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    Home » Persian Recipes

    Walnut Filled Persian Pastry - Qottab

    Published: Mar 16, 2018 · Modified: Mar 1, 2020 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

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    Qottab is a Persian pastry filled with walnuts is a delicious traditional treat from Iran. Delicate and flaky dough is filled with a combination of walnuts and cardamom - making this the perfect Persian dessert!

    Qottab is a Persian pastry filled with walnuts is a delicious traditional treat from Iran. Delicate and flaky dough is filled with a combination of walnuts and cardamom - making this the perfect Persian dessert!

    It's time for a Persian sweet recipe as we are approaching the Persian New Year - Nowruz!

    What I love the most about Persian recipes is that they call for basic, always at hand ingredients. These Persian raisin cookies and Persian cardamom muffins are the perfect examples of simple ingredients accompanied by amazing flavors. And today, I'm going to show you how to make Qottab (Ghottab) with simple ingredients, too!

    What is Walnut Filled Persian Pastry - Qottab?

    Qottab is a traditional Persian pastry originating from Yazd, a city in Iran that's famous for its out of this world pastries and sweets. These little bites of deliciousness are made with a basic dough and filled with the very tasty combination of ground walnuts, powdered sugar and cardamom. These are so good, they're a staple of every household during Nowruz (Persian New Year).

    Although Ghottab might be a little bit time consuming to make, it has very straight forward steps that are simple to follow. I always tell people to make two batches of these Persian sweets because they're too good to only have one!

    How to make Walnut Filled Persian Pastry

    Start with mixing the egg yolks and oil until well combined, add in powdered sugar, yogurt, cardamom and then the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough forms and then knead for three to five minutes until it's not sticky. Then put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Set aside for two hours. Since the dough doesn't have yeast, it's not going to rise.

    To make this Persian dessert you need walnuts, sugar, cardamom, flour, vegetable oil and egg yolk. Make the dough fist.

    Meanwhile, make the walnut filling: Start with grinding the walnuts in a food processor or a blender. Make sure it doesn't turn into butter. We just need it to have a powdery texture. Add in powdered sugar and cardamom. After two hours, roll out the dough and then fold it in half and then fold it again, so you have four layers of dough. This will help the dough to have layers and be crispy. Roll the dough out again and using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles and fill them with the walnut filling.

    Seal the edges, then pinch and fold over as shown in the photo. You can also simply use a fork to seal the edges or roll the walnut filled dough into a ball and make sure the edges are all pinched together.

    Cut out circles from the dough and fill them with walnuts cardamom mixture. Pinch the edges and seal them.

    Bake the Persian pastries in the oven for fifteen to eighteen minutes until they are golden. Instantly roll them in powdered sugar and serve on a platter.

    I love having walnut pastry with tea in the afternoon. These Persian walnut pastries are perfect for the New Year - Nowruz as they are really delicious and very traditional. Everyone loves a cookie filled with tasty walnuts and cardamom!

    Serve walnut pastry with warm black tea. These pastries are delicious and flaky.

    Back in Iran, my maman and I used to make these Persian sweets all the time. It was so fun doing it together and that's a reason I love making these pastries as they remind me of my time with my maman and how we used to do everything together.

    Now I have the chance to visit my maman and baba for our Persian new year and we will make Persian Pastry again. This time, we'll do it together and it's going to be so much fun, just like our old days!

    Sprinkle powdered sugar on the Persian sweets and serve with some tea.

    Notes and tips to make Walnut Persian Pastry (Qottab)

    • Don't over knead the dough as it has vegetable oil in it and might release the oil which would result in a dry, broken pastry. Make sure the dough is not sticky.
    • You can add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the walnut filling for a new layer of flavor similar to baklava. Also, you can always add more powdered sugar.
    • You can make the dough ahead of time and wrap it in a plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Make sure the dough comes to room temperature before rolling it out.
    • Qottab is traditionally fried. However, I prefer to bake them. If you would like to fry them, fill a sauce pan up to a third and heat over medium heat. Fry the pastry until golden brown and then transfer them onto a kitchen towel to absorb the oil.
    • You can either pinch and fold over the edges or just form the walnut filled dough into a small ball and proceed with the process. Both approaches work perfectly.

    This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Unicorns in the Kitchen.

    Qottab - Persian Walnut Pastry is a delicious dessert that everyone loves.

    Walnut Filled Persian Pastry - Qottab

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    Qottab is a Persian pastry filled with walnuts is a delicious traditional treat from Iran. Delicate and flaky dough is filled with a combination of walnuts and cardamom - making this the perfect Persian dessert! 
    4.75 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 40 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Resting time 2 hrs
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Persian
    Servings 30 Pastries
    Calories 126 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup Vegetable Oil
    • 2 Egg Yolks
    • 1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
    • ½ cup Plain Yogurt See Note #1
    • 1 ⅔ cup All Purpose Flour See Note #2
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

    Walnut Filling:

    • 1 ½ cup Walnuts
    • ⅓ cup Powdered Sugar See Note #3
    • 1 ½ tsp Ground Cardamom

    Final Steps:

    • 1 Egg Whisked
    • 1 cup Powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, whisk the oil and egg yolks until fully combined. 
    • Add in powdered sugar and cardamom. Whisk well until everything is combined. Whisk in the plain yogurt. 
    • Add in the flour and baking powder. Using a wooden spoon, mix the flour and baking powder into the batter until it forms a dough. 
    • Knead for three to five minutes (See Note #4).  Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and set aside for two hours. (The dough won't rise much.) 

