Spinach and Cypriot Ricotta Gülbörek

Börek, or small, beautiful rose-shaped gülbörek, are one of my biggest weaknesses; both to cook and to devour. I find them so therapeutic to make, love filling them with beautiful, simple ingredients, and can eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So here’s the simple recipe for my buttery, crispy, spinach and Cypriot ricotta filled gülbörek.

Method in my Instagram highlights (under “Börek” for both individual ones and one large one), recipe here: 

INGREDIENTS

One large or two small onion(s), finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
600g baby leaf spinach (you can use frozen too)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp pul biber
12 sheets filo pastry or Turkish yufka (click here for my favourite filo)
150g melted butter
200g crumbled Cypriot ricotta (nor / anari) or feta cheese
1 beaten egg
1 heaped tsp sesame seeds
1 heaped tsp black nigella seeds

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170C (fan).

Heat up the olive oil in a pan on a medium heat and soften the onion for 8-10 mins, then add the garlic and cook for a min or so, before adding the spinach. Heat through the spinach until wilted, then put everything into a large sieve over a large bowl and allow to cool and drain, pushing through all the juices out with the back of a wooden spoon. 

Season the spinach well with salt, pepper, pul biber (optional). Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
Equally portion out the spinach into six. Crumble the ricotta into a separate bowl and also portion into six.

Lay one sheet of pastry on a surface, brush all over with butter, lay another sheet on top brush with more butter, then spread add one portion of the spinach and ricotta all over the buttered pastry (don’t put the mixture too near the edges as it becomes harder to roll up without it spilling out), roll it up lengthways, then slowly swirl it round into a spiral shape cupping with the warmth of your hands to prevent it from splitting (it doesn’t matter if the pastry splits a little).

Brush each gülbörek with some more melted butter then beaten egg, sprinkle with nigella seeds, sesame seeds (I also like to sometimes sprinkle over some flaked almonds), and bake in preheated oven on bottom shelf for around 30-40 mins until golden brown all over.