14 September 2008

Gozleme for Savory Pies Event

Gozleme

Part of the wonder of blogging is coming across recipes that you have never heard of previously. I was browsing sites one fine morning when EMJ of Blog From Our Kitchen caught my eye with a post about gözleme. Her original post is here .Not knowing what it was I had to Google it and am now fascinated with this Turkish street food. EMJ described watching the Turkish ladies prepare them at the market. According to Wikipedia Gözleme is a savoury traditional Turkish hand made and hand rolled pastry. Fresh pastry is rolled out. The thinly rolled out dough is filled, sealed, and cooked over a griddle. It is served hot with a slice of lemon.





Varieties include:
etli = meati
spanakli = with spinach
karisik = mixed
kasar peynirli = with yellow cow's milk cheese
katmer = plain
kiymali = with ground lamb
mantarlı = mushroom
spatatesli = with mashed potatoes
peynirli = with white sheep's milk cheese (feta)
A modern variation is honey and banana served hot with a slice of lemon.
Ayran is almost always served with gözleme.

I have yet to travel to Turkey so when in doubt enlist the aid of the experts. Burcu of Almost Turkish sent me some information on how to make gozleme .Some recipes called for a yeast dough but she suggested that simpler was better.

My blog sister Ivy of Kopiaste is holding an exceptional event Savory Pies. The premise of the event is to make a savory pie using any medium you desire. It can be topless, naked or two crusted. Ivy is always there with a kind word, taking the time out of her busy life with family and friends to share traditional and non-traditional recipes from Greece, Cyprus and the world over. She is such a sweetie I could never miss her event!!!!Ivy blogs out of Athens, Greece so the first thing that popped into my head was to prepare something with filo (phyllo) for her event. Of course I have been wanting to try to make gozleme so opted for that instead. Move on over to her site and join in the fun!!!!

This is a very simplified version of this street food. Apparently the proper way to roll the dough is to roll one of the rounds flat with a rolling pin on a flour-dusted surface, into a rectangle shape, as thinly as possible. Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of oil, then fold over into a square. Fold over twice more into a square. Repeat the dusting, rolling out to a large rectangle, folding, oiling, dusting process three more times. Repeat the entire process for each of the six rounds. You should end up with six neatly folded, labour-intensive squares! I plead ignorance and stick to my simplified version!!!!!!!

**Gozleme**

Dough

1 cup flour
A little bit less than 1/2 cup spring water, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt

The Filling

2 cups grated feta cheese or a mixture of feta and another cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, ricotta)
2 cups finely chopped silver beet or spinach leaves (no stems/panned and squeezed as dry as possible)
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
½ cup chopped spring onion
½ cup diced brown onion, mixed with the following:
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (e.g. oregano, sage)

Minced Meat Filling (optional)

½ kg minced lamb
2 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika (hot or mild)
pickled or fresh red chillies (to taste)
1 medium carrot grated
½ cup of pureed tomato or juice
olive oil for frying

Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add water while you're kneading. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth. Cover the dough with a damp paper towel, let it stand for 15 minutes.

Cut the dough in 4 equal pieces with a knife. Roll out each piece about 25 cm in diameter with a roller.

Spread the filling ingredients equally in the middle of the dough. Sprinkle on the filling sparingly – as you would for a pizza topping – but on half of the square only. Start with a layer of cheese. Mix the spinach, mint, spring onion and parsley together in a bowl, and add some of this as the next layer. Top with some of the herb-spice-onion mixture.If desired, add a little of the cooked savoury minced lamb mixture, as the last layer. (For the lamb – pan fry the mince in a little oil until browned, add the other ingredients and continue cooking until the carrot has softened. Add the tomato juice as the mixture begins to dry out. Continue to cook on a low heat for another five minutes.)

First fold the opposite sides to cover the filling. Then fold the 3rd side and lastly the 4th side to cover up the filling. Heat up the Teflon pan just under medium heat. Cook one side of Gozleme until there are some "brown eyes*" on it. Then turn it over and brush this side with butter. Also brush the other side after cooking.

Serve gozleme with a slice of lemon while it is still warm.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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31 comments:

  1. I've had gozleme a few times Val and I def love the version you created...a very worthy entry for Ivy's event.

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  2. I'm sure these would be great. Great submission to Savory Pies. I'm working on my entry too.

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  3. gozemle are like kalitsounia in crete - the cheese-and-greens filling are the same ones used in hania

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  4. You certainly have done your homework, Val. I would have chocen the easy way too, but the result still looks delicious!

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  5. I love Turkish food and Feta cheese! Those Gozleme Pies look beautiful and ever so scrumptious! A wonderful speciality!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  6. I love street food. This sounds great, I would love to attempt making this authentic dish.

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  7. This sounds great. I bet both versions are delicious. Thanks Val for submitting this lovely recipe.

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  8. Ive never heard of these, but they look fantastic. The filling is right up my street. Yum!!

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  9. You are such a great source, Val!!! FoodValpedia... ;D you always give us such good new info!!! It's great to know about Gozleme, thanks :D
    A wonderful entry for Ivy's savory Pies.

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  10. Turkish food is amazing isn't it? Up there with your beloved Greek food as incredibly underated. I love this recipe.

    Cheers
    David

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  11. Oh I LOVE learning about Ethnic food so thanks so much for sharing and what a great entry! This actually sounds really, REALLY delicious!

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  12. Never heard nor seen Gozleme before either. That kind of saddens me as I have visited Turkey...

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  13. I would love to see Gozleme made by the Turkish ladies:D Thanks for all your encouraging comments guys:D

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  14. i typically like my pies sweet, but this sounds absolutely irresistible! excellent contribution. :)

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  15. I saw this Gozleme on Elizabeth's site also and put it on my list to do and here you have just Gorgeous ones Val!! So impressed. And I really appreciate your plead of ignorance!
    I've not been to Turkey but street food is one strong reason I really want to visit.

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  16. Val, Turkey was my favorite country to travel and eat. I'm sure I had something similar to gozleme with cheese and spinach, thanks for the reminder. This recipe looks amazing!

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  17. Val, this looks great. Something tells me I'm going to have to look a little deeper into Turkish cuisine.

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  18. Val, these look SO wonderful! Yum!

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  19. Just the sort of treat I would enjoy. That feta filling sounds divine!

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  20. I really love savory pìes Val, and this look soooo yummy! xGloria

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  21. Your little pies are so cute!

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  22. Oooh this sounds so lovely! I have never had this before but I know I would just love them. Such great ingredients and they look so great.

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  23. Great street food....loved the filling.

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  24. That looks too good not to try!

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  25. I've never heard of gozleme but oh yes do they look delicious!!

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  26. You found another great event. I never heard of that kind of pie and I'm glad you did post the recipe. This look like something I would enjoy eating.

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  27. I don't know this gozleme, but I've never met a savoury pie I don't like. I feel gozleme and me are going to be good buddies. They look yummy!

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  28. I've never had these but they sound fantastic - thanks for sharing!

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  29. A lovely submission to Savory Pies.

    I am working on mine for this too.

    Rosie x

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  30. Good luck finding a Turkish lady making gozleme, Val! We either buy them on the street or gozleme restaurants (there you can see Turkish ladies making gozleme) or people make gozleme at home from store-bought yufka (phyllo) by folding it into a square.

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  31. I've had these a few times - I'd never have thought to make them at home though! I'm bookmarking this for when the rush and bustle of moving has calmed and I'm settled in a new kitchen!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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