Menemen börek – rolled pastry with eggs and vegetables Recipe
Menemen börek combines a breakfast-style egg scramble with tomatoes and peppers with a crispy, thin pastry. In Turkey, these rolls often appear at weekend breakfasts, when the table is full of small bites. The taste is similar to a breakfast wrap, but instead of a tortilla you get golden, flaky pastry.
This recipe turns classic Turkish menemen into a portable, crispy pastry roll that’s perfect for sharing. The combination of soft, juicy egg and vegetable filling with flaky filo makes it feel both comforting and festive.
Chef's tips
Make sure the vegetable mixture is well reduced and not watery before adding the eggs – otherwise the filling will soak into the pastry and make it soggy. Work quickly with the filo and keep unused sheets covered with a clean kitchen towel so they don’t dry out and crack.
How to serve
Serve as part of a Turkish-style breakfast spread with olives, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, cheese, and fresh bread. They also make a great brunch dish alongside a simple green salad and yoghurt dip.
Ingredients
- filo pastry defrosted if previously frozen - 8 sheets
- eggs - 5 pieces
- pepper red or green, finely chopped - 1 piece
- tomatoes seeded, finely chopped - 2 pieces
- onion finely chopped - 1 piece
- white cheese feta-style, crumbled - 80 g
- butter melted, for brushing the pastry - 60 g
- vegetable oil for frying the vegetables - 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- parsley finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
- milk for brushing the top - 3 tablespoons
- nigella seeds optional, for sprinkling - 1 teaspoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4–5 minutes, until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the pepper and fry for another 4–5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and some of the liquid evaporates – the mixture should be thick, not watery.
- In a bowl, beat 4 eggs with a pinch of salt. Pour into the pan with the vegetables and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring gently, until the eggs are set but still moist. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and crumbled cheese, mix and set aside to cool slightly.
- Lay one sheet of filo pastry on the work surface and brush it lightly with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top and also brush lightly with butter.
- Along the long edge of the pastry, spread 1/4 of the egg filling, leaving about 2 cm free on both sides. Fold the sides in towards the centre, then roll up into a fairly tight log. Transfer to the baking tray. Repeat with the remaining sheets and filling to make 4 rolls.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 egg with 3 tablespoons of milk. Brush the tops of the rolls and sprinkle with nigella seeds, if using.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. If the edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminium foil.
- After baking, leave to rest for 5 minutes, then cut the rolls into 3–4 cm pieces and serve warm.
Storage
Przechowuj w lodówce w pudełku, najlepiej oddzielając kawałki papierem do pieczenia. Podgrzewaj w piekarniku 5–7 minut w 180°C, aby odzyskać chrupkość. Możesz zamrozić upieczone kawałki i odgrzewać bez rozmrażania.
