BANITSA

Banitsa is present on every special occasion in Bulgaria! In the present day Banitsa is eaten hot or cold as a snack or a meal whether that be breakfast, lunch or dinner. And it goes well with some yoghurt. There is a holiday banitsa at Christmas or New Year that contains lucky charms ("kasmeti") such as coins or pieces of paper with written wishes on them, wrapped in foil and baked inside the pastry. Banitsa has many variations, while the basic, traditional dish is made of thin sheets of dough, crumbled feta cheese, yoghurt, and eggs. You can make banitsa easily! Here are some recipes to try! You’re free to choose but we’d like to sent us your opinion…

Recipe1 Ingredients : Recipe1 - Ingredients :  1 package of phyllo pastry sheets - This can be found in the frozen-food section in a supermarket  700 g of white (feta) cheese  6 to 8 eggs, 1 cup of yoghurt, 1 stick of butter (125 g),1/4 to 1/2 cup of sunflower oil (Bulgarians believe that the more oily the banitsa is, the more tasty it is!) How to prepare How to prepare :  First, grease the bottom of a pan with butter or oil and place down a layer of two sheets of phyllo pastry, each sprinkled with some oil.  Whisk the eggs, add the crumbled feta cheese, grated butter and the yoghurt and mix.  Spread some of the mixture onto each second sheet. Continue layering up with the sheets and sprinkle with oil and the filling mixture.  After adding the last of the mixture, top with one more sheet. Brush the sheet with oil.  Bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for about min. or until golden brown, or until a wooden tooth-pick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Recipe 2 - Ingredients Recipe 2 - Ingredients : 1 package of phyllo dough sheets (from the frozen desserts section) 200 grams of yellow cheese 500 grams of white cheese (or feta cheese) 7 eggs 100 grams of butter 1/2 cup of soda water 1 cup yoghurtDirections: Mix six of the eggs, the grated butter, the crumbled white cheese, the yellow cheese cut in small pieces, and the yoghurt. In a buttered pan, lay a layer of the phyllo dough, spread a layer of the mixture…. Finish with a layer of phyllo dough. Then cut the banitsa into serving pieces. Mix the last egg with the soda water and stir. Pour the mixture over the banitsa and make sure there are no pieces of the dough left dry. Bake in a preheated over at 200 C for 40 minutes, or till golden. Remove from the the oven, sprinkle lightly with cold water, cover with a paper towel and a kitchen towel / dish towel, and allow to rest for 10 min. Serve hot. If desired, before serving sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Spiral Banitsa (Vita Banitsa) Ingredients: 1 box 500g phyllo pastry (10-12 sheets) 125 g butter (or margarine) 4 eggs 500 g yoghurt (Bulgarian yogurt) 250 g white cheese (feta cheese) 200 g milk 1 pinch baking soda Advice: Advice: Use a round pan – about 40cm diameter (the bigger the better). Grease bottom of a pan with butter.

How to prepare: Cheese filling - Cheese filling - Beat the eggs and the pinch of baking soda, than add crumbed (or crushed) white cheese and then the yoghurt. Spread a sheet of pastry on aluminum foil, scatter 2-3 small cubes of butter (or margarine), and spread the filling. Roll the sheet and place it in the middle of the pan (as a beginning of the spiral). Do all the sheets the same way and join it with the end of the previous sheet, making your spiral bigger and bigger. When you put the last roll and finish the spiral, and fill the pan, pore a tea cup of milk over the spiral. Bake at moderate temperature (180 ºC) for minutes. When it is ready take it out of the oven, brush the surface with water and cover with a cloth until it cools down.