    Walnut Filling:

    • Grind the walnuts in a blender or food processor. Mix them with powdered sugar and ground cardamom. 

    Make the pastries:

    • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
    • Flour the counter top well and roll out the dough at about ¼ inch thickness. Fold it in half, and then fold it in half again (so you have four layers) Roll the dough out again, this time at ⅛ inch thickness.
    • Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass) cut out circles and set them aside. 
    • Place some walnut filling in the center of each circular dough. Fold the dough in half and pinch and seal the edges by rolling and folding the edges little by little. (See Note #5) 
    • Place the walnut filled pastries on the baking sheet and brush them with whisked egg. Bake the pastries in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes until they're golden brown. 
    • Take the pastries out of the oven and roll them in powdered sugar. 
    • Serve with some freshly brewed tea. 

    Notes

    1. You can use either plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt. I prefer to use non fat yogurt but whole milk yogurt would work just fine. 
    2. If the dough hasn't come together after adding 1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour and is still sticky, add more flour, ¼ cup at a time until it's not sticky anymore. 
    3. Taste the filling before proceeding. You might need to add more powdered sugar, I usually don't like mine very sweet but some might like it sweeter. Use powdered sugar cautiously as you're going to roll the pastry in powdered sugar after you bake them, too. 
    4. Don't over-knead the dough as it would release the oil and dry out later. 
    5. You can seal the edges by pressing the fork on the edges. You can also pinch the edges together at once and make a small dough ball. 
    6. You can also fry Qotab. To fry these pastries, fill a medium sized sauce pan up to two inches, and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the pastries for about three to five minute until it's all golden brown. Place on a kitchen towel to absorb extra oil and then roll in powdered sugar. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 5mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 29IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

    Have you made this recipe? Let us know by commenting and rating on this recipe. Take a picture and tag @unicornsinthekitchen and #unicornsinthekitchen for a chance to be featured!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rosie

      January 23, 2022 at 11:59 pm

      Excited to try this! Can you re-roll the dough after you cut the circles?

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        January 24, 2022 at 8:54 am

        You sure can!

        Reply
    2. Ruth

      March 07, 2020 at 1:57 am

      How do I make cardamom powder at home?

      Reply
    3. Nina

      March 17, 2019 at 3:43 am

      5 stars
      Shadi joon thank you so much , I have made this and it turned out just beautiful, I can’t wait to make more for this Noorooz:) thanks again for the detailed description:)

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        March 20, 2019 at 12:41 am

        Glad you enjoyed this recipe Nina! Happy Nowruz!

        Reply
    4. Leroy

      February 11, 2019 at 7:37 am

      The sweetness of this pastry is good, but the texture is.... dry. They need some liquid other than oil! I may make a caramel dipping sauce and see if that helps.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        February 11, 2019 at 11:55 am

        Hi Leroy, thank you for your comment, I'm glad you tried this Persian recipe. You are right, traditionally, this pastry is dry. I'm pretty sure a caramel dipping sauce (or maybe dolce de leche?) would make them even better!

        Reply
    5. Veena Azmanov

      April 07, 2018 at 12:29 am

      5 stars
      mmm this recipe looks so cute! I want to try this with a cup of tea or coffee. And I'm sure it's very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 09, 2018 at 11:43 am

        Glad you like it Veena! It's such an easy and tasty recipe!

        Reply
    6. camila hurst

      April 06, 2018 at 8:38 pm

      5 stars
      What an interesting dough! I am very curious to make this!! I am sure it would be a hit!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 09, 2018 at 6:49 am

        Hope you love it!

        Reply
    7. Lisa Bryan

      April 06, 2018 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      I love learning about new traditional recipes and this sounds amazing! I also love anything with cardamom. 😉

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 09, 2018 at 1:18 pm

        me too! Thanks Lisa!

        Reply
    8. Jill

      April 06, 2018 at 7:31 pm

      5 stars
      I have never tried a dessert like this, but I really like cardamom and walnuts so I'm sure I'd love it!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 09, 2018 at 1:05 pm

        Hope you try and enjoy this!

        Reply
    9. Claudia Lamascolo

      April 06, 2018 at 5:41 pm

      I have had these once and always wondered what that unique flavor was and couldnt figure it out. I see it cardamon and I love it cant wait to try this

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 09, 2018 at 11:45 am

        Thank you Claudia! Yes! Cardamom makes it so unique!

        Reply
    10. Stine Mari

      April 05, 2018 at 2:20 am

      5 stars
      I've never heard of these before, but they do sound delicious! And I love that you are thorough and provide good tips, too. 🙂

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 05, 2018 at 5:52 am

        Thank you so much Stine! I'm happy you like these. They are delicate and filled with so much flavor from the cardamom and walnuts, and they are also so simple to make 🙂

        Reply

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