Pilavuna

Pilavuna (or Flaounes) are a beautiful Cypriot cheese and sultana filled pastry, with a very unique flavour combination synonymous to Cyprus. 

The sweet, salty, cheesy and minty mix is just heavenly. What I love about recipes like Pilavuna is that each person or family has their own way of making them, their own unique recipe, and it’s always so lovely to see. 

Some make them more bread like and square in shape, but my mum has always shaped them into small triangles, with a thin, buttery, unyeasted pastry. I also add yoghurt and egg to my dough (a little like my bread and Lahmacun recipes on here, which keeps the dough crisp, yet soft, once cooked). 

Me and my mum were going to make some together, but obviously something in the form of physical distancing got in the way sooooo, I’ve used her recipe and tweaked it a little, and me and the kids made them together instead. 

I’ve popped the method on my Instagram stories and will save them to my highlights (click here). 

PILAVUNA 

INGREDIENTS (makes 20-24 Pilavuna)

For the Filling 

250g grated hellim 

250g grated mature cheddar / pecorino / gruyere cheese

50g dried mint 

40g semolina 

1 tbsp baking powder 

6 large / 8 medium eggs, whisked well

1 tbsp caster sugar 

125g sultanas 

Pinch of cinnamon 

For the Pastry

750g plain flour 

1 tbsp baking powder

1 egg 

2 tbsp yoghurt 

100g margarine / vegetable shortening / butter 

350ml warm water 

1 tsp sugar 

1 tsp salt 

To Finish 

  

1 whisked egg 

10 tbsp sesame seeds

3 tsp nigella seeds

1 tsp aniseed 

Method 

Mix together all of the filling ingredients and leave to one side (the sultanas will swell up nicely in the moist mixture too - you should prep the filling a couple of hours earlier and just pop in the fridge). 

Melt the margarine / butter in a jug with 100ml boiling water, top up with another 250ml of cold water and add to a large bowl. Add in the whisked egg, yoghurt, sugar and salt, then add the flour and baking powder, a little bit at a time, using your fingers to bring everything together. 

Once all of the flour has been added, place the dough on a floured surface and knead for a few mins until smooth. 

Spread a little olive oil in the bowl and pop the dough back in. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 15-20 mins, or at least the dough has puffed up a little. . 

Preheat the oven to 200c (fan) / 220c conventional. 

Now start to roll out your dough. Cut it into two-three pieces as you need to roll it out thinly (not too thin otherwise it’ll be difficult to work with, but about 0.3-0.5cm) on a floured surface. 

Once you’ve rolled it out, take a 12cm saucer and cut around it. Pop 2 level tbsp of the filling in the centre, spread it out a little, then bring up the sides of the pastry disk in 3 pieces so that the round shape now becomes a triangle. 

Brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg, then gently push down the corners of the triangle with a fork so that they don’t split open when cooking. Gently pat the seeds all over the pastry so that they are embedded, then brush with a little more egg. 

Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper (I fit 4-5 Pilavuna on each tray and have 2 trays in the oven on rotation at any one time). 

Once you have 8 Pilavuna ready, pop the trays in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. By the time they’re golden, the next 8 will be ready to go in the oven 

Once cooked, put the Pilavuna on wire racks to cool. Repeat until all of the pastry and filling mixture has gone.

They freeze really well and can be heated up in the oven or microwave from