Craving a savory, flaky delight? Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure with this surprisingly simple Turkish Spiced Lamb Borek recipe, featuring layers of delicate filo pastry and a rich, aromatic lamb filling.
Get ready to impress your taste buds (and your friends!) with this flavorful twist on a classic dish.
Making the Lamb Filling and Yogurt Sauce
Beginning with the heart of our borek – the lamb filling – I'm so excited to take you through creating a savory delight that'll make your taste buds dance! It's really quite simple.
First, finely dice a small onion (or half a big one) – don't make yourself cry too much! Sauté it with minced garlic in olive oil until softened. Next, brown the lamb, breaking it up as you go. Then stir in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, allspice, cayenne pepper, salt, currants, and toasted pine nuts. Similar to the slow cooking process used to develop the deep flavors of beef rendang, this step allows the spices to bloom and infuse the lamb. After that, add tomato passata and water, simmer until thick—not watery like a lamb stew, okay? Cool the filling before using.
For the yogurt sauce, grating garlic isn't fun, but trust me on this. It's a game changer! Mix yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Then set aside. The sauce needs at least 20 minutes to meld together, perfect timing!
Rolling the Borek
Now, let's get to the fun part—rolling the borek!
First, preheat your oven to 390°F. We don't want to bake it in a cold oven. Then, follow my lead with the yogurt wash, and layer the filo. Don't worry; it's easier than parallel parking, promise! Use about 1/3 of the lamb filling for each roll. Use a knife to coax the filo into rolling if it's stubborn. You can also use this method to create potato-stuffed bread that is stuffed with lamb instead of potatoes.
- Lay a sheet of filo on a piece of parchment.
- Brush it with that yogurt wash—it's the filo's spa day!
- Add 4 layers of filo. Remember only brushing yogurt on the first three!
- Roll the filling into a log!
Repeat this process until you've got 3 logs—you're practically a borek-rolling machine! These don't need to resemble the work of a surgeon so don't sweat it.
Shaping and Baking
I think the spiral is the most impressive part! Take one log and coil it. Join the next log. Use yogurt to stick them together. Make sure it's pretty, but not squished, okay?
Next, butter a 26cm skillet. Yep, that's about 10.5 inches! Now, slide the spiral into the skillet using the paper — easy peasy!
Brush that spiral with melted butter — make it shine! Then, sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Why? 'Cause it's fancy!
Bake for 40 minutes! Or until it's golden brown! It's like magic, isn't it?
Remove from the oven — carefully! Cut into pie-like wedges. Serve with lemon yogurt sauce. You're practically a Turkish chef now; enjoy!
Short Recipe Version
Turkish Spiced Lamb Borek
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 package filo pastry
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced (for sauce)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until softened.
- Add ground lamb and spices; cook until browned. Stir in parsley.
- Brush filo pastry with melted butter.
- Layer filo and lamb mixture into spirals.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Combine yogurt and minced garlic for sauce.
- Let cool slightly before serving with yogurt sauce.
Nutrition Information (per serving – estimated):
- Calories: 450
- Protein: 25g
- Fat: 30g
- Carbohydrates: 25g