This is a Moroccan friend's spicier take on the traditional, mildly seasoned Kefta Briouats. Her preference for spicy food is evident, and her method of seasoning kefta (ground beef or lamb) makes a zesty change from the more common, milder filling.
Some of the pungency of the spices will be lost when the briouats (also spelled braewats) are fried. Adjust the seasoning to your own tastes.
The recipe's directions explain how to fold the pastries into triangles. You can also fold briouats into cylinders. For photos of this process, see:
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg (1 lb. 3 oz) ground meat (beef, lamb or a combo)
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1 or 2 preserved jalapeno peppers, very finely chopped
- 2 to 3 teaspoons tomato paste
- --------- For Folding the Briouats ---------
- 1/2 kg (about 1 1lb.) warqa, fillo dough or large spring roll wrappers
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- vegetable oil (for frying the briouats)
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers, and sauté them, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or more, until they begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, garlic and ground meat. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat into fine pieces, until the meat is well-browned and thoroughly cooked.
Stir in the spices and the jalapeno pepper, and taste. Adjust the seasoning if desired. Add the tomato paste, mixing well to bind the meat, and continue cooking for two or three minutes to blend the flavors.
Fold the briouats. See How to Fold Briouats. With scissors, cut the pastry dough into strips about two-and-a-half inches wide. Place a single strip of warqa or spring roll wrapper – or two layered strips of phyllo dough – on your work surface. (If the strip of warqa is less than 10 inches long, use two layers.) Lightly brush butter on the bottom two-thirds of the dough. Place a large tablespoon of filling towards the bottom of the strip, and fold the bottom up to enclose the filling.
Fold the bottom left corner of the enclosed dough upwards to the right, aligning it with the right edge of the strip. Then flip the bottom right corner upwards to the left, aligning it with the left edge of the dough. You should see a triangle take shape. Continue folding the triangle, flipping right and then left in this manner, until you reach the end of the dough.
Trim any excess length off the edge of the dough, dab it with a little egg yolk, and tuck the end of the dough into the "pocket" formed by the open edge of dough on the briouat. You can use the tip of a butter knife or your scissors to help tuck in the flap of dough.
Cook or freeze the briouats. Deep fry the briouats in hot oil until light golden brown. Drain and serve. Briouats stay warm for a long time, but if frying them well in advance of serving, you can reheat them in a 350 degree oven for five to 10 minutes.
Uncooked briouats can be refrigerated for one day or frozen for up to two months in a freezer bag or plastic storage container. They can be fried directly from the freezer, or allowed to thaw for 30 minutes to one hour before frying.
