Pure Potato Latkes
Joan Nathan, Nathaniel Wade
3037 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
3,037
1 1/4 hours, plus cooling and chilling
Burekas With Spinach or Eggplant Filling
- Total Time
- About 2 hours, plus chilling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About 20 burekas
- 2½cups all-purpose flour/320 grams, plus more for rolling the dough
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼pound/115 grams cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½cup/120 milliliters ice water, plus more as needed
- Egg wash (1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- 1medium eggplant (about 1 pound/455 grams)
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1small onion, diced (about ½ cup/115 grams)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- ½cup/115 grams strained diced tomatoes (from a can)
- ¼cup/25 grams grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
- 1large egg, beaten
- 2teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1package frozen chopped spinach (16 ounces/455 grams), defrosted and drained
- ¾cup/115 grams crumbled strongly flavored feta cheese
- ½cup/50 grams grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1large egg, beaten
- 1tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Dough
For the Eggplant-tomato Filling
Or for the Spinach-feta Filling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
257 calories; 14 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 456 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
If using the eggplant-tomato filling, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the eggplant several times with a knife and roast on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet until the eggplant collapses and is completely soft, 35 to 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin; transfer the flesh to a strainer to drain and set aside.
- Step 2
Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment, add the flour and salt and pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and pulse just until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Slowly add the ice water and process just until combined. Form the dough into 2 disks about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 4
If using the spinach-feta filling: In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, feta and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add egg and flour.
- Step 5
If using the eggplant-tomato filling: In a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook until beginning to soften but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and eggplant, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the mixture begins to thicken and loses some of its moisture, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled, stir in the Parmesan, egg and flour.
- Step 6
Working with one disk of dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle about ⅛-inch thick or slightly thinner. Using a 3½-inch/9-centimeter circle cutter, cut as many circles as you can from the dough.
- Step 7
Hold a circle in your hand and fill with 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold up the sides into a half-moon shape and pinch the edges closed to seal, crimping them if you like. Place the sealed bureka on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
- Step 8
Brush the tops lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with a large pinch of grated Parmesan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Ilana Benmayor
Why not give the recipe with the olive oil to make it parve?
Mks
The accompanying article says the dough is boiled twice. ??
Daniel
Considering that these are made with feta cheese, they wouldn't be parve anyway. That said, a quick rule of thumb for substituting butter with oil is to use 2/3 - 3/4 oil for the volume of butter the recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, use between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of oil instead. You may have to experiment a little to get the texture you want, since pastry made with oil produces a less flaky product than butter does.
Fran
shouldn't the directions for the dough be for a food processor with the blade, not a kitchen mixer with paddle attachment? You can't pulse a kitchen mixer, just a food processor....
rpbg
It struck me as horribly arrogant to first praise the generations-long tradition these women are so carefully and proudly preserving and to speak of the proud history behind it, then to dismiss it all because you find your recipe to be far superior. Give us the recipe with oil, please. That’s what we want. Bravo to these fabulous ladies for helping to hold their community together, and with a recipe everyone already loves as is.
margaret
I would like to read about the traditional dough at least, since the article was slanted to tradition in general. Why not give the option to decide what to make?
Jorge
I tried the recipe with the spinach filling; next time I'll add quite a bit more of both cheeses. The dough, however, is excellent. Growing up with the traditional one (with oil), I have to say that I prefer this one with butter. The size of the finished burekas, however, is too small. On a separate note, just as a suggestion, before closing each bureka, I recommend wetting half of the disc, slightly, with one finger; this will really seal it (cold water will do).
me
for the dough no need of a blade or paddle, just use your hand the old way a wonderful feeling
Louis Napoli
A bladed food processor is what I used and it works well. It is very much like making a pie crust. I tend to use butter out of the freezer and cut it into 1/8" to 1/4" bits
MAKSQUIBS
Before.
Carol
Would you freeze these before or after baking?
Rosalba
I prefer to have the recipe with olive oil, or at least with both butter and oil options.Jewish cooks, especially in the Middle East and Turkey do not cook with butter and everything they make is delicious.
elle
In fact, you can pulse a stand mixer. It's not as neat, but I do it all the time.
Steve
Based on comments, it appears this recipe is untested in a kitchen with appropriate tools. For all of us making this recipe for the first time, please respond to inquiries so we know we have a reliable recipe and dependable methods. Thanks, happy cooking!
James Russell
I note that this recipe uses all purpose flour, which is higher protein than the White Lily flour mentioned in the article. White Lily is a low protein flour popular in the South for biscuits.
