Spinach & Feta Borek
Today’s recipe is Spinach and Feta Borek. Borek is a pastry from the Balkans. It is made using filo pastry and a variety of fillings ranging from vegetarian to non-vegetarian. Borek is available in many bakeries in Germany, and if you wish to make them at home, the ingredients are easily available in supermarkets and Turkish stores.
I tasted borek for the first time during our holiday in Croatia and totally loved it. I recently contacted a friend from Macedonia to help me with the recipe since it is frequently made in her home. They usually pair Burek with Ajwar, a relish made using paprika and eggplants. Ajwar is also easily available in supermarkets and Balkan speciality stores in Germany. Since I wanted an authentic experience, I also paired the Borek I made with Ajwar. However, I would say that the Boreks taste quite good with/without Ajwar. If you like Ajwar, you can also check out the recipe for this quick and easy veg and egg sandwich, in which I used Ajwar.
So, here goes the recipe:
Kitchen Equipment Needed:
Ingredients For Spinach & Feta Borek:
Pastry
- 470 gm Readymade Filo Pastry/Turkish Yufka
Ingredients for the Filling
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium-Sized Onion; Chopped
- 500 gm Spinach; washed and chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- ⅓ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- ⅓ tsp Paprika Powder
- 200 gm Feta Cheese
Ingredients for the spreading mixture
- 2 Medium-Sized Eggs
- 150 gm Yoghurt
- 5 tbsp Olive Oil
Other Ingredients
- Poppy Seeds; for sprinkling
- Black Sesame Seeds; for sprinkling
- White Sesame Seeds; for sprinkling
Some Notes about Ingredient Sourcing in Germany:
Filo Pastry: I used this product, which I got from a Turkish store
I used organic eggs, Yoghurt with 3.5% fat and extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. I purchased most ingredients, except black sesame, white sesame and poppy seeds, from a German supermarket. I bought sesame and poppy from an Indian store near my home.
To read about products available in German Supermarkets, click here.
Method to make Spinach and Feta Borek
Method to make the filling
- Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions. Fry them on medium heat till they become translucent.
- Add chopped spinach. Increase the heat to high. Cook till the spinach is fully done.
- Add salt, black pepper powder and paprika powder.
- Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Once the mixture cools, combine it with crumbled feta cheese.
- The filling mixture is ready.
Method to make the spreading mixture
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and oil.
- Add yoghurt and whisk everything together. The spreading mixture is ready. Keep it aside.
Method to assemble
- Spread the filo sheet/s on the kitchen counter.
- Using a silicon brush, spread the spreading mixture on the filo sheet.
- Put one or two rows on the filling mixture.
- Roll it into a tube.
- Swirl it into a circle and place it on a greased baking tray.
- Now, take another filo sheet. Follow the same steps as above. Wrap the tube around the swirled tube.
- This way, create a spiralling pattern.
- Once all the filo sheets and filling mixture are finished, brush the remaining spreading mixture on the prepared spiral.
- Sprinkle poppy seeds and black and white sesame seeds.
- Bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for about 30 minutes or till you see a golden crust.
- After removing it from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting it into slices and serving it.
Some Additional Notes about the Recipe:
- Cook spinach on high heat. After the onions turn translucent, increase the heat. Divide the chopped spinach into 3-4 portions. Add one portion at a time. Mix it and let it lose its moisture. Then add the 2nd portion and continue till all the spinach has been added. Keep the heat high.
- Add feta cheese only after the spinach mixture has cooled completely.
- Ensure that every part of the filo pastry is in contact with the filling or the spreading mixture. If you leave portions of the filo pastry in contact with neither, those parts will feel dry after baking.
- If you fall short of spreading the mixture, whip up some more using the same recipe. Ensure that the spreading mixture is brushed well between the layers as well as above, at the end after the borek is fully assembled.
- Cool the borek completely before slicing it.
Here is the recipe in printable format:
Spinach Feta Borek
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Pan
- Spatula
- Silicon Brush
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
Pastry
- 470 gm Readymade Filo Pastry/Turkish Yufka
Ingredients for the Filling
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium-Sized Onion; Chopped
- 500 gm Spinach; washed and chopped
- 1 tsp Salt
- ⅓ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- ⅓ tsp Paprika Powder
- 200 gm Feta Cheese
Ingredients for the spreading mixture
- 2 Medium-Sized Eggs
- 150 gm Yoghurt
- 5 tbsp Olive Oil
Other Ingredients
- Poppy Seeds; for sprinkling
- Black Sesame Seeds; for sprinkling
- White Sesame Seeds; for sprinkling
Instructions
Method to make the filling
- Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions. Fry them on medium heat till they become translucent.
- Add chopped spinach. Increase the heat to high. Cook till the spinach is fully done.
- Add salt, black pepper powder and paprika powder.
- Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Once the mixture cools, combine it with crumbled feta cheese. Keep this filling aside.
Method to make the spreading mixture
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and oil.
- Add yoghurt and whisk everything together. The spreading mixture is ready. Keep it aside.
Method to assemble
- Spread the filo sheet/s on the kitchen counter.
- Using a silicon brush, spread the spreading mixture on the filo sheet.
- Put one or two rows on the filling mixture.
- Roll it into a tube. Swirl it into a circle and place it on a greased baking tray.
- Now, take another filo sheet. Follow the same steps as above.
- Wrap the tube around the swirled tube. This way, create a spiralling pattern.
- Once all the filo sheets and filling mixture are finished, brush the remaining spreading mixture on the prepared spiral.
- Sprinkle poppy seeds and black and white sesame seeds.
- Bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for about 30 minutes or till you see a golden crust.
- After removing it from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting it into slices and serving it.
Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.
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