Ichlekli: One Big Round Pie, Raw Filling, Two Sheets of Dough
Meat cut by hand into tiny pieces, a raw filling sealed between two equal circles of dough, and a small vent for the steam. The finished color tells you the crust is done; a thermometer in the filling tells you the meat is.
When a large round pie comes out of the oven and the knife goes in, steam rises from the cut. Inside are small pieces of lamb that have cooked together with tomato, onion and bell pepper, closed in by two sheets of dough. That is ichlekli, also written Içlekli or Ishlekli: a Turkmen pie in which a raw filling of meat and vegetables is wrapped between a bottom and a top circle of dough and baked.
This article follows one complete home recipe published by One Turkmen Kitchen as "Turkmen Shepherd's Pie." That recipe lets you choose beef or lamb; here we use lamb. Everything else, the four servings, the amounts, the order of steps, the 30 cm circles and the 250°C bake, follows that one recipe without mixing in amounts from other versions. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan.
The recipe gives 250°C for about 25 minutes, until the top is lightly colored. Because the meat goes in raw and is sealed inside dough, we add one check from a separate source: Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare advises that meat be heated until the center reaches 75°C for at least one minute. That figure is general home food-safety guidance, not part of the recipe's baking time, and 25 minutes does not guarantee it in every oven. Use a thermometer.
For more dishes from the same country, see Turkmenistan.
From Sand and Embers to a Home Oven
One Turkmen Kitchen presents this pie as a dish of Turkmen shepherds. The author describes it as traditionally baked in sand and embers, and gives the version for a modern oven alongside. This article uses only that oven version. It does not describe or recommend baking in sand outdoors, and the sources here do not establish where or when the dish began, or what its name originally meant.
The recipe is one family's version, not a single national formula. Other versions exist with different meat preparations and fats, and we have not blended any of them into this one.
There is also a similar-sounding name to be careful with. Advantour's overview of Turkmen dough products describes shilekli as small triangular deep-fried patties. That is a different form from the large, oven-baked double-crust round here, and the sources do not show the two to be the same dish.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
The filling goes into the pie raw; nothing is cooked beforehand. Keep the filling salt and the dough salt apart, and keep the 8 tbsp of filling water separate from the water you brush on top. There is no egg, milk wash, potato, sauce or herb in this pie.
Choosing the Meat and Other Ingredients
Lamb or beef, but only one. Beef works in place of lamb at the same 500g. Lamb gives the filling its distinct aroma and fat; beef makes a milder pie. Don't mix the two.
Cut the meat yourself. The texture of this pie comes from meat sliced thin, cut into strips, then cut across into tiny pieces. Swapping in ground meat changes that texture and makes it a different filling, so it isn't offered here as a shortcut.
Bell pepper means a sweet pepper. Use half of an ordinary bell pepper. Any color is fine. In Japan, small green piman are not a one-for-one swap for half a bell pepper.
Flour and red pepper. Use wheat flour and a pinch of ground red pepper.
This pie contains wheat (gluten), milk (butter) and meat. The filling is raw meat when it goes into the dough, so use a separate board and knife for the meat, and wash your hands, bowl and tools after handling it. Don't use the raw-meat bowl or board for the finished pie.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board for raw meat, and a separate board for vegetables
- Two mixing bowls (one for the filling, one for the dough)
- Small pan for melting butter
- Clean kitchen cloth
- Rolling pin
- Flat baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Fork
- Pastry brush
- Probe thermometer
- Oven
Method: Cut, Mix, Wrap, Bake, Check
Lay the bottom circle on the parchment-lined tray first, then fill and close the pie right there. A few photos below show the pie on a board; they illustrate the hand movement only. Don't move a filled raw pie.
When Things Go Wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The rim opens in the oven | Filling reached the edge, or the edges weren't pressed hard enough | Keep the outer 1 cm clear of filling and press the folded edge firmly all the way around |
| The circles don't line up | Dough not divided evenly, or circles rolled to different sizes | Divide into two equal pieces and roll both to about 30 cm |
| The top puffs or splits | Steam had nowhere to go | Cut the central vent and prick the whole top with a fork before baking |
| The crust is colored but the filling isn't at 75°C | Oven runs cool, or the filling is thick | Keep baking and check again; the color alone doesn't tell you the meat is done |
| Some bites are all meat, others all vegetable | Filling not mixed or spread evenly | Mix the filling well and spread it in an even layer |
| The filling texture is pasty | Meat was ground instead of knife-cut | Cut the meat by hand: slices, then strips, then tiny pieces |
Variations
- Beef instead of lamb. Use 500g of beef in place of the lamb, with everything else the same. Use one meat only.
- Sand and embers. The traditional way of baking this pie belongs to the dish's background; it isn't given here as a method to follow.
Other changes, such as small individual pies, a frying pan version, or adjusting the dough for a particular flour, aren't covered here. Small fried pastries with a similar name are a different dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ichlekli?
It is a Turkmen pie of meat and vegetables wrapped raw between a bottom and a top circle of dough and baked. One Turkmen Kitchen calls it "Turkmen Shepherd's Pie" and presents it as a shepherds' dish once baked in sand and embers, now also made in the oven.
Can I use beef instead of lamb?
Yes. The recipe this article follows allows beef or lamb. Beef gives a milder pie than lamb. Use 500g of one meat, not a mix.
Is it safe to wrap raw meat in dough?
The recipe puts the filling in raw, so check the meat after baking. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare advises heating meat until the center reaches 75°C for at least one minute, and keeping raw-meat tools separate or washed. Use a thermometer in the center of the filling. The sources here don't give a reliable way to confirm doneness without one.
Is 250°C for 25 minutes enough?
It is the time and temperature the recipe gives, with a lightly colored top as the sign. It is not a guarantee that the filling is safe. Ovens and pie thickness vary, so keep baking until the center of the filling reaches 75°C and holds for at least one minute.
Can I use ground meat?
The recipe cuts the meat by hand, and ground meat gives a different texture. It isn't offered here as a substitute.
Can I brush it with egg?
No. The recipe brushes the top with water only.
Is ichlekli the same as shilekli?
The sources don't show that. Advantour describes shilekli as small triangular deep-fried patties, a different form from this large baked pie.
How long does it keep?
The recipe says to serve the pie right away and gives no storage guidance, so we can't give a storage time. Don't leave it sitting out at room temperature.
Sources
- One Turkmen Kitchen, "Turkmen Shepherd's Pie." The recipe this article follows: all ingredients and amounts for four servings, the choice of beef or lamb, partial freezing and knife-cutting of the meat, the dough, two 30 cm circles with a 1 cm border, sealing, the central vent and fork holes, the water wash, baking on the middle rack at 250°C for about 25 minutes, serving right away, and the author's description of sand-and-embers baking and the modern oven version. https://turkmenkitchen.com/en/recipe/turkmen-shepherds-pie
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), "家庭での食中毒予防" (Preventing food poisoning at home). General home guidance on heating meat until the center reaches 75°C for at least one minute, and on washing and separating tools. Not a recipe source for this dish. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00008.html
- Advantour, "Turkmen Dough Products." Overview of Turkmen dough dishes and the description of shilekli as small triangular deep-fried patties, used only to distinguish that similar-sounding pastry. https://www.advantour.com/turkmenistan/dishes/dough-products.htm
