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Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash)
5 from 8 votes

Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash)

This delicious Phyllo Meat and Spinach Pie (Egyptian Goulash) recipe is made of layers of thin filo pastries stuffed with a spicy beef & spinach filling. 

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 334 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Breakfast, Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Ingredients

For the Mince and Spinach Filling
  • 400 g beef minced; or lamb
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • ½ red chilli or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 2 medium tomato finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 400 g spinach (washed thoroughly, dried and chopped)
For the Sauce
  • 100 g yogurt ½ cup
  • 100 ml vegetable oil ½ cup, or sunflower oil
  • 1 cup soda water or sparkling water
  • 2 egg yolks to be used for egg wash, white
  • ½ teaspoon salt
For the Borek
  • 500 g filo pastry (20 sheets in total)
  • 2 egg yolk
  • sesame seeds or nigella seeds

Instructions

Preparing the Meat and Spinach Filling
    Cup of Yum
  1. Put a large frying pan or a wok on medium heat and add the ground beef.
  2. Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
  3. Add olive oil and the onions to the pan, and sauté until soft and translucent. If you use ground beef with some fat, you might not need olive oil for the onions.
  4. Add the garlic and chili, and sauté for another minute before adding the tomatoes.
  5. Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes and then add chili, black pepper, paprika, and salt.
  6. Add the spinach and sauté until soft, let the water evaporate if there is any.
  7. Remove the pan from the heat and let the filling cool down for 10 minutes.
Building the Egyptian Goulash
  1. To make the sauce, place the egg whites, yoghurt, oil, salt and soda water in a jug or bowl and whisk until combined.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
  3. Lay one piece of phyllo sheet on the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish size of 24cm x 33cm x 6cm (9 ½" x 13" x 2 ¼"). 
  4. Drizzle on 1-1 ½ tablespoon of the sauce, and then spread it evenly using a brush. 
  5. Lay another sheet of filo on top and then drizzle some more sauce, spreading it evenly. Repeat until you used half of the phyllo sheets.
  6. Place the meat and spinach filling on top of the last phyllo sheet and spread it evenly.
  7. Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top of the spinach and meat filling repeating the same process as before until the phyllo sheets are used up.
  8. Carefully cut the phyllo pie into 12 equal squares using a sharp knife.
  9. Whisk the egg yolks into the remaining sauce and then pour it evenly on top of the pie. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds.
  10. Place the pie into the preheated oven and then bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is golden and crispy. 
  11. Let the Egyptian Goulash rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • If using frozen phyllo pastry, make sure to defrost it either overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on your counter. Do not use your microwave to thaw the phyllo pastries!
  • To avoid the phyllo pastries drying out, use a damp clean kitchen towel to cover them.
  • Cut the phyllo meat and spinach pie into squares before baking. Cutting your pie after baking will be more difficult as the crust will be too crispy to have nice and clean cuts.
  • Make sure the oven is heated to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven) before you put the Egyptian Goulash in. A cold oven would cause a longer cooking time and less crispy pastries.

Nutrition Information

Calories 334kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g (35%) Monounsaturated Fat 8g (40%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 58mg (19%) Sodium 554mg (23%) Potassium 400mg (9%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 3379IU (68%) Vitamin C 17mg (19%) Calcium 65mg (7%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 334

% Daily Value*

Calories 334kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 58mg 19%
Sodium 554mg 23%
Potassium 400mg 9%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 3379IU 68%
Vitamin C 17mg 19%
Calcium 65mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.