Echpochmaki Steals the Spotlight at Yakutia's Federal Sabantuy Festival

How to Make Echpochmaki, the Traditional Tatar Dish

This summer, Yakutia will host a landmark event—the Federal Sabantuy. Over 1,000 guests, including artists, poets, writers, and representatives from the worlds of culture and sports, are expected to attend the 25th federal-level celebration of this Tatar national festival. Naturally, a variety of traditional Tatar dishes will be prepared to welcome the honored visitors.

Igor Khalilov, chairman of the Tatar Cultural Center Tugan Yak in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), shared with Yakutia Daily his recipe for golden, juicy Tatar pastries known as echpochmaki.

"My wife makes what are probably the most delicious echpochmaki. These triangular pastries have a small hole in the center. She prepares them with either yeast or flatbread dough, and the filling can be lamb, beef, or chicken—always with onions, potatoes, and spices. Echpochmaki somewhat resemble samsa. The pastries turn out golden, juicy, and fragrant, and we usually enjoy them with broth or soup.

The fluffiest, most tender echpochmaki come from puff pastry."

Echpochmaki with Store-Bought Puff Pastry Take a package of frozen puff pastry—yeast or yeast-free, depending on your preference. While the dough thaws, prepare the filling: 500 grams of any meat, 500 grams of potatoes, all diced, plus one finely chopped onion, 1 heaped teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and spices to taste. Once the dough is thawed, cut it into small pieces and roll out circles about 15 cm in diameter. Place the filling in the center of each circle, fold into a triangle, and pinch the edges, leaving a small hole in the middle. Arrange the echpochmaki on a baking sheet, brush with egg yolk, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about an hour.

You can also make the dough from scratch using this recipe.

Classic Puff Pastry Recipe

Combine 500 g of flour with 100 g of softened butter, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and 250 ml of warm water. Knead into a smooth dough.

Take 300 g of frozen butter, quickly chop it into small pieces or grate it coarsely—work fast to keep the butter from melting. Fold the butter into the dough.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2.5 cm, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

After an hour, remove the dough, roll it out to 2 cm thick, fold the edges toward the center, then fold it like a book. Wrap it again and chill for another hour. Repeat this process one more time. Be sure to follow the chilling times precisely.

Enjoy your meal!