I made these cigarette rolls to rave reviews. They are very popular in almost every culture in some form or another (these cigar rolls are very popular in Northern Africain countries).
In Iraq they fall under the general category of bourag (بورك), which simply denotes a fried light pastry encrusting a filling (could be meat, cheese, chicken, or vegetables).
I like dried fried food, but I also appreciate the option of a sauce, so I created a delectable yogurt dip which was wonderfully complementary to the bourag.
The bourag filling was adapted from Delights from the Garden of Eden, by Nawal Nasrallah.
I used spring roll pastry sheets, but filo would do just as well.
Ingredients:
500g minced meat
2 onions, chopped finely
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili
1 cup chopped parsley
40 pc small spring-roll wrappers
Yogurt Dip:
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mild chili sauce
Method:
To make the yogurt dip, simply mix the ingredients until well blended and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Saute the minced meat in a pan until just starting to brown.
Add the onions and keep stirring until transparent.
Add the spices and seasonings and tomato paste.
Keep stirring until little to no juices are left.
Remove from heat, cool slightly before stirring in the chopped parsley.
Set aside to cool completely.
Set a spring roll sheet in front of you.
Place a little amount on one end of the sheet, fold in the sides and roll.
(Remember these are cigarette rolls, so be sure to put a little filling to roll it as thin as possible.)
If you are having trouble getting the rolls to "stick," use a little "glue" by mixing a tablespoon flour with two tablespoons water.
You can freeze them at this stage.
Fry the bourag rolls in hot oil and drain from excess oil on paper towel.
Serve hot or warm with the yogurt dip.
صحة و عافية
8 comments:
I think I've had these before at a middle eastern restaurant once before. The size of the rolls (bourag) are what essentially make the dish in my honest opinion. I'll be making this at home no doubt about it.
The size, and specifically the thinness, of the rolls is certainly what sets this bourag apart from others of its kind.
Thank you for you astute observation and for commenting.
Looks yummy! about how much filling goes into each one? 1 tbl? or 1/2 tbl? And if im going to use the fillo sheets what size do i need them to be? I cant find the spring roll pastry sheets anywhere.
Hi, thanks for your comment!
Since the aim is to have thin rolls, I put a teaspoon of the filling, then pinched it to compress and then I rolled it.
If you want to use filo pastry (a very delicious alternative), I would place a standard A4 paper size sheet of pastry and cut it longitudinally in half. This will result in two long strips, which the filling will be placed and rolled on the short side.
I think you might be able to find spring roll pastry in the freezer section of most supermarkets.
I hope this was helpful, and thanks a lot for taking the time to communicate. Come back any time.
Hi Maryam. Have you tried this with cheese? If so what kind? Thanks!
Hi Wasen, masha Allah you're ahead of the game! God willing, tomorrow's post is a delicious cheese bourag using haloomi cheese.
Excellent! My favorite cheese :) thanks for the blog and Ramadan Kareem x
Ramadan kareem!
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