Ouisiek
Delicious. Browned 1 chopped onion in EVOO, deglazed pan with white wine and cooked it off. Added red pepper and used beet greens instead of spinach because that what I had in my garden.
Tristan
I substituted King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour and it worked perfectly. The crust was flakey and delicious. I hadn’t realized how simple making these could be!
LPT
Dough was easy to prepare and work with. The size made the end product over doughy and not enough filling. If I were to make this again, I would definitely make lareger ones. I cut the eggplant into small cubes and fried them; provided a very nice flavor and texture when added to the tomatoes and onions. I also would use a cheese that melts such as mozzarella or fontina to the mixture. Definitely, use water to dampen and seal the burekas.
Lonso
No one I know of at Or Ve Shalom uses butter. Olive oil is how it's done.
Anna Sauma, London
The temperature and timing is too high I am afraid! 20 minutes into it with the temperature suggested they started burning. My other batch I lowered the temperature, 392 F for 30 minutes and it worked fine. 425 F is excessive. Sorry! apart from that, they were delicious!
Jeanie F
I grew up with these burekas and they're a very special treat. Regarding whether they should be frozen before or after baking, I always freeze after. Everyone in our synagogue (Or Ve Shalom in the article) does too. If anyone has baked it after freezing, please let us know. I'd love to know how they turn out.
Regina
First public comment, but I feel compelled. These are lovely. I couldn't figure out what was lacking and why - with all the ingredients in the spinach filling. (I used fresh, and it makes a difference.)Then I realized the problem - there is no sauted onion or garlic in the filling. I think it needs that, and next time I'll alter the recipe and see if that makes them better. Bet it will.
blsmadrid
The dough is excellent. I made the eggplant-tomato filling but, much as I love eggplant, I found it unremarkable. I will use the dough again, but definitely with a filling that has more pizzazz.
A cook from Vermont
Wow, people sure will complain about anything. If you don’t see the recipe you want look it up. Anyway, I made these with the eggplant filling. I thought the filling was bland so I added garlic, oregano, mozzarella cheese and a pinch of hot pepper to the listed ingredients. Meh, ok, but not worth the trouble in my opinion.
Olga
These are absolutely scrumptious! The dough is easy to work with. A keeper recipe.
Sheila
I was inspired by this recipe to make fillings using food that needed to be consumed, so in the end the only component to which I was faithful was the crust. I measured my flour by weight and I needed to add more than 1/2 cup water (much more, by recipe standards). Filled with cooked bratwurst/roasted peppers & onions/cream cheese + dijon/cheddar cheese, and cooked chorizo/said peppers&onions/carmelized cabbage/cream cheese. And two little apple turnovers when I ran out of meat fillings.
Joan
Loved this recipe. Quick question for anyone who can help. When I make a pie crust (admittedly not often because I take shortcuts and buy one - I know, I know, that is awful!) the flour I use to roll it sometimes makes the resulting product taste chalky. How do I avoid this?
Michael
For savory, sometimes you can use a little cornmeal if you like that taste. For rolling pasta, semolina works for this and for sweet pies, I use all purpose so maybe you are using too much to roll it out? You could always brush it off once it's rolled out too
Tess
I loved all the individual elements of this recipe. The crust was super flaky (butter may not be kosher, but it makes a great crust), and the eggplant and tomato filling was tasty on its own, but combined it could’ve been more flavorful. Still this is a fun little project recipe that I want to make again with the spinach filling.
kim mclaughlin
I made these today with the spinach filing. They seem very dry. Did I do something wrong? I even added a chopped onion sautéed in olive oil but not enough moisture?
Cynthia Wokas
I agree. The crust was flaky and delicious and the filling tasted great but the baked hand pie was too dry. I thought maybe I didn't put enough filling in each piece or that the crust was not thin enough. Any other suggestions?
cathy
It was wonderful seeing Joan Nathan's article in the Times. My mother was one of those"grandmothers" from whom my generation learned to make these and other Sephardic dishes. Of course , they were then made by hand, w/fresh spinach, and veg.oil. As a Brooklyn resident since my long marriage and widowhood, I greatly miss those heavenly smells and tastes. If your family came from Rhodes, I would love to hear from you.I understand Ladino, but speak it haltingly. Come con gana!
Jeanie F
Hi, Cathy. I'm Sephardic and Joan Nathan was writing about our ladies who bake each Tuesday at our synagogue. I'm sure you do miss those fragrant Sephardic pastries. It was too bad she didn't include the original recipe for the dough and the eggplant filling. I plan to try her version even though it's much richer. Anyway, my father and my mother's parents were all born in Rhodes. Fortunately, we don't need Ladino to communicate. If you want to keep in touch, send me a private note.
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