A Delicious Main to Share or the Perfect Middle Eastern Appetiser
An exciting dish of beef mince spiced with baharat spice blend and wrapped in crispy filo pastry. Like Moroccan beef cigars, they are served with a luscious tahini yoghurt dip and a dollop of homemade chilli sauce. Serve them as impressive party finger food or alongside other Middle Eastern appetisers on a mezze platter.
Tahini Yoghurt Dipping Sauce With an Easy Homemade Tomato Chilli Sauce
The dipping sauce is made by blending thick, creamy Greek (or Turkish) yoghurt with nutty tahini, then finishing with a drizzle of homemade chilli sauce. The whole process takes just 10 minutes. This heavenly combination can be used as a dip with many other dishes, including these beef cigars.
What is Baharat Spice Blend?
Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend containing black pepper, cardamom, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, coriander and paprika and adds a deliciously fragrant flavour to beef. You can buy the spice blend or make it yourself at home with this recipe here. The blend’s warm aromatics infuse the minced beef filling, giving each bite an unmistakably Middle Eastern flavour and depth.
How to Roll the Beef Cigars
It’s a very simple technique. Flatten your puff pastry and cover it with a tea towel to stop it drying out. Remove one sheet at a time, fold it in half vertically, then brush with oil. Place some minced beef in a line on the bottom of the pastry in the shape of a cigar. Leave 1.5 cm of space on each side. Roll it up like a cigar, folding the sides in to seal the ends and prevent the filling from falling out. Brush the ends with a little extra oil if necessary and place on a roasting tray ready for the oven.
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Recipe: Baharat Spiced Beef Filo Cigars with Tahini Yoghurt Dip
Baharat Spiced Beef Filo Cigars with Tahini Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 300g minced beef
- 2 tsp baharat recipe here
- 2 tbsp chopped mint
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tsp date molasses or maple syrup
- 1 packet filo pastry
- olive oil
- Sesame seeds
- 20g pistachios finely chopped
Yoghurt Tahini Dressing
- 250ml Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of sea salt
Chilli Sauce
- 1 large ripe tomato grated
- 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
- 60ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced (approx. 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients for the yoghurt tahini dressing until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Chilli sauce: Fry the garlic slices in oil over a medium heat until lightly browned (take care not to burn). Then add the chilli flakes, smoked paprika and grated tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid thickens and turns dark red. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt.
- Beef Cigars: Fry the onion until soft, add garlic and baharat and cook for another minute.
- Add minced beef and fry until nicely browned.
- Add the tomato paste and beef stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid has reduced and the mince has a thick, sauce-like consistency (no excess liquid).
- Place one sheet of puff pastry on a work surface and cover the remaining sheets with a tea towel to prevent them drying out. Brush the sheet lightly with oil and fold it in half widthways.
- On the edge closest to you, place 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture on the filo, leaving a 1.5cm space on each side. Roll up like a cigar, folding the sides in half to prevent the filling from falling out and to seal the ends.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes until browned and crispy.
- To serve: Spoon the yoghurt-tahini sauce into a dipping bowl. Top with the chilli sauce and garnish with pistachios. Serve the cigars on a plate next to the dip.