Phyllo pastry (banitsa) with leeks and chard
The recipes published here are seasonal and are part of our menu and the dishes can be tested at Botanica Guest House in Nadarevo. In addition, we would like to share these recipes with you so that you can prepare and enjoy them at home.
Banitsa is a traditional Balkan pastry dish, prepared by our ancestors. It consists of rolled or layered phyllo dough sheets with different types of stuffing in-between. The most popular banitsa in Bulgaria is made with cheese, eggs and yogurt, but vegetables can be added as well.
How to make
Boil the rice in proportion of 1 part of rice to 5 parts of water until it softens, then remove the remaining liquid. In a heated pan, stew the pre-chopped leeks and chard, adding 25 grams of butter, 25 milliliters of vegetable oil and salt to your taste.
Take 2 sheets of phyllo dough and lay them on top of each other. By using a spoon, spread some of the rice and stewed vegetables evenly. Roll it up, and then shape the roll into a helix. Place it in the centre of a baking tray, in which you have previously placed the baking paper, glazed with the rest of the vegetable oil. Repeate the process. The next roll continues the shape of the helixs until the tray is filled.
Beat the eggs and yogurt, gradually adding the sparkling water and baking soda. Pour the homogeneous mixture evenly on top of the banitsa. Then spread the fine chopped pieces of the remaining butter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° celcius until it reaches a golden-brown colour.
The dish is seasonal and is offered at guest house "Botanica".
Ingredients
for 6-7 portions
½ tea cup of rice
500 grams of fine phyllo dough
150 grams of fresh chard leaves (mangold)
1 stalk of leek
50 milliliters of vegetable oil
50 grams of butter
5 eggs
300 grams of yogurt
100 milliliters of sparkling water
1 tsp. of baking soda
Salt
Baking paper