From: ic00@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (ISIL SEBUKTEKIN)
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: Lentil Borek( A delicious Turkish recipe)
Date: 27 Jan 93 19:51:23 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University


                        LENTIL BOREK (Turkey)
                        (Mercimekli borek)

LENTIL FILLING:

Ingredients:
------------

1 package of dry lentils
4-5 large onions
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
------------

1) Soak the lentils over night in hot water, or boil them for a couple of
hours till they are soft, then drain them.

2) Chop the onions, and cook them with vegetable oil until they loose
their effective onion smell, and start to get slightly brownish.  If
you keep the lid open, this process is quicker.  Add more oil if
necessary in order for them not to stick to the bottom.  A steel pot,
or a nonstick pot is ideal for use.

3) Add the lentils, salt, and pepper, and a little water and cook them
at low heat for about ten minutes (lid open).  At the end, the lentils
should be soft and the water should evaporate.

4) Let the ingredient cool down, while preparing the borek.

BOREK:

Ingredients:                                                         7
------------

1 package of fillo dough (preferably the thicker kind)
2-4 eggs (the more the eggs, the tastier it is)
1 cup of milk
1 cup of vegetable oil (corn, canola, safflower, olive)
4-5 tablespoons of plain yogurt

Preparation:
------------

1) Beat the eggs, then add the yogurt and oil, and beat them again,
and finally add the milk and mix them all.  You will use this thick
fluid to wet the sheets of fillo which dries very quickly in open air.
You can change the amounts as you wish, more oil will give you a dryer
crumbling crust, and more milk would give you a softer crust after
cooking.  You can skip the yogurt, or avoid using milk and use more
yogurt instead.  Your choice and whatever is in the house.

2) Lightly butter or oil your oven tray and preheat your oven to 375
degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Fillo which is normally kept in the freezer, should be sitting in
the refrigerator for 8 hours, or outside for 2 hours before using.
These hours might not be accurate, but there are instructions on the
package.  Fillo is painful to work with as the individual sheets stick
to each other and after sometime they start drying and crumbling.
There are 20+ sheets to work with. So, either get some help from
someone who could separate the sheets and put them on your tray
while you only worry about buttering them with the thick fluid, or
use a damp cloth to cover the fillo sheets so that they won't dry as
quickly while you work with them.

3) Put 2 sheets on the tray and butter them with the thick fluid.
Repeat this process until you use half the sheets.

4) Then put the filling on top and continue as in 3) to finish all
the sheets.

5) Also butter the top layer generously so that it won't dry when it
cooks.  You may want to slice it before you cook it.  It is easier to
cut it when it is wet.

6) Cook it in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top becomes lightly
brownish.  The dough might rise during this time, but once you take
the tray out, it will flatten out.

7) Slice it and serve it.


NOTE:

There are many other fillings, they are all delicious.  Eg, spinach and
onions; spinach and feta cheese; feat cheese and parsley; onions, ground
beef, and parsley; onions, ground beef, peas, and carrots; hot dogs, green
peppers, onions in thick tomato sauce; mashed potatoes and cheese; onions,
mushrooms, and parsley in thick tomato sauce; onions and beef cubes; etc.

Easiest ones are: spinach and feta cheese, or feta cheese and spinach.
No cooking is necessary for these fillings.  Just crumble the feta and
mix it with chopped parsley or spinach.  You can also add some cottage
cheese, but the trick is with the feta cheese.  I must also add that
these two versions are common to not only Turkish cuisine, but also
to Middle Eastern, and Greek cuisines.

Enjoy!

Isil Sebuktekin



-- 
 
CSEE Dept. Grad. Office
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking