The recipe makes 6 large rolls, approximately 18–20 cm long.

Yield

• 6 large rolls
• 4–6 servings
• Each roll can be cut into 3–4 pieces

Total time

• Preparation: 30–40 minutes
• Assembly: 15 minutes
• Baking: 25–35 minutes
• Resting: 5–10 minutes
• Total: about 1 hour 15 minutes

 INGREDIENTS

A. Minced-meat filling

For a juicier filling

• 2–3 tbsp cold water

Don’t add too much water—the mixture should remain spreadable but not watery.

 B. Cheese & filling

You can use 300 g mozzarella alone if cheddar isn’t available.

Best cheese combination

200 g mozzarella + 100 g cheddar

This gives both stretchiness and good flavor.

 C. Brushing mixture

Mix together:

• 50 g melted butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp yogurt

This mixture makes the outside golden, crispy and flaky.

 D. Garlic-yogurt sauce

• Thick yogurt — 1 cup / 240 g
• Garlic — 2 cloves
• Salt — ½ tsp
• Lemon juice — 1 tbsp
• Olive oil — 1 tbsp
• Fresh parsley — 1 tbsp
• Dried mint — ½ tsp, optional

 STEP 1 — Prepare the vegetables

Finely chop the onion.

You want the onion very finely chopped, because large pieces can make the filling fall apart.

Finely chop:

• garlic
• tomato
• green pepper
• chili
• red pepper
• parsley

Important

The tomato contains quite a lot of water.

After chopping or grating it, lightly squeeze out excess liquid.

You don’t want a watery meat mixture.

 STEP 2 — Make the minced-meat mixture

Place 500 g minced beef in a large bowl.

Add:

• 1 finely chopped onion
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1–2 chopped chilies
• ½ chopped red pepper
• ½ cup parsley
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp red pepper paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp oregano

Mix thoroughly.

Use your hands or a sturdy spoon and mix for 2–3 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp cold water and mix again.

If the mixture still looks very thick, add another tablespoon of water.

What should the meat mixture look like?

It should look similar to a thick paste.

It should be:

 soft
moist
easily spreadable

But NOT:

 watery
runny
dripping with liquid

If it’s too wet, add 1–2 tablespoons breadcrumbs.

STEP 3 — Prepare the cheese

Grate:

• 200 g mozzarella
• 100 g cheddar

Mix them together.

Keep approximately 50 g of cheese aside for the top if you want a particularly cheesy crust.

 STEP 4 — Prepare the lavash

Lay one large lavash sheet flat.

If the lavash is extremely dry, brush it lightly with melted butter.

Don’t soak it.

You want it flexible enough to roll without cracking.

 STEP 5 — Spread the meat

Take approximately 130–150 g meat mixture per lavash.

Spread it over the lavash in a very thin layer.

Leave approximately 2 cm around the edges.

Thickness

Aim for approximately:

3–4 mm of meat mixture

Don’t spread a 1 cm thick layer.

A thick layer will:

• take longer to cook
• make the bread soggy
• prevent the roll from becoming crispy

STEP 6 — Add cheese

Sprinkle approximately 45–50 g cheese over the meat.

Then add a little:

• sliced green pepper
• chopped parsley

Don’t overfill.

Too much filling makes the roll difficult to close.

STEP 7 — Roll

Fold approximately 2 cm of the left and right sides inward.

Then start rolling from the bottom.

Roll firmly.

You want a tight cylindrical roll.

Don’t squeeze it so hard that all the filling comes out.

Place the finished roll seam-side down.

Repeat with all six lavash sheets.

 STEP 8 — Prepare the coating

In a small bowl whisk:

• 50 g melted butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp yogurt

Mix until smooth.

 STEP 9 — Prepare the oven

Preheat your oven to:

Conventional oven

200°C / 400°F

Fan/convection oven

180°C / 350°F

Allow the oven to fully preheat for at least 15 minutes.

A properly preheated oven is important for crispy lavash.

 STEP 10 — Arrange the rolls

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the rolls seam-side down.

Brush the entire surface with the butter/egg mixture.

You can sprinkle on:

• sesame seeds
• nigella seeds
• chopped parsley

For a very cheesy top, sprinkle the reserved