Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash)

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5 from 4 votes

Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash)

This delicious Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash) recipe is made of layers of thin filo pastries stuffed with a spicy beef & spinach filling.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Servings: pieces

Calories: 362kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 measuring spoons
1 Sharp knife
1 Pastry brush

Ingredients

For the Mince and Spinach Filling

1 lb minced beef or lamb (400 grams)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
½ red chilli (or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes)
2 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
18 oz spinach (washed thoroughly, dried and chopped) (500 grams)

For the Sauce

½ cup yoghurt
½ cup vegetable or sunflower oil
1 cup soda water or sparkling water
2 egg whites (yolks to be used for egg wash)
½ teaspoon salt

For the Borek

17 ½ oz filo pastry (20 sheets in total) (500 grams)
2 egg yolks
Sesame seeds or Nigella seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Meat and Spinach Filling

Put a large frying pan or a wok on medium heat and add the ground beef.
Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add olive oil and the onions to the pan, and sauté until soft and translucent. If you use ground beef with some fat, you might not need olive oil for the onions.
Add the garlic and chili, and sauté for another minute before adding the tomatoes.
Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes and then add chili, black pepper, paprika, and salt.
Add the spinach and sauté until soft, let the water evaporate if there is any.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the filling cool down for 10 minutes.

Building the Egyptian Goulash

To make the sauce, place the egg whites, yoghurt, oil, salt and soda water in a jug or bowl and whisk until combined.
Preheat the oven to 360° F (180° C).
Lay one piece of phyllo sheet on the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish, the size of 9 ½" x 13" x 2 ¼" (24cm x 33cm x 6cm).
Drizzle on 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, and then spread it evenly using a brush.
Lay another sheet of filo on top and then drizzle some more sauce, spreading it evenly. Repeat until you used half of the phyllo sheets.
Place the meat and spinach filling on top of the last phyllo sheet and spread it evenly.
Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top of the spinach and meat filling repeating the same process as before until the phyllo sheets are used up.
Carefully cut the phyllo pie into 12 equal squares using a sharp knife.
Whisk the egg yolks into the remaining sauce and then pour it evenly on top of the pie. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds.
Place the pie into the preheated oven and then bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is golden and crispy.
Let the Egyptian Goulash rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

If using frozen phyllo pastry, make sure to defrost it either overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on your counter. Do not use your microwave to thaw the phyllo pastries!
To avoid the phyllo pastries drying out, use a damp, clean kitchen towel to cover them.
Cut the phyllo meat and spinach pie into squares before baking. Cutting your pie after baking will be more difficult as the crust will be too crispy to have nice and clean cuts.
Make sure the oven is heated to 360° F - 180° C (fan oven) before you put the Egyptian Goulash in. A cold oven would cause a longer cooking time and less crispy pastries.

Nutrition