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cheese borek parcels
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5 from 18 votes

Cheese Borek - Peynirli Borek

This vegetarian cheese borek is a delicious breakfast on the go, a simple lunch or an appetiser for dinner parties.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet: Halal, Vegetarian
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 144kcal
Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

  • 1 large baking sheet
  • 1 Pastry brush
  • 1 kitchen scale
  • 1 Measuring cups
  • 1 measuring spoons
  • 1 grater

Ingredients

For the Cheese Filling

  • 7 oz halloumi cheese (grated) (200 grams)
  • 7 oz feta cheese (crumbled) (200 grams)
  • 7 oz kasar, mozzarella or cheddar cheese (grated) (200 grams)
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped dill
  • ¼ cup chopped mint (or 1 teaspoon dried mint)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)

For the Sauce

  • ½ cup Greek yoghurt or natural yoghurt
  • ½ cup vegetable or sunflower oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 egg

For the Borek

  • 2 packs phyllo pastry (12 sheets and ½ lbs (250 grams) each)
  • Sesame seeds or Nigella seeds
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Cheese Filling

  • Place the feta cheese in a large bowl and crumble it with the back of a fork. 
  • Grate the halloumi cheese and Kasar cheese, and add them to the bowl along with chopped herbs, freshly ground black pepper, and chili flakes (if using). 
  • Mix them all using a fork or a spoon, and set them aside.

Preparing the Sauce

  • Place the egg and yogurt in a small bowl and lightly whisk it.
  • Add the oil, and vinegar, and whisk well.

Building the Borek

  • Preheat the oven to 360° F (180° C).
  • Place one sheet of filo on your work surface and drizzle 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, spread it evenly using a brush. 
  • Lay another sheet of filo on top, drizzle some more sauce, and spread it evenly. Repeat the same steps until you have three sheets of filo.
  • Cut it into three equal-size strips.
  • Put two tablespoons of the cheese mixture at the end of one strip. Take the opposite corner and fold diagonally over the filling, forming a triangular fold. Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle. Continue folding in this way until you reach the end of the strip.
  • Brush the seam with the sauce to seal the end. Place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet seam side down and repeat the same with the rest of the filo sheets.
  • Brush the borek pieces with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds (or both).
  • Place the baking sheet in preheated oven and bake the boreks for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.

Video

Notes

  • You can keep unbaked boreks in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply bake them in the preheated oven straight from frozen. Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time
  • Don't overfill the pastries as the cheese filling may leak out while baking them.
  • Filo pastries are very fragile and dry out quickly if you don't keep them covered with a damp kitchen cloth. 
  • This cheese borek recipe has 285 kcal per borek.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 0.3mg