Meat Kada

Meat Kada

Kada is a flat, stuffed Kurdish bread. The meat version is documented by FOODISH from a family from Zakho and Bitanure; the dairy version is better known, for Shavuot.

Prep: 45 minutes · Rising: 60 minutes · Skillet cooking: 30 minutes · Yield: 20 · Difficulty: medium

Close a ball, and only then flatten

Kada isn’t a thin dumpling but a stuffed skillet bread. Wrap the filling in a ball of dough, pinch the seam, and only after a short rest flatten it gently from the center outward. This way the meat spreads to the edges without tearing them. The filling must be cold and dry; liquid from the onion creates steam and opens the seam in the skillet.

Ingredients

• 1 kg flour, 14 grams yeast, a tablespoon of sugar, a tablespoon of salt, 600 ml water
• 100 ml oil for the dough and another 50 ml for the skillet
• 500 grams ground beef, 2 onions, pepper and baharat

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

A more traditional siska filling is possible; ground beef is an accessible adaptation. Don’t serve it with yogurt as you would dairy kada.

For ground meat, choose 15% fat: leaner meat dries out in the skillet and fattier meat wets the seam. For the siska route, cook beef shoulder until tender, shred it and fry briefly with onion until the liquid disappears. It’s longer work but gives a deep, fibrous filling that is identified with many Kurdish homes in Israel. Baharat is optional; black pepper and salt are enough for a simple filling.

Method

1. Knead the dough for 10 minutes and let rise for an hour.
2. Fry the onion and beef until dry and cool.
3. Divide into 20, fill, pinch closed and flatten into a 12 cm disc.
4. Cook in a lightly oiled skillet for 3–4 minutes per side until the dough is cooked and the meat reaches 71 degrees Celsius.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

Variations and tips

• Drain the meat filling after frying if any liquid remains.
• Medium heat lets the dough cook before the outside burns; cover for a minute if the center stays pale.
• Flip with a wide spatula and don’t press on the pastry while it cooks.
• Cooked and cooled kada freezes well for up to a month; reheat in a covered skillet.

Summary

Two kadas are about 620 calories. See cheese kada and Kurdish cuisine.