Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)

Turkish Rolls with cheese (Sigara Boregi or Cigarette Borek) is a type of pastry made with thin filo pastries called yufka, filled with cheese and then shallow-fried for extra crispness. These delicious pastries have a cylindric shape that looks like cannolis or taquitos but differ in taste.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Boregi)?
• Related Recipes
• Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)

Same as Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) and Borek With Meat and Spinach, they are perfect as finger food, snack, breakfast, or as part of a mezze platter. You can make them in advance in big batches and freeze them for later. No need to defrost before frying, take them out of the freezer then fry them in hot oil.

Borek is a general name for savoury Turkish pastries made with a thin, crispy crust and various fillings. The most common way to cook them is in the oven although Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Borek) are best when shallow fried in a pan.

You can make different variations by changing the fillings, but the cheese and herb filling is the most popular one. They're not the quickest to prepare but they are fairly easy to put together.

Why This Recipe Works?

• It's a great food for gatherings and entertainment, you can serve them as finger food, as a part of a mezze platter or as a vegetarian appetiser.

• This recipe is very easy to follow with step-by-step pictures, instructions and a short video tutorial.

• They freeze beautifully, you can keep the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• You can make them ahead for up to 3 days and fry them when needed.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Yufka - These round shape thin dough parcels are easy to find online or from Turkish or Middle Eastern food shops. You can use filo pastries instead which is similar but thinner than yufka, and they come in rectangular shapes. Filo (or phyllo) pastries are available in most supermarkets and shops, and you can buy them fresh or frozen.

• Feta - I prefer feta cheese made with sheep milk with high-fat content with a creamy texture. You can replace it with goat's cheese, cottage cheese or Kasar cheese.

• Halloumi - It's a great tasting semi-hard cheese and I love adding it to my cheese fillings for pastries. You can omit it and add any other favourite cheese of yours.

• Herbs - Parsley, mint and dill are my favourite herbs to pair with cheese but you can use basil, oregano, thyme, chervil or chives instead. If you want to use dried herbs, use ⅓ of the amount.

How to Make Turkish Cheese Rolls (Sigara Boregi)?

Making these delicious cheese boreks is very simple and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare the Filling

Crumble the feta cheese using a fork and place it in a bowl. Grate halloumi cheese and add it to the feta cheese. Add the chopped parsley, mint, dill, and freshly ground black pepper to the cheese mixture. Mix with a spoon to combine.

Roll the Pastries

Cut the filo pastries into 8 equal triangles. That would give you 24 triangles. Place a triangle of yufka on a large, flat surface, pointed end away from you. Add a tablespoonful of cheese filling to the wide end and spread it into a thin line, leaving a small gap on either side.

Fold the flat end over the top of the cheese, fold the outer corners over the filling and roll the borek tightly. Wet the tip on each pastry at the pointed end to seal it. Set aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling. 

Shallow fry the Boreks

Heat ¼ cup of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the boreks in the oil and fry on all sides until crispy and golden. Don't overcrowd the pan. When cooked, place the boreks on a paper kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

Related Recipes

For more scrumptious pastry recipes why not try:

• Best Pogaca Recipe (Turkish Buns)

• Cheese Borek

• Spinach and Feta Borek

• Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)

• Pitka Bread (Koledna Pitka)

• Potato Borek

• Pacanga Boregi

• Su Boregi - Water Borek

• Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread)

• Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi

• Keema Naan Bread

I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy and cheesy rolled boreks as much as you enjoy eating them!🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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