Ichlekli
Non-vegetarian
Içlekli
A large round pie of plain bread dough enclosing chopped lamb and plenty of onion, baked until the juices steam the filling. Traditionally baked by shepherds in hot sand under the embers.
Ichlekli is a Turkmen main course from Turkmenistan, ready in about 2 hours and made with all-purpose flour, lamb shoulder and onion. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 2 h
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 543
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Method
Step 1
Mix the flour, water, salt and oil into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- 10 min
Step 2
Mix the chopped lamb with the onion (opens in a new tab), salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and cumin (opens in a new tab). Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 200 °C.
- 10 min
- 200°C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw meat.
Step 3
Divide the dough in two, one piece slightly larger. Roll both into thin rounds about 30 cm across. Lay the larger one on a floured tray, spread over the filling, leaving a rim, cover with the second round and pinch and roll the edges to seal. Prick the top a few times.
Step 4
Bake until deep golden and the filling is bubbling hot, about 50–55 minutes. Brush with butter (opens in a new tab) as it comes out.
- 55 min
- 200°C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: The filling should reach at least 71 °C.
Step 5
Rest for 5 minutes until the juices settle, then cut into wedges.
- 5 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Turkmenistan · Commonly attributedMore food from Turkmenistan
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Pastries
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked
- Taste
- savoury, peppery, rich
- Diet
- No nut ingredients · High-proteinWithout the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein - Good for
- Portable / lunchbox · Make-ahead
- Cook more with
- All-purpose flour · Lamb shoulder · Onion
- Techniques
- Baking
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
- Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
- Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
543 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 260 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 16%
- Carbohydrate 47%
- Fat 37%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 543 kcal | 209 kcal |
| Protein | 21.9 g | 8.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 62.8 g | 24.1 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 59.8 g | 23 g |
| Sugars | 2.5 g | 1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g | 1.2 g |
| Fat | 22.1 g | 8.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 8.6 g | 3.3 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 50 mg | 19 mg |
| Sodium | 1029 mg | 396 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.6 g | 1 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 384 mg
- Calcium
- 39 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 12 µg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.6 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- —
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: cumin, butter.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Lots of onion is the point — it melts into juices that keep the meat moist inside the crust.
Common mistakes
- Not sealing the edges well lets the juices escape and the filling dry out.
- Rolling the dough thick — the pie becomes bready and the filling undercooks.
Serve with
- Serve with green tea and a tomato and cucumber salad.
Storage
- Keeps 2 days in the fridge.
Reheating
- Warm in a 180 °C oven for 10–15 minutes.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 35 min
Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.
Rest · about 30 min
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
Bake · about 55 min at 200 °C
Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.
Cool · about 5 min
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 2 h 5 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
The dough
| Ingredient | Role | Weight | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Flour | 450 g | 100% |
| Water | Water | 250 g | 55.6% |
| Sunflower oil | Fat | 14 g | 3% |
| Salt | Salt | 6 g | 1.3% |
- Total flour
- 450 g
- Hydration
- 55.6%
- With milk, eggs…
- 55.6%
- Wholegrain
- 0%
Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.
- Medium dough (55–65%) — soft and easy to knead; sandwich loaves and rolls.
- Salt 1.3% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
If something goes wrong
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Crust too hard or thick
Likely causes
- Baked too long at too low a temperature
- No steam at the start
What to do
- Bake hotter for a shorter time
- Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
- Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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