Sigara Boregi - Turkish Cheese Rolls
Sigara Boregi are crispy Turkish cheese rolls made with yufka pastry, feta, halloumi, and fresh herbs. Roll them up to 3 days ahead, or freeze them and fry straight from frozen.
Servings: 24 pieces
Calories: 243kcal
Ingredients
- 3 fresh yufka sheets (or frozen filo pastries)
- 7 oz feta cheese (200 grams)
- 1 cup grated halloumi,kasar, cheddar, or mozzarella (125 grams)
- 1 cup parsley (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon mint (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon dill (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the Cheese 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 each yufka sheet into 8 equal triangles, which gives you 24 in total.
- 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 up firmly. Wet the tip at the pointed end and press it down to seal it. Set aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling.
Shallow Fry the Boreks
- Heat ¼ cup of oil to 185° C (365° F) 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 paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Video
Notes
- Rolled, uncooked boreks keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered, in a single layer.
- To freeze, open freeze on a lined tray for 1 to 2 hours, then bag them and keep for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen, no thawing.
- Fried boreks are best within a couple of hours. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat best in a hot oven rather than a microwave.
- Use fresh yufka if you can. Dried sheets crack while you fold. Filo or wheat spring roll wrappers also work.
- Drain the feta and pat it dry. A wet filling is the main reason they burst in the oil.
- Roll firmly but not tight, and press the wet tip down to seal it.
- Get the oil hot, around 185° C (365° F), before the first one goes in.
- Fry in batches with space around each roll, and lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- Swap the halloumi for kasar, cheddar, or mozzarella.
- Cooked minced meat, mashed potato, or spinach all work as fillings instead of plain cheese.
- Vegetarian as written if you use a vegetarian feta and halloumi.
- To bake instead of fry, brush with egg wash and bake at 180° C (356° F) for 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 1mg