Eggplant and Halloumi Gozleme

To make traditional Turkish gozleme, a thin, unleavened flatbread called yufka is folded around a savory filling, then the bread is toasted on a sac, a round, griddle-like pan, until browned and lightly crisped. We use flour tortillas as our yufka, and after stuffing them, we toast them in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. With a fried eggplant and halloumi filling accented with tangy-sweet pickled peppers and a generous amount of fresh herbs, these gozleme are non-traditional but delicious. Inspired by lahmajoun, a meat-topped open-faced flatbread, we also created a version filled with warmly spiced ground beef; see recipe below. Halloumi is a semi-firm Cypriot cheese traditionally made from sheep and goat’s milk, though cow’s milk is now common. If you cannot find halloumi, Gruyère, though different in flavor, works well. We offer a yogurt sauce on the side that perfectly complements the dish.