Bourek Laâdjine

Bourek Laâdjine is a delicious Algerian starter served during Ramadan to accompany the traditional chorba (soup). Boureks Laâdjine are stuffed with onion, meat, parsley and eggs. Very similar to Spanish Empanadas.

They are baked or fried like today and filled with whatever you like (meat, tuna, chicken or vegetables)!

Serve 12 Boureks Laâdjine

Ingredients: (for the dough)

-400g of flour (plain flour/all purpose flour)

-1 egg

-100ml of sunflower oil

-Salt

-Water to assemble the dough

Ingredients: (for the filling)

-350g of minced beef or lamb

-1 white or brown onion (sliced)

-1 bouquet of Italian parsley (chopped)

-2 eggs

-Salt

-Black pepper

-Sunflower oil (for frying)

-Lemon

Method: (for the dough)

-Into a large bowl add the flour, the salt, 1 whisked egg and oil.

-Start to mix all the ingredients with your fingers.

-Add slowly the water and knead until form a consistent dough.

-Cover and let the dough rest time to prepare the filling.

For the filling:

-Heat the oil in a large skillet pan.

-Gently sauté the onion for around 5 minutes until it softens and turns brown.

-Add the chopped parsley and stir well with a wooden spoon.

-Add the minced meat, the salt and the black pepper.

-Continue to stir until the meat is cooked.

-In a bowl, whisk the 2 eggs and add it into the skillet pan.

-Stir all the ingredients together until the eggs are cooked.

-Remove the skillet pan from the heat and pour the mixture in a colander (to let the excess water drain).

Final step:

-Flour a clean surface and flatten the dough with a rolling pin (flour also your rolling pin).

-Roll your dough out until it is approximately 5mm in thickness.

-Use a medium round cookie cutter (15cm).

-Add a little of the stuffing in the middle.

-Fold half of pastry over filling.

-Press and pinch the edges with a fork to seal tightly.

-Repeat process with the rest of the dough.

-In a large nonstick  pan, heat the sunflower oil on medium heat.

-Fry the Bourek Laâdjine 4 by 4.

-Fry both sides until golden brown.

-Drain the Bourek on a paper towel (to remove excess oil)

-Serve hot with the Chorba.

Bonne dégustation!

Saha ftourkoum!