Moroccan cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Briouat bel Jben

Fried triangular pastries filled with cream cheese, mint and cilantro, paper-thin and crisp on the outside.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 10 sheets warqa pastry (or phyllo dough as a substitute)
• 250 g cream cheese
• 100 g feta
• 1 egg
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 2 scallions
• 1 tsp cumin (ground)
• 500 ml oil for frying
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Finely chop the cilantro and mint, slice the scallions into thin rings and crumble the feta with a fork.
2. Mix cream cheese, feta, herbs, scallions and cumin into a spreadable mixture, season lightly with salt and pepper, and chill for 15 min to firm up.
3. Cut the pastry sheets into strips about 8 cm wide and keep them covered with a damp cloth at all times so they don't dry out.
4. Place 1 tsp of filling at the bottom end of a strip and fold the pastry continuously into a triangle, working firmly but without pulling; seal the last tip with beaten egg.
5. Heat the oil in a pot to 170°C and fry the triangles in batches for 2-3 min per side until golden brown and blistered on the surface.
6. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately while hot, while the filling is still soft and the pastry crisp.