Kefta Briouat from Morocco
In this article we'll go over how to make Moroccan kefta briouat, small pastries filled with a variety of fillings. In this recipe we use ground meat as part of the filling. Ideally you'll want to get warqa, but you can use phyllo dough if you can't find that in your ethnic foods aisle or at a specialty grocery store.
Here are the ingredients you'll need for the kefta briouat:
- ground beef or ground lamb (1 pound, 3 ounces)
- warqa (1.1 pounds)
- large eggs (3, beaten lightly)
- egg yolk (1, beaten lightly)
- butter (4 tablespoons)
- melted butter (4 tablespoons)
- medium onion (1, chopped finely)
- cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- cumin (1 teaspoon)
- paprika (1 teaspoon)
- ground black pepper (1 teaspoon)
- salt (1.5 teaspoon)
- vegetable oil for cooking
- chopped parsley leaves
Start by mixing the onions, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper (all the spices) in with the ground beef/lamb.
Take out a large skillet, add the butter and melt it. Add in the ground meat and cook it on medium heat. Stir and let the ground beef or lamb get broken up. Cook until the meat is cooked throughout and browned.
When that is done add the three lightly beaten large eggs along with the parsley. Cook on medium high heat until the liquid is totally absorbed, but not any longer than that. This is your kefta (filling).
Now you're going to fold the briouats. Cut the warqa or phyllo dough into 2.5 inch wide strips. For each strip, brush the butter on the lower 2/3rds of the dough strip. Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of the kefta filling and place near the bottom of the warqa strip. Fold up the bottom part to surround the filling.
Take the bottom left of the enclosed dough and pull it up and to the right, putting it in line with the right edge. Next take the bottom right and pull up and to the left, putting in line with the left edge. This should start forming a triangle. Keep flipping left, then right, etc. until you get to the end of the warqa.
Dab the end of the dough with some egg yolk then tuck into the open side of the briouat. Time to cook. Now take a deep skillet, add the vegetable oil, and heat up the oil. Add the briouat and deep fry until it is golden brown.
If there is a bit of time between frying and serving you can heat your oven to 350 degrees and reheat the briouat for around 7 minutes.
If you are going to have even more time between preparing the kefta briouat and serving it, you can refrigerate uncooked for around a day. You can also place the uncooked briouat in a plastic container or freezer bag, then freeze for up to 2 months or so. If you're freezing, you can place directly in the skillet with the hot oil for frying, or let it thaw for an hour before frying.
Here are the ingredients you'll need for the kefta briouat:
- ground beef or ground lamb (1 pound, 3 ounces)
- warqa (1.1 pounds)
- large eggs (3, beaten lightly)
- egg yolk (1, beaten lightly)
- butter (4 tablespoons)
- melted butter (4 tablespoons)
- medium onion (1, chopped finely)
- cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- cumin (1 teaspoon)
- paprika (1 teaspoon)
- ground black pepper (1 teaspoon)
- salt (1.5 teaspoon)
- vegetable oil for cooking
- chopped parsley leaves
Start by mixing the onions, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper (all the spices) in with the ground beef/lamb.
Take out a large skillet, add the butter and melt it. Add in the ground meat and cook it on medium heat. Stir and let the ground beef or lamb get broken up. Cook until the meat is cooked throughout and browned.
When that is done add the three lightly beaten large eggs along with the parsley. Cook on medium high heat until the liquid is totally absorbed, but not any longer than that. This is your kefta (filling).
Now you're going to fold the briouats. Cut the warqa or phyllo dough into 2.5 inch wide strips. For each strip, brush the butter on the lower 2/3rds of the dough strip. Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of the kefta filling and place near the bottom of the warqa strip. Fold up the bottom part to surround the filling.
Take the bottom left of the enclosed dough and pull it up and to the right, putting it in line with the right edge. Next take the bottom right and pull up and to the left, putting in line with the left edge. This should start forming a triangle. Keep flipping left, then right, etc. until you get to the end of the warqa.
Dab the end of the dough with some egg yolk then tuck into the open side of the briouat. Time to cook. Now take a deep skillet, add the vegetable oil, and heat up the oil. Add the briouat and deep fry until it is golden brown.
If there is a bit of time between frying and serving you can heat your oven to 350 degrees and reheat the briouat for around 7 minutes.
If you are going to have even more time between preparing the kefta briouat and serving it, you can refrigerate uncooked for around a day. You can also place the uncooked briouat in a plastic container or freezer bag, then freeze for up to 2 months or so. If you're freezing, you can place directly in the skillet with the hot oil for frying, or let it thaw for an hour before frying.