Ingredients
Filling
- 600 gfresh anari cheese
- or 600 g fresh ricotta, well drained
- 80 gcaster sugar
- 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoonsrosewater
- 1egg yolk, optional
- 2 tablespoonssemolina, if the cheese is wet
Pastry
- 400 gplain flour
- 60 mlolive oil
- 1 tablespoonwhite vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
- about 180 ml warm water
- or 400 g filo pastry
To fry and finish
- oil, for deep frying
- icing sugar, for dusting
- ground cinnamon, for dusting
Directions
- Use the fresh soft kind for this. A wet filling makes the pastry soggy. Line a sieve with muslin over a bowl. Put the cheese in and let it drain. Give it at least two hours in the refrigerator. Press it gently to help it along. Making the filling takes a few minutes.
- Put the drained cheese in a bowl. Add the sugar and the cinnamon. Add the rosewater to the cheese. Beat in the egg yolk if you are using it. That yolk helps the filling set as it fries. Mix it thoroughly with a fork. It should be thick and hold its shape. Add semolina if it is still loose. Put the flour and salt in a bowl.
- Add the olive oil and the vinegar. The vinegar relaxes the gluten and helps rolling. Add the warm water a little at a time. Bring it together into a soft dough. Knead it for eight minutes until smooth.
- Wrap it and rest it for thirty minutes. Resting makes it far easier to roll thin. Divide the dough into several pieces. Roll each one out as thinly as you can. It should be almost translucent.
- Cut the sheets into squares or rounds. Aim for about ten centimetres across. Keep them under a damp cloth as you work. Put a spoonful of filling on one half. Leave a clear border around the edge. Do not overfill them or they will burst. Brush the border with a little water. Fold the pastry over into a half moon. Press the edges together firmly.
- Press out any trapped air as you seal. Crimp the sealed edge with a fork. Set each one on a floured tray. Frying them needs the right heat. Pour oil into a deep pan to six centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to about 175C for frying. A scrap of pastry should sizzle at once.
- Fry them for about three minutes. Turn them once as they colour. They should be golden and blistered. Lift them onto a wire rack to drain. A rack keeps the underside crisp. Dust them generously with icing sugar. Dust ground cinnamon over that. Do this while they are still warm.
Technique
- Anari is made from the whey left after halloumi production, on the same principle as Italian ricotta.
- Both fresh and dried salted anari are made in Cyprus, and this sweet uses the fresh soft kind.
Substitutions
- Well-drained fresh ricotta is the closest and most practical substitute for anari.
- Filo pastry can replace the homemade dough entirely.
Variations
- Some households bake them rather than frying them.
- A version soaked in syrup after frying is made in some places.
- Savoury bourekia filled with meat or halloumi are eaten as a snack.
History
Made with the fresh whey cheese left from halloumi, a Cypriot use for the dairy by-product.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bourekia tis anaris?
Bourekia tis anaris is a dessert from Cyprus: fried pastry parcels of sweet anari cheese, dusted with sugar and cinnamon. Made with the fresh whey cheese left from halloumi, a Cypriot use for the dairy by-product.
How long does Bourekia tis anaris take to make?
Bourekia tis anaris takes 40 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 20 parcels. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Bourekia tis anaris?
Yes, within limits. Well-drained fresh ricotta is the closest and most practical substitute for anari. Filo pastry can replace the homemade dough entirely.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bourekia tis anaris?
Cut the sheets into squares or rounds. Aim for about ten centimetres across. Keep them under a damp cloth as you work. Put a spoonful of filling on one half. Leave a clear border around the edge. Do not overfill them or they will burst. Brush the border with a little water. Fold the pastry over into a half moon. Press the edges together firmly.
