Easy Spiced Lamb Borek (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Lamb Mixture

01 - 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
02 - 3/4 tsp ground coriander
03 - 1/3 cup currants
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
06 - 600g ground lamb (minced lamb)
07 - 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
08 - 1/2 tsp allspice
09 - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 - 3/4 tsp paprika
11 - 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
12 - 1 small onion, diced fine
13 - 1 cup tomato passata
14 - 1/4 cup water
15 - 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
16 - 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

→ Egg Coating

17 - 2 tbsp plain yogurt
18 - 30g melted unsalted butter
19 - 1 egg

→ Layered Dough

20 - 12 sheets of phyllo dough
21 - 25g butter, melted and cooled
22 - White sesame seeds (if you like)

→ Garlicky Lemon Dip

23 - 1 cup plain yogurt
24 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
25 - 1/4 tsp garlic, finely grated
26 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
27 - A small pinch of salt

# Instructions:

01 - In a wide pan, heat up the oil on high. Toss in garlic and onion, cooking for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in lamb and break it apart as it browns. Scatter all the spices (cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, cayenne, allspice, black pepper, and salt) over the meat. Stir it around for another minute.
02 - Add water and tomato passata to the meat, stirring to mix. Sprinkle in pine nuts and currants. Reduce heat and let it simmer gently until the mixture thickens up slightly. You don’t want it watery, just a little saucy.
03 - Take the pan off the heat. Let everything cool completely before assembling.
04 - In a bowl, combine yogurt, finely grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of salt. Stir it well and leave it for 20 minutes to bring the flavors together.
05 - Turn your oven on to 200°C (or 180°C for fan ovens) to get it nice and hot.
06 - Combine the egg, melted butter, and plain yogurt in a bowl. Mix until smooth and well blended.
07 - Unroll the sheets of phyllo on your counter. Pull off one sheet and place it on baking paper. Keep the rest covered with a damp tea towel to avoid drying them out. Brush the first sheet lightly with the egg coating. Add another sheet on top and repeat the brushing. Do this for 4 layers, skipping the yogurt wash on the top layer.
08 - Spoon 1/3 of the lamb mixture along the bottom edge of your layered pastry. Using a knife to help, roll it up gently into a log. Keep it loose so the pastry doesn’t tear. Do this twice more with the rest of your mix, creating 3 rolls in total.
09 - Take one log and loosely twist it into a spiral shape on a piece of baking paper. Attach the second roll to the first by tucking the ends together with a bit of yogurt wash to keep them connected. Do the same with the last roll until you’ve formed one big spiral.
10 - Butter a 26cm cast iron skillet, then carefully move your pastry spiral into it by sliding it from the paper. Coat the top generously with melted butter and, if you like, a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
11 - Pop it into the oven and bake until golden and crispy, around 40 minutes.
12 - Pull the borek out of the oven, cut it into wedges like you would a pie, and pair with the yogurt sauce.

# Notes:

01 - Toasting the pine nuts makes their flavor deeper. Toast them in a dry pan until golden.
02 - Tomato passata is just pureed tomatoes without seeds or skins, often called puree in the US.
03 - Keep phyllo dough covered with a slightly wet cloth so it doesn’t dry out as you work with it.
04 - The yogurt coating helps the pastry layers hold together and not crack in the oven.

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