Lamb borek with cucumber, radish and parsley salad

Using filo pastry often means using lashings of butter which, while delicious, doesn’t do much for the waistline. Yoghurt is a great alternative and not only makes the recipe healthier, but adds another subtle flavour to the dish.

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 300 g lamb mince
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 3 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
• 3 tsp mild paprika
• 70 ml yoghurt
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 sheets fresh filo pastry (see Note)
• 2 tbsp walnuts, lightly toasted, halved  
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into half moons
• ½ bunch radishes, cut into small wedges
• ¼ cup parsley leaves
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp walnuts, lightly toasted, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220˚C. 

Combine the lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin seeds, paprika, 40 ml yoghurt and nutmeg. Season well and using your hands, mix until well combined and quite smooth. 

Lay a sheet of filo on a work surface and brush lightly with yoghurt. Repeat with the remaining filo and yoghurt stacking the sheets on top of each other. Cut the stack in half widthways. Place half the mince along one short edge leaving a 5-cm border. Fold in the edges and roll to enclose. Brush the boreks with olive oil (or use olive oil spray) and place on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden. 

Combine the cucumber, radish, parsley and walnuts in a bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar, season to taste and toss to combine. 

Cut the boreks in half and serve immediately with the salad.

Note

• Fresh filo pastry can be found in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets. It’s much easier to work with than the frozen version. 

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Suresh Watson.

Mode plate from Royal Doulton.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.