Kutab

Name: Kutab
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 egg; 3/4 cup water (warm); 1 lb ground beef; 1/2 onion, finely chopped; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 2 tsp fresh dill, chopped; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 cups vegetable oil

Crispy, golden-brown pastry pockets filled with seasoned ground meat, herbs, and onions - a beloved Ukrainian street food that's savory, satisfying, and utterly craveable.

55 minMediumServes 4420 cal/serving

UkrainianAppetizerStovetopStandard

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup water (warm)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

1

Make the dough: combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, and 3/4 cup water (warm). Knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
2

Make the filling: in a bowl, combine 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 finely chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 2 tsp chopped fresh dill, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix well.
3

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a thin circle, about 5-6 inches in diameter.
4

Place 2 tablespoons of filling on half of each dough circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
5

Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges firmly to seal, creating a half-moon shape.
6

Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350°F (medium-high heat).
7

Working in batches, carefully place the kutab into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until deep golden brown, crispy, and the internal temperature of the 1 lb ground beef reaches 160°F.
8

Drain on paper towels and serve warm with sour cream or mustard on the side.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

Questions

How much time should I plan for Kutab?

As written, 55 minutes: 30 of prep and 25 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 1 (15 minutes): "Cover and let rest for 15 minutes."

How hot should the oil be for Kutab?

For Kutab, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 6. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy. The target internal temperature is 160 F (about 70 C), given in step 7. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Why rest the meat in Kutab?

Step 1 reads: "Cover and let rest for 15 minutes." Heat drives the juices toward the center. The rest in step 1 lets them spread back out, so they stay in the meat instead of running onto the board when you cut.

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef in Kutab?

Yes. Choose turkey that is not extra-lean and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, because turkey has less fat and browns more slowly. Season it a little harder than you would beef. As written, the entry for Kutab uses 1 lb ground beef.

Can I make Kutab gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Kutab is 3 cups all-purpose flour. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

Does Kutab contain eggs?

Yes: 1 egg. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten and eggs. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.