Ossetian pie Kartofdjin Recipe

Ossetian pie Kartofdjin… Try saying that with a mouth full of buttery mashed potatoes and melted cheese. This glorious carb-packed creation hails from the mountains of the Caucasus, specifically from Ossetia, where hearty food is a birthright and thin-crust anything is considered dietary treason.

Let’s talk dough first. You want something soft, pliable, and just the right side of chewy. The kind of dough that stretches without tearing and puffs up slightly like it’s enjoying itself. Grab some plain flour, a touch of salt, a glug of sunflower oil, warm water, and a bit of yeast if you want it puffier. Mix it all up and knead until your arms feel like you’ve done a workout disguised as baking. Let it nap in a warm place until doubled in size. This is its moment of zen.

While your dough is meditating, it’s time for the star: the filling. Boil your potatoes until they’re fork-soft. Not just soft, but melt-into-nothing soft. Then mash them like your life depends on it. No lumps. Lumps are betrayal. Now for the cheese. Traditionally, Ossetian cheese is used – a lovely brined cheese that’s tangy, crumbly, and full of attitude. If you can’t get your hands on that (and let’s be honest, unless you live near a shop run by an Ossetian granny, you probably can’t), go for a mix of feta and mozzarella. The feta brings the salt, the mozz brings the goo. Stir the cheese into the mashed potatoes. Add a knob of butter because we’re not here to count calories.

Back to the dough. Tear off a hunk, roll it into a circle roughly the size of a dinner plate. Plop a mound of filling in the middle. Then bring the edges up and over the filling, pinching them together like you’re wrapping up a sleepy baby. Flip the whole thing over and gently pat it out into a flat, round pie. It should resemble a chubby pancake. If the dough rips and some cheese peeks out, don’t stress. That’s just character.

Bake in a hot oven – around 220°C – on a tray or pizza stone if you’re feeling fancy, until golden with little dark spots where the cheese has kissed the crust. As soon as it’s out, brush the top with more butter. Why stop now?

Let it sit for a few minutes unless you like burning the roof of your mouth. Slice it like pizza and watch as the steam escapes, scented with dairy dreams and potato promise. This is the kind of pie that demands to be eaten with your hands and zero shame.

Serve with a glass of kefir if you’re going authentic, or a cold beer if you’re going realistic. It pairs surprisingly well with a fresh tomato salad or a garlicky cucumber yoghurt dip. Or nothing at all. It doesn’t need company to shine.

Ossetian pie Kartofdjin: proof that the gods of carbs exist, and they live somewhere high in the Caucasus with a pie in each hand.

Here’s your shopping list for a proper Kartofdjin pie session:

For the dough:

• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250ml warm water
• 1 tsp dried yeast (optional, for puffier dough)

For the filling:

• 600g potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 150g feta cheese
• 100g mozzarella cheese
• 1–2 tbsp butter (plus extra for brushing)
• Salt to taste

Optional: a cheeky garlic clove or two if you’re into that sort of thing, but purists might roll their eyes.