Welcome to Turkmenistan! This is a country I struggle to say the name of...And I do mean struggle! I don't think I've gotten it right yet! According to Google, Turkmenistan has a population of 5.942 million people and the capital is Ashgabat. Their flag is unique - it reminds me of a tapestry or a carpet. I think it is beautiful. Their national dish is...
Ichlekli!
It is basically a stuffed meat pizza with no cheese. Ha! Also, this recipe was measured in grams and milliliters, which was new for me! I had to get my trusty scale out. Here's what I did:
ICHLEKLI
1 lb of ground beef
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch paprika
120 ml water
Dough
50 g butter, softened
1 tsp salt
300 ml lukewarm water
500 g gluten free flour
2 tsp xanthum gum
- Put all of the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and with your hands mix it (like you would a meatloaf).
- In another large bowl, mix the dough ingredients with your hand until soft.
- Divide the dough in half and cover the dough with a damp towel for five minutes.
- Sprinkle some flour on a workspace. Take one half of the dough and roll it into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
- Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spread the meat filling evenly over the dough leaving about 2 inches along the edge.
- Sprinkle some more flour, if needed, on a workspace. Take the other half of the dough and roll it into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
- Place the second dough over the filling, and press to seal.
- Cut a small hole in the center of the pie, and prick the rest of the surface with a fork.
- Brush the top of the pie with water.
- Bake at 482 degrees on the middle rack for 25 minutes, until the pie turns light brown.
- Serve immediately.
One thing we tried was cooking this meal on a pizza stone. I don't think it made any difference, so go ahead and use the baking sheet.
(Source: Ichlekli)
