Turkish Eggplant and Cheese Burekitas
The secret to this exquisite snack is its simplicity: the pastry is delicately crisp and the filling is very lightly seasoned. Don't be tempted to add spices. The flame-roasted eggplants combined with cheese need no enhancement.
Ingredients (makes 50 bourekitas)
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The Pastry:
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480 ml (17 fl oz, 2 cups) oil
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240 ml (81/2 fl oz, 1 cup) water
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 kg (2 lb 4 oz, 7 cups) flour
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The Filling:
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5 eggplants
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80 ml (3 fl oz, 1/3 cup) oil
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300 g (101/2 oz) brinza or feta cheese, crumbled
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The Coating:
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1 egg, beaten
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2/3 cup kashkaval or Parmesan cheese, grated, or sesame seeds
photo: Eilon Paz ("The Book of New Israeli Food")
Prepare the pastry: Pour the oil, water and salt into a large bowl. Gradually add the flour and knead into a soft, non-sticky dough.
Prepare the filling: Roast the eggplants (see instructions on p. 31), peel and chop them, and drain in a colander for about 30 minutes.
Add the oil to the eggplants and mix well. Stir in the cheese.
Prepare the bourekitas: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Form about 50 dough balls the size of large apricots and roll them into 12 cm (4.7 inch) thick disks. Put a spoonful of the filling in the center of each disk, fold into a crescent and pinch the edges to seal.
Arrange the bourekitas with sufficient space between them on a tray lined with baking paper. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle grated cheese or sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.