/turkmen/ishlekli/