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Turkish savoury pies made with spinach and yufka
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5 from 18 votes

Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)

Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek) is a delicious Turkish pastry made of thin flaky dough called "yufka" filled with spinach and onions. 
Prep Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet: Halal, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 portions
Calories: 284kcal
Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

  • 1 Pastry brush
  • 1 kitchen scale
  • 1 Sharp knife
  • 1 Measuring cups
  • 1 measuring spoons

Ingredients

For the Spinach Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium onion (finely diced)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • ½ finely chopped red chilli (optional) or ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
  • ½ tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⅔ lbs spinach (washed, dried and chopped) (750 grams)

For the Sauce

  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg whites (the yolks to use for egg wash)
  • ⅓ cup full fat milk (whole milk)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

For Rose Shaped Borek

  • 3 sheets fresh yufka
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • 2 egg yolks
  • sesame seeds or nigella seeds (to sprinkle on top)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cooking the Spinach Filling

  • Heat a large pan or wok on medium heat.
  • Add olive oil and gently saute the onions and garlic until translucent.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, chili, salt, pepper, and paprika, and saute for another minute.
  • Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes on high heat until the water from the spinach totally evaporates.
  • Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using for borek.

Preparing the Sauce

  • Put 2 egg whites+ and 1 whole egg in a bowl and whisk lightly.
  • Pour in the milk and vegetable oil and whisk to combine. Set aside to use when required.

Shaping the Rose Shaped Borek

  • Preheat the oven to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven).
  • Line a rectangular baking tray size of 35cm x 25 cm or a round tray size of 28cm dia with a baking sheet.
  • Lay a piece of yufka on a work surface and scatter 2-3 tablespoon of the sauce on it, spread the sauce evenly using a pastry brush.
  • Divide the filling into 3 and scatter ⅓ of it on yufka evenly. Then cut the yufka in quarters. You will have 4 large triangles.
  • Take one of the triangles and roll it starting from the large side into a long sausage shape.
  • Swirl the long sausage into a rose shape, and tuck the loose end piece underneath the rose.
  • Repeat the same for the rest of the yufka pieces, you should have 12 roses out of 3 yufka sheets.
  • Place them on a baking tray and brush with melted butter and then egg yolk.
  • Sprinkle on sesame seeds or nigella seeds.
  • Place the tray in the oven and cook the boreks for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

  • Make sure the oven is heated to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven) before you put the borek in. A cold oven would cause a longer cooking time and less crispy pastries.
  • You can make the spinach filling a day before and keep it refrigerated until you need it.
  • Wash your spinach leaves thoroughly and dry them using a salad spinner or leave them on a colander until the leaves are dry.
  • Turn your fresh garlic into a paste with a or grate it using a .

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 451mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6124IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg