Turkish cheese Rolls (Sigara Bogeri)

These party snacks are simply irresistible, featuring a creamy and cheesy filling encased in crispy fried phyllo.

Boregi, a type of savory Turkish meze or appetizer, consists of phyllo sheets wrapped around a variety of fillings. In Turkey, there are numerous exceptional borek recipes available, and even specialty ‘borecki’ shops that sell them. Fillings range from cheese and spinach to chicken, beef, or lamb, and the pastry rolls come in various shapes and sizes. The Turkish Cheese Rolls recipe we offer is known as sigara boregi, with thick, cylindrical pastry rolls resembling cigars.

Makes 18-20

20m prep time

15m cook time

Ingredients :

FOR THE YOGURT DIP:

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Garnish: lemon wedge

FOR THE BOREGI:

• 12 oz crumbled feta cheese
• 6 oz mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chili
• 1 lb phyllo dough
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying

How to Prepare :

1. Mix the yogurt sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Mix the borek ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Place a sheet of phyllo on the work surface with the longer edge facing you. Vertically cut the phyllo into 4 equal-sized lengths, then place 2 teaspoons of the feta mixture near one end of each strip. Make sure to leave a border of about 1 inch.
4. Cover the cheese by folding the long sides of the phyllo over to meet in the middle. Roll up the filling and keep rolling until you get almost to the end of the strip – the borek should look like a cigar. Moisten the end with some water to help seal, and finish rolling. Continue for the other three rolls of the phyllo sheet, then repeat the process until you have used up all of the borek filling.
5. To fry the borek, heat the oil in a fry pan at medium-high heat. In batches of 5-6, cook the boregi for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly, until they are golden brown in color. When cooked, remove boregi from the pan and set on paper towels to drain excess oil.
6. When all boregi are cooked, place them on a serving tray with the yogurt sauce (and/or your favorite dipping sauce) and serve while hot.