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Kattama
Kattama: Kyrgyz flaky onion flatbread fried in butter
KyrgyzKattama is the layered flatbread of Kyrgyz homes, made to go with tea on cold mornings in Bishkek and the villages around Lake Issyk-Kul: a plain dough rolled thin, spread with butter and chopped onion, rolled up, coiled and rolled flat again, then fried in a pan so it puffs into flaky, crisp layers. A common mistake is pressing the coiled dough too hard, which squeezes out the butter and flattens the layers. Chef's tip: let the coils rest for 15 minutes before the final rolling; the gluten relaxes and the bread opens up into layers as it cooks.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- ¾ cup warm water
- ¾ tsp salt
For the filling
- 2 ⅞ oz soft butter
- 1 onionvery finely chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
For frying
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 12 ½ oz plain flour, ¾ tsp salt and ¾ cup warm water and knead for 8 minutes until soft and smooth. Rest 30 minutes.
8 minStep 2: Divide into 4. Roll one piece into a very thin 35 cm circle, spread with a quarter of 2 ⅞ oz soft butter, scatter with 1 onion and ¼ tsp salt.
Step 3: Roll up into a rope, coil into a snail and rest 15 minutes. Repeat.
15 minStep 4: Roll each coil gently into an 18 cm round. Common mistake: pressing hard; the layers disappear.
Step 5: Fry in 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and puffed. Serve hot.
16 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kattama take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of soft butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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