Fodula from Ottoman cuisine to your table: How to make stuffed bread with minced meat?

In the Ottoman palace cuisine, bread was not merely an accompaniment consumed alongside a meal; it was an important product that sometimes took its place on the table as the main ingredient. Fodula stuffed bread, a notable example of this tradition, is prepared by filling a hollowed-out round loaf with a spiced minced meat mixture.

Standing out with its impressive presentation at special dinner parties, fodula creates both a practical and satisfying main course alternative with the right choice of bread and a balanced filling.

INGREDIENTS

• - 1 large round fodula or village bread
• - 300 grams of medium-fat minced meat
• - 1 onion
• - 2 tablespoons of butter
• - 1 tea glass of boiled chickpeas
• - 1 tea glass of currants
• - 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• - Half a teaspoon of allspice
• - Salt
• - 1 tablespoon of butter for the top
• - Half a tea glass of beef broth or hot water for the top

PREPARATION

Cut the top of the bread to serve as a lid. Carefully remove the inside, taking care not to damage the crust.

Melt the butter in a pan. Sauté the finely chopped onion until it turns pink. Then add the minced meat and cook until it absorbs its juices.

Add the boiled chickpeas, currants, salt, black pepper, and allspice to the mixture. After sautéing for a few more minutes, remove the filling from the heat and let it rest for a short while.

Fill the hollowed-out bread with the mixture you prepared. Place the bread lid you cut back on top.

Brush the melted butter over the bread and drizzle with the beef broth or hot water. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

After letting the fodula rest for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven, you can slice and serve it.