Bourekia is a pastry made with a thin flaky phyllo, and are filled with anari which is the Cypriot name of the cheese, which is similar to anthotyros or ricotta.
Anari is a white soft whey cheese which is produced when making halloumi or kefalotyri.
It has a delicate, creamy flavour, slightly sweet, which makes it perfect to use in both sweet and savoury pastries or other desserts.
In this recipe the cheese filling is sweetened and flavoured by adding sugar, cinnamon and orange blossom water.
If you cannot find anari or Greek anthotyros or myzithra, you can substitute it with Greek manouri or with ricotta.
In Crete bourekia are called kaltsounia. You will also find similar pastries with different names, such as turnovers, empanadas, calzone, borek, samosa etc.
They can also be made savoury as well with other kind of cheese, such as halloumi, graviera or feta but also filled with minced meat, mushrooms, spinach, pumpkin, potatoes or other fillings.
During Lent you can make a different kind of Bourekia Nistisima (Lenten) by filling them with store bought halvas.
How to make Bourekia
To make Bourekia you must first make some homemade dough.
After the dough rests for about half a hour, roll out a thin phyllo sheet.
You can roll out the phyllo, the traditional way with a rolling pin or if you have a pasta machine, you can roll the phyllo much easier.
Add a tablespoon filling, between each one leaving some space between each one.
Then brush the empty space with olive oil or vegetable oil and cover them with the phyllo.
Press the gaps with your finger in order to stick together.
Cut it using a drinking water glass starting from one end to the other to form semi-circle pastries.
(Traditionally they are cut with a water glass but we can cut them with a knife and press the edges with a fork or use a ravioli cutter).
At this stage you can freeze them.
Put them in a tray, adding cling film between each layer. When they freeze, you can empty them in zip lock bags.
Fry them without thawing them.
Put them on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and served them with some icing sugar on top.
Bourekia me Freskia Anari - Pastries with Fresh Anari Cheese
Boureki (plural bourekia) is a type of pastry made of a thin flaky dough known as phyllo and are filled with anari (anthotyros or myzithra, as it is known in Greece), which is similar to ricotta.
Ingredients
- 1 dose phyllo, using all purpose flour
- Olive oil or peanut oil for frying
- Icing sugar for sprinkling on top
Filling:
- 500 grams (1.10 lbs) fresh anari
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 - 3 tbsp orange blossom water
Instructions
- Prepare the dough and set aside to rest for half an hour.
- To make the filling, crumble the anari with a fork and mix all ingredients except the icing sugar and make a fluffy mixture.
- Roll out the dough into a thin sheet of phyllo and place one tablespoon cheese mixture, leaving a gap of about 3 cm (or 1 inch) and continue to fill the pastry. Wet the gaps with olive oil and fold the pastry over the filling to enclose it completely.
- Press the gaps with your finger in order to stick together and cut it using a drinking water glass starting from one end to the other to form semi-circle pastries.
- Heat the oil and fry the bourekia on both sides until golden brown.
- Place on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil and when they cool, sprinkle with icing sugar on top.
Nutrition Information
Yield 40 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 32Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 0g
"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."
Tyrini Sunday Recipes
Here are some creations of mine with cheese:
Dakos Savoury Greek Cheesecake
A savoury cheesecake I made during Christmas, based on the Greek Cretan recipe for Dakos.
Bourekia me Freskia Anari - Pastries with Fresh Anari Cheese
Boureki (plural bourekia) is a type of pastry made of a thin flaky dough known as phyllo and are filled with anari (anthotyros or myzithra, as it is known in Greece), which is similar to ricotta.
Moustokouloura with Fresh Grape Juice and Anthotyros
Moustokouloura cookies can be made either with fresh grape juice or grape molasses. They are perfect as a snack or for breakfast!
Chicken Tortellini Carbonara
This chicken tortellini is a Greek-style carbonara as we add cream and yoghurt to the sauce.
Turkey Ravioli with leftovers
These Turkey Ravioli are made with homemade phyllo, stuffed with leftover roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, cheese and other ingredients.
Tyropitari
Tyropitari pronounced Tee-rho-pee-TAH-ree, is a homemade Greek pastry filled with feta cheese and deep fried, which is served as an appetizer.
Tyropita with Kourou Phyllo
Tyropita Kourou is a cheese pie made with a type of phyllo made with butter and yoghurt, which I would describe somewhat like tart dough.
Cypriot Muffins in Phyllo Cases
Halloumi Muffins are based on my Kypriaki Tyropita (a savoury halloumi cake) but made in muffin tins which are lined with phyllo pastry.
Greek Creased Cheese Pie (Patsavouropita)
Creased Cheese Pie is a different Greek pie called Patsavouropita (pronounced. pah-tsah-vou-RHO-pee-ta), which is very easy to make and tastes amazing. This Greek pie is made by creasing each phyllo sheet and dipping it in a batter made with soda water, eggs and feta.
Flaounes (Cypriot Easter Cheese filled Bread)
Flaounes pr. flah-OU-ness (singular flaouna) is a traditional Cypriot Easter cheese bread made with an aromatic yeasted phyllo dough, filled with a special Cypriot cheese, called Pafitiko, made during the Easter period especially for flaounes, flavoured with Masticha (mastic resin), mahlepi (mahleb) and mint.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
