Recipe of the week: A phyllo-less take on a Balkan speciality, Hungarian börek

Here's an unorthodox twist on a Balkan specialty. In Turkey, the dish is known as “Macar böreği” – literally "Hungarian borek." Instead of a classic rolled börek, this resembles more of a quiche or a savory cake. As with many of the recipes we have published here, there are various twists on the pastry snack. Many are baked using "yufka" – aka phyllo pastry – as the main ingredient. However, I want to share a version that doesn't require having to go on a wild goose chase for that.

Ingredients

4 eggs
250 ml vegetable oil
250 ml yogurt
250 grams hard, salty feta cheese
350 grams flour
1 package (10 grams) of baking powder
Dill and parsley
Black pepper, red pepper flakes, salt

Instructions

Mix the eggs, oil and yogurt in a bowl and crumble the salty cheese of your choice into the blend. If you only have milder cheese on hand, try to keep the chunks bigger so that its flavor isn't overpowered during the baking process. Mix the baking powder and flour in a separate bowl before adding it to the egg mixture. Finely chop the dill and parsley and add black pepper, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt to your dough for good measure. At this point, it pays to sneak a taste to make sure the seasoning is just right – not everyone can handle too much spice, after all. Then, once the dough is ready, pour it onto a baking dish and cook at 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 30 minutes. Of course, you should check to see how it is shaping up toward the end of this time interval, as depending on the depth of the baking tray, you might want to leave it in a little longer or take it out sooner. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a while before enjoying your Hungarian borek with a cup of tea or as a breakfast snack in the morning!

Tips

Make sure the dough isn't too runny or else all those rich ingredients will sink to the bottom while cooking. The dough can be thickened just by adding a tablespoon of flour or two. The feta cheese you are using should definitely be of the stronger kind to make sure its flavor stands out.