Bourekia me Anari
Crispy, deep-fried pastries filled with a sweet and aromatic mixture of anari cheese (a soft, unsalted ricotta-like cheese), cinnamon, sugar, and rosewater. These delightful treats are often dusted with icing sugar and are a popular Cypriot dessert or sweet snack.
🧂 Ingredients
- 350 g All-purpose flour(plus more for dusting)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 50 ml Vegetable oil(for the dough, plus more for frying)
- 125 ml Warm water(approximately, to form dough)
- 250 g Anari cheese(soft, unsalted)
- 1/4 cup Caster sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Rose water
- for dusting Icing sugar
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dough: Sieve the flour into a bowl, add salt and vegetable oil. Rub the oil into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
💡 Tip: Using a sieve ensures a lighter dough. - 2
Gradually add the warm water, mixing until a smooth, pliable dough forms. Knead for about 10 minutes until elastic. Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 3
Prepare the filling: In a separate bowl, mash the anari cheese with a fork until smooth. Stir in the caster sugar, cinnamon, and rose water until well combined.
- 4
Roll out the dough: Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the dough thinly, either by hand or using a pasta machine, to create even sheets.
💡 Tip: A pasta machine helps achieve a consistently thin dough, crucial for crispiness. - 5
Cut the dough into squares or rectangles of approximately 10x10 cm. Place about 1 tablespoon of the anari filling onto the center of each piece of dough.
- 6
Fold the dough over the filling to create a crescent shape or seal it into a small parcel. Crimp the edges with a fork to ensure they are well-sealed.
💡 Tip: Ensure the edges are sealed tightly to prevent the filling from leaking out during frying. - 7
Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of dough; it should sizzle and float.
- 8
Carefully place the bourekia into the hot oil, a few at a time, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp.
- 9
Remove the fried bourekia with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
💡 Tip: Drain well to maintain crispiness. - 10
Once cooled slightly, dust generously with icing sugar before serving warm.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓For an even crispier pastry, ensure the dough is rolled very thin.
- ✓If anari cheese is too wet, drain it further before mixing with the other filling ingredients.
- ✓Rose water can be substituted with a little orange blossom water or vanilla extract if preferred.
🔄 Variations
- Savory versions can be made with halloumi or other cheeses.
- Add chopped nuts like walnuts or pistachios to the filling for extra texture.
- Some recipes include a touch of orange zest in the filling.