If you love Turkish cuisine you would of come across many different types of börek and fillings. This is one of my favourite types of börek, Sigara Böreği. It is a filo pastry or in Turkish it is known as Yufka, which is rolled like a cigarette, filled with cheese and parsley. These beauties can be enjoyed hot or old and usually as a Meze or as a snack. I make these in advance and put them in my freezer so whenever I feel I want some I can take them out and cook them fresh.
You may come across different recipes for Sigara Börek but I always keep it simple and they are so moreish you just want to keep eating them.
Traditionally this type of börek is made with a soft white cheese like feta but you can use grated halloumi (Turkish Cypriots like to mix feta and halloumi together) either option tastes amazing. Yufka is a little bit thicker than your usual filo pastry so if you can't find Yufka in your local Turkish shop or Middle Eastern food shops you can use filo pastry, you may need a couple of sheets at a time to stop it from splitting.
INGREDIENTS
1 packet of Yufka, triangular are best, if not cut them
200 ml of Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil
200g Turkish White Cheese or Feta
1/4 Fresh Parsley, about the size of a handful, finely chopped
Milk or Egg Wash
METHOD
In a small mixing bowl, break up the cheese and add the chopped parsley and with a fork mash/mix the two together until all the cheese is soft
Using a chopping board, lay out a yufka sheet
Using a tablespoon spoon a small amount of mixture and place onto the wide end of the pastry (not too close to the ends)
Fold in the bottom corners in and roll the pastry into a cigar (try not to roll too loose) use a little water to wet down the point at the end of the roll
Place onto a plate and repeat until you run out of mixture
TIP: When using filo pastry/ yufka remember to cover the left overs well and put it in the fridge to keep it fresh and use within a couple of days
Before frying, brush the pastries with the milk or egg wash
In a large frying pan heat the olive oil on a medium heat for a few minutes and slowly add the pastries
Make sure you turn them frequently to get an even golden colour, and serve hot.
Other filling suggestion are spinach and feta, minced lamb or beef with tomato pureè, onions and fresh or dried herbs or even cooked sausages, like a turkish style sausage roll.
I hope you like this recipe, let me know what you think.
Enjoy!
Love & Light
This sounds amazing! I've actually never had Turkish food before but I really want to try it!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, you have to try it! xo
ReplyDelete