Gozleme – “eye” of Turkish cuisine

MK TR GR

Gozleme or Sac Boregi is a traditional Turkish meal. Its name comes from the Turkish word “goz” which means “eye”.

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It is made of kneaded dough rolled into very thin crusts, just like a pancake and then sprinkled with different fillings which depends on tasters’ preferences:

– spinach and feta cheese

– spinach, feta cheese and minced meat

– spinach, feta cheese and eggs

– seafood

– eggs

– minced meat

– yellow cheese

– potatoes

– mushrooms

– roasted eggplant

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If you want to prepare gozleme at home, you need the following ingredients:

For the dough:

– 450 gr flour

– 320 ml hot water

– 7 gr dry yeast

– 1 teaspoon sugar

– 2 teaspoons salt

– oil for coating

For the filling:

– 300 gr spinach, boiled

– 100 gr feta cheese

– 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

– 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:

Put the salt in the flour and sift them through a fine sieve in a bowl. Put the dry yeast and sugar in the hot water to melt. When yeast begins to form creamy foam, pour it in the bowl with the flour. Knead soft dough, put it in a warm place and let it rise until its size doubles. When you notice that the dough is double its size, divide it in 8 equal balls and let them rise for a while.

In the meantime you can prepare the filling. Boil the spinach, chop it in small pieces and let it dry. Chop the garlic clove in small pieces and fry it in a little oil. When it changes colour, pour the spinach. Crush the cheese with a fork and mix it with the spinach. Mix in the ingredients well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roll each piece of dough as thin as possible.

Put the filling only on one half of each crust and spread it in a thin layer. Fold and press the edges. Bake in a pan (preferably ceramic) slightly greased with butter, margarine or oil. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes at medium heat.

This specialty can be found in almost every restaurant in Turkey, but I suggest you try it only in restaurants where you can see women preparing it on the spot. You can have cold ayran with this specialty.

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