Qutab (thin filled flatbread)
Thin half-moon flatbreads filled with herbs, meat or pumpkin, cooked on a saj griddle and sprinkled with sumac.
Well-cooked hot dish

Ingredients
- flour
- water
- salt
- herbs (spinach
- dill
- coriander
- spring onion) or minced meat
- butter
- sumac
- yoghurt
How it is prepared
Filling goes on thinly rolled dough, which is folded into a half-moon, cooked on both sides on a dry griddle and brushed with butter.
Food safety with low immunity
- Minced meat and dishes made from it must always be fully cooked — including the middle.
- When there are lots of herbs, wash them well and cook them in the dish; during neutropenia it is wise to skip a raw herb garnish.
- Use only pasteurised milk, yoghurt, cream and cheese.
How to prepare it during treatment
Meat qutab must be cooked right through. They are best eaten fresh and hot.
Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →
Storage
Once cooled, refrigerate (within 2 hours) and eat within 1–2 days.
Reheating
In the oven until hot in the centre; in a microwave, turn halfway.
Symptoms it may suit
- Taste changes. Aromatic spices, herbs or a little sourness can help when food tastes bland or metallic (if there are no mouth sores).
- Low appetite. Gives a lot of energy and protein in a small portion — can help when appetite is low.
These are general observations: what suits you can change from day to day.
Treatment phases
- Before treatmentmay suit
- During a coursemay suit
- Low counts (neutropenia)Freshly cooked and hotmay suit
- Between coursesmay suit
- After treatmentmay suit
Phase notes are general. During low counts, follow only your care team’s food rules.
If you have other conditions
- Autoimmune disease, Stomach and gut. Contains wheat (gluten). With coeliac disease and some autoimmune conditions, discuss it with your team.
- Heart disease, Obesity, Liver disease, Stomach and gut. Can be fatty. With heart, liver or digestive disease, or excess weight, discuss fat content and portions with your team.
- Heart disease. Lots of green herbs or leaves (vitamin K). If you take blood-thinning medicine, discuss keeping the amount steady with your team.
Nutrition (per 100 g)
Nutrition figures from a reliable source have not been added for this dish yet.
More from this cuisine
- Plov (saffron rice)
- Dolma (stuffed vine leaves)
- Dushbara (dumpling soup)
- Piti (lamb and chickpea stew)
- Dovga (yoghurt and herb soup)
- Kuku (herb frittata)
- Lavangi (walnut-stuffed chicken)
- Merji shorbasi (red lentil soup)
- Toyug shorbasi (chicken soup with noodles)
- Kufta bozbash (meatball and chickpea soup)
- Khash (slow-boiled trotter broth)
- Khingal (dough squares with fried mince)
- Kalam dolmasi (stuffed cabbage leaves)
- Uch baji dolmasi (stuffed aubergine, pepper and tomato)
- Shah plov (crown plov baked in lavash)
- Shuyud plov (dill and broad bean plov)
- Fisinjan plov (meatballs in walnut-pomegranate sauce)
- Sabzi govurma (lamb stewed with herbs)
- Turshu govurma (sweet-sour lamb with dried fruit)
- Lula kebab (minced lamb kebab)
- Tika kebab (lamb chunk kebab)
- Nara kababi (sturgeon kebab)
- Saj ichi (meat and vegetables cooked on a saj)
- Toyug bozartmasi (chicken stewed with onion and tomato)
- Toyug chighirtmasi (chicken with eggs)
- Jiz-biz (lamb offal fry with potatoes)
- Pomidor-yumurta (eggs scrambled with tomatoes)
- Sudlu siyig (milk rice porridge)
- Choban salad (shepherd salad)
- Motal cheese (skin-ripened sheep cheese)
- Ayran (salted yoghurt drink)
- Shekerbura (walnut-filled pastry)
- Pakhlava (Baku layered walnut pastry)
- Firni (rice-flour milk pudding)
- Dried fruit kompot
- Tandir bread
Related topics
Food safetyNeutropenic diet (low-microbial diet)PasteurisedCore cooking temperatureLeftoversCross-contamination
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune Systems
- FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS). Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
- Food Standards Agency (UK). Chilling
- World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food manual
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
- National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
- BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2019. Neutropenic diets to prevent cancer infections: updated systematic review and meta-analysis
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FoodData Central — Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)