Qutab with Cheese
Cheese qutab is a simple, comforting flatbread filled with salty, crumbly Azerbaijani white cheese that softens beautifully inside the hot, toasted dough. It is a quick, beloved snack that pairs flawlessly with fresh tea.
What is a Cheese Qutab?
A cheese qutab (pendir qutabı) highlights one of Azerbaijan's favorite breakfast and teatime staples: salty white cheese. The filling is incredibly straightforward. Local brined cheese (similar to a firm feta) is crumbled or grated and sometimes mixed with a handful of finely chopped dill or coriander. It is placed inside the thin dough and thrown onto the griddle. Because the cheese has a high salt and moisture content, it steams inside the dough, softening into a warm, savory, and incredibly comforting filling.
How do you eat a Cheese Qutab?
Cheese qutabs are a fantastic grab-and-go food or a lazy weekend breakfast item. You eat them hot off the griddle, usually folded in half. Because the cheese is already quite salty, you do not need to add sumac or extra sauces. The absolute best way to enjoy a cheese qutab is with a cup of freshly brewed black tea. The hot liquid helps wash down the rich, salty cheese, creating a perfect harmony of flavors.
What kind of cheese is used in this Qutab?
The traditional choice is "Agh pendir" (white cheese), which is a local sheep or cow's milk cheese aged in brine. It is quite salty and crumbly. For a more intense, rustic flavor, some regions use "Motal" cheese: a pungent, aged cheese that is traditionally fermented inside a sheepskin sack. It does not stretch like mozzarella; instead, it becomes soft, creamy, and deeply savory when heated inside the qutab.
Ingredients
- Simple unleavened dough
- Crumbled Azerbaijani white cheese (Agh pendir or Motal)
- Finely chopped dill (optional, but common)
- Melted butter (for brushing)
Frequently asked questions
- Does the cheese melt inside the Qutab?
- It softens, but it does not achieve a stringy, stretchy melt like pizza cheese. Because traditional Azerbaijani white cheese is cured in brine, it holds its shape much like Greek feta or Indian paneer. When heated inside the thin dough on the hot Saj, the cheese turns warm, creamy, and slightly fluffy, integrating perfectly with the butter brushed on the outside of the dough.
- What is the best drink to pair with a Cheese Qutab?
- Strong Azerbaijani black tea (çay) is the ultimate pairing. The bitterness of the tea perfectly balances the high salt content of the cheese. In the hot summer months, many locals also love to pair cheese qutabs with an ice-cold glass of Ayran (a savory, frothy yogurt drink), which makes for an incredibly refreshing and light lunch.
