Spinach and Cheese Borek

A slice of cheese and spinach pastry on a white plate.

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Spinach and Cheese Borek, or Turkish Spiral Borek, a fantastic savoury dish made with phyllo pastry and a flavourful cow's cheese and spinach filling. The pastry is rolled into long coils and arranged into spirals, then baked until golden, flaky and crispy. Surprisingly easy to make, and perfect for lunch or dinner, this borek is absolutely delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Turkish

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 1049kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

8 phyllo pastry sheets
450 g frozen spinach (16 oz)
1 large spring onion
2 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
250 g white cows' cheese ( or feta cheese, 9 oz)
100 ml yogurt (plain or Greek yogurt, 3 oz)
5 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (325 Fahrenheit).
Add the frozen spinach to a pan set over a high heat, cover it with boiled water, and bring it to a boil until the spinach is completely thawed.
Transfer the spinach to a fine colander to drain all the liquid, rinse it with cold water, and use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Chop the spinach finely and set it aside.
Chop the onion finely and add it to a large bowl together with the chopped parley, dill and spinach.
Add the crumbled cheese and use a fork to mix everything well.
Beat the egg in a small bowl, add add half of it to the cheese mixture together with the ground black pepper, mixing well to get a uniform filling.
In a separate bowl mix the yogurt with the olive oil and remaining egg and mix well.
Brush some of the mixture over the bottom of a quiche or round tin (mine is 23 cm /9 inches in diameter).
Stack 2 phyllo sheets together and brush well with the glaze, then spread some cheese mixture along one long edge and carefully roll the pastry over the filling to create a sausage-shaped roll.
Coil the roll and arrange it in the middle of the tin.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients, joining the new pastry roll to the end of the previous one and continue to coil it around.
Brush the top of the entire spiral with the remaining yogurt mixture, sprinkle with the seeds, and bake in the preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius (325 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes, then increase the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) and bake for a further 10 minutes until the spiral is golden and crispy.

Video

Notes

Squeeze the spinach very well, excess moisture can make the pastry soggy. Make sure to rinse the spinach with cold water once thawed, otherwise you can burn your hands when you squeeze the water out.
Baking it at a lower temperature to begin with ensures an even baking on the inside. If the borek is baked at a high temperature throughout, the outside will be golden, while the inside is still uncooked and chewy, rather than soft.

Nutrition