Sembusek

Thin half-moon pastries from Mardin, Turkey, filled with ground lamb, parsley, red pepper paste and cumin and cooked on a griddle. Eat them hot with ayran or tea.

Ingredients

• 400 g white flour
• 170 g (3/4 cup) lukewarm water
• 5 g (1 1/2 tsp) dry yeast
• 30 g (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 300 g ground lamb
• 150 g (1 large) onion
• 20 g (1/2 bunch) parsley
• 20 g (1 tbsp) red pepper paste
• 4 g (1 tsp) red pepper flakes
• 2 g ground cumin
• 20 g (1 1/2 tbsp) sunflower oil
• 10 g (2 tsp) salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the flour, yeast, olive oil and 5 g of the salt; add the lukewarm water gradually and knead for 8-10 minutes into a soft dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

2. 2

   For the filling, very finely chop the onion and rub it with the remaining salt. Add the lamb, finely chopped parsley, red pepper paste, red pepper flakes and cumin and knead well.

3. 3

   Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each on a floured counter into a thin circle 20-22 cm across.

4. 4

   Spread a thin layer of filling over half of each circle, leaving a 1 cm border. Fold the other half over and press the edges to seal into a half-moon.

5. 5

   Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly brush with sunflower oil. Cook the sembusek for 3-4 minutes per side until the dough is browned and the meat inside is cooked. Lightly oil the pan again for each batch.

6. 6

   Stack the cooked pastries under a clean kitchen towel for 5 minutes to soften, then cut in half and serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving