Burek, a beloved dish in the Balkans and beyond, is a savory pastry made from layers of thin dough filled with various fillings. This versatile dish can be enjoyed as an appetizer, main course, or snack, and its origins can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire. Burek is typically made with a combination of flour, water, salt, and oil, and the dough is rolled out into thin sheets before being filled and baked. Common fillings include cheese, meat, vegetables, and potatoes, and each region has its own unique variations. This article provides three popular burek recipes: a classic cheese burek, a hearty meat burek, and a vegetarian spinach and cheese burek. Whether you prefer a traditional or a more modern twist, these recipes offer a delicious and authentic taste of this iconic dish.
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BUREK
This recipe is Eastern European in origin; being from Bosnia, my mom made this for me growing up and my whole family always looked forward to it! Serve with Balkan style yogurt for authenticity.
Provided by mms09
Categories Main Dish Recipes Savory Pie Recipes Beef Pie Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Brown ground beef in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat; stir in allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Transfer beef to a large bowl and stir in potato and onion.
- Unroll phyllo pastry and transfer 2 sheets to a work surface; stack sheets. Spoon 1/8th of the ground beef mixture down one long edge of the phyllo pastry. Roll phyllo into a tube, encasing beef. Shape the tube into a coil (snail shape). Place the roll on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with melted butter. Repeat, placing finished rolls up against one another to keep them from unrolling.
- Bake burek in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 797.1 calories, Carbohydrate 72.8 g, Cholesterol 115.6 mg, Fat 42.1 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 29.9 g, SaturatedFat 18.5 g, Sodium 707 mg, Sugar 2 g
FETA CHEESE BUREK (PHYLLO DOUGH)
An Eastern European delicacy. Probably one of the most loved foods from the Balkans. There are two ways to create burek: with homemade dough or with phyllo dough (pre-made store-bought). In this recipe we will be using the pre-made phyllo dough. You can put potatoes, meat, spinach, boiled cabbage, or feta cheese inside! This one will be with feta cheese. Truly a tasty meal! And very easy to make! Eat with yogurt for authenticity.
Provided by An Ko
Categories Main Dish Recipes Savory Pie Recipes Vegetarian Pie
Time 1h10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet lightly.
- Mix feta cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and eggs together in a bowl. Whisk milk and oil together in a small bowl.
- Brush milk-oil mixture over 3 sheets of phyllo dough and stack together. Place some of the cheese mixture in a straight line on one end of the dough. Roll up tightly to form a spiral shape. Transfer spiral to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining milk-oil mixture, phyllo dough, and cheese mixture.
- Bake burek in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 773.7 calories, Carbohydrate 26.5 g, Cholesterol 145.7 mg, Fat 66.2 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 19.4 g, SaturatedFat 23.7 g, Sodium 916.6 mg, Sugar 4 g
YUGOSLAVIAN BUREK
This is a delicious dish I found in the Frugel Gourmet cookbook. I sounds hard to make, but it really isn't. The shapes of the meat pies make for interesting conversation.
Provided by L. Duch
Categories Meat
Time 30m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat a large frying pan and add the oil.
- Saute the onion until soft, and then add the beef, spices, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook until the meat is crumbly but not dry.
- Cool completely before you continue.
- Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the counter.
- Brush with some of the butter.
- Place a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture acrosss the sheet along the long side, 2 inches from edge.
- Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake shape.
- Cut the roll in half and coil each roll into a snail shape.
- Place on a nonstick baking sheet and butt the end up against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoiling.
- Brush with additional butter.
- Bake in a prheated oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 min or until just golden.
- Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to prevent in from drying out.
BUREK
Categories Lamb Breakfast Bake Phyllo/Puff Pastry Dough Pastry
Yield 5 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Put some butter in a pan and melt it on the stove. Put the meat in and stir a little bit. Put the pepper paste (or tomato sauce) and stir it until the meat turns brown. Let it cool for a little bit. Put the parsley when it's cooled down. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix the eggs, milk, oil and water together. Put one phyllo on an oiled tray, and put some of the mixed eggs/milks. (The objective is not to leave dry spots) Put another phyllo and repeat the process for two more times. (This makes three phyllos at the bottom). Put the filling on the last phyllo. Put the last three phyllos with the mixture in between. Leave some mixture for the top. Put the yogurt on the mixture and spill it on the top. Bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and crusty.
Tips:
- Use fresh ingredients. Fresh filo dough, cheese, and spinach will make a big difference in the final flavor of the burek.
- Don't overfill the burek. The filling should be evenly distributed throughout the filo dough. If you overfill it, the burek will be difficult to fold and may burst open during baking.
- Bake the burek in a hot oven. This will help the filo dough to crisp up and the cheese to melt.
- Let the burek cool slightly before slicing it. This will help the filling to set and prevent it from falling out.
- Serve the burek with yogurt or ayran sauce. These sauces will help to balance out the richness of the burek.
Conclusion:
Burek is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is a great way to use up leftover vegetables and cheese. With a little practice, you can make burek like a pro. So next time you're looking for a new recipe to try, give burek a try. You won't be disappointed!
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