More cuisines I discover for myself, more similarities I find. Actually I start thinking that before there was only one united cuisine. And later it became splitting and changing, and now many countries or regions starts fighting for the origine of this or that products or dishes. Doesn’t it remind you anything? Remember the story of the Tower of Babel?

Why I have such thoughts? The answer is very simple: every time I cooked a dish (just using my senses and culinary logic) I found out that something similar was existing not even in one but in many cuisines and countries. It is named differently, but the concept is more or less the same. I can mention a lot of examples for my theory. And today’s dish is one of them.

Balkan khychin (хычин), Mexican tortillas, Indian paratha, Turkish cheburek (çiğ börek), Azerbaijani qutab.

The cooking method, shape or fillings can differ a little but the idea remains the same. It is made with a single round piece of dough with the filling.

Here is my version of such flat bread with filling. Bon appetite!

Home-made flat bread with meat and cheese filling

Ingredients:

(For 12 big flat breads)

Dough:

• 6 cups flour + for kneading
• 500 ml warm water
• 2 tsp salt

Beef filling:

• 250 g minced beef
• 1 tomato, peeled
• 1/2 onion
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp khmeli suneli (Georgian spice mix), 1/4 tsp spices for meat
• (or 1/4 tsp dried garlic, 1/3 tsp smoked paprika, 1/8 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp ground mint, 1/8 tsp thyme)
• salt, pepper

Cheese filling:

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup organic mild cheddar cheese
• Salt
• (Optional: pressed garlic, parsley, dill)

• 50 g salted butter, melted for glazing

Cooking method:

1.Dissolve salt in a warm water. Then add flour gradually. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture until a sticky dough forms. Then use the hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

2. Throw the dough several times to release the gluten (thanks to this the dough fills up with air bubbles). Then form the dough in a ball and cover with hot glass bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile prepare the filling. For beef filling, chop finely parsley, onion and peeled tomato in a blender. To peel a tomato just put it in a boiled water for 10 seconds, then in a cold one and remove the peel with a knife. Mix well minced beef with spices and parsley mixture.

4. For cheese filling, mix grated cheddar with cottage cheese. Season well.

5. Divide dough into 12 portions. On lightly floured surface, roll out each portion thinly into a 20 cm circle.

6. Place 1 tbsp of beef mixture on each piece of dough.

7. Then fold the circle in half over the filling and press tightly the edges. Then cut off the excess of dough.

8. In a large dry nonstick skillet fry flat breads over medium heat for 2,5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter.

9. Serve with tomato salad and fresh parsley.