Greek cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Kalitsounia from Chania

Small Cretan pastries from Chania, filled with mizithra cheese and wild herbs, pan-fried.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 400 g flour
• 180 ml water
• 60 ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 g mizithra (or ricotta)
• 300 g spinach
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1/2 bunch dill
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Knead flour, salt, olive oil, vinegar and water into a smooth dough and let rest covered for 30 min. so it can later be rolled out thinly.
2. Wash the spinach, chop finely and let sit with 1 tsp salt for 10 min., then squeeze out firmly; slice the spring onions into fine rings and chop the dill.
3. Mix spinach, spring onions, dill, mizithra and the egg into a compact filling — it must not be runny, or the dough will turn soggy.
4. Roll out the dough in portions very thinly and cut out circles of 10 cm, placing 1 heaped tsp of filling on each.
5. Moisten the edges, fold into a half-moon and crimp the edge with your fingers into small pleats or seal firmly with a fork.
6. Heat the butter with 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and fry the kalitsounia for 3–4 min. per side over medium heat until golden brown, then serve warm while the cheese is still soft inside.