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Home » Appetizers

Published: Sep 8, 2016 · Modified: Jan 10, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Turkish Cigar Pastry – Savory Spinach And Feta Cigars

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Turkish Cigar Pastry is a fun dish to eat for kids and lot easier to eat than the traditional pies. It is very easy to make with store bought pastry sheets.

Turkish Cigar Pastry in a dish

I am very attracted to Middle Eastern cuisine for couple of reasons. One, they have lot of vegetarian options and the second one is the flavors are so simple and clean.

I love all the spices that go in the Middle Eastern cuisine, maybe because they closely resemble Indian cuisine. Phyllo is one of the greatest blessings to find in the supermarkets.

I am yet to dare myself and try making the pastry sheets at home, but for now, I am quite happy using the store-bought ones.

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Baklava used to be the only thing I used to make with the phyllo, but lately I have ventured into making quite a few dishes with the pastry sheet.

I have made the Indian Samosas with the pastry sheets using the spinach and paneer. Just when I was making this Turkish Cigar Pastry recipe, I realized that any time I use the phyllo for savory recipes;

I end up using spinach and some kind of cheese. Maybe because the first-ever savory dish I ate out with phyllo is the Spanakopita which is made of spinach. I have not made Spanakopita yet, but have made a similar Albanian version called the Byrek Mi Spinaq (Spinach Pie).

The filling I used for these Turkish cigars are very similar to Byrek Mi Spinaq, except there is no cooking involved. I used frozen spinach and hence just thawed the spinach, mixed it up with feta and some spices and rolled it into a cigar.

The cigars are a fun way to serve the kids. My boys found it much easier to eat when compared to a pie and also is very easy and quick to make with the store bought pastry sheets.

The only thing that I would like to say over again is that thaw the phyllo sheets as per the instructions on the box. Do not try to rush the thawing process as the phyllo sheets are very fragile and can break very easily.

I have wasted enough sheets in the past, but have learnt the lesson now. Minor tears here and there are very common in the phyllo sheet and can still be used without any issues.

Savory Spinach & Feta Cigars in a bawl

My other recipes this Marathon –

Soups

Day 1 - Miso Soup (Japan)

Day 2 - Vegan Chickpeas Soup (Middle Eastern)

Day 3 - Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - (Mexican)

Appetizers / Snacks

Day 4 - Zucchini Potato Tots

Day 5 - Plantain Balls / Kaklo / Krakro (Ghana)

Day 6 - Cheesy Smashed Potatoes

Preparation time – 10 minutes plus time take to thaw the phyllo sheets
Baking time – 20 – 25 minutes
Difficulty level – easy
Recipe adapted from – Eat With Me Istanbul

Ingredients to make Turkish Cigar Pastry – makes 6 cigars

  • Phyllo pastry sheets – 6
  • Spinach – ½ cup (thawed, squeezed, and measured)
  • Feta cheese – 4 tbsp
  • Garlic – 1 (minced)
  • Nutmeg powder – a pinch
  • Salt – to taste
  • Pepper – to taste
  • Olive oil – to brush the pastries
Turkish Cigar Pastry in a blue dish

Procedure to make Turkish Cigar Pastry

  • Thaw the phyllo sheets according to the package instructions.
  • In the meantime, if using frozen spinach, that the spinach and then squeeze out all the liquid. Measure the spinach after you squeeze out the liquid.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and mix well.
  • Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, brush some oil on the sheet. Fold the sheet into half and then place a tablespoon of filling on the long side of the sheet. Make sure you place the filling in a thin long cylinder.
  • Fold the phyllo sheet over the spinach filling and roll it once more. Fold in the sides to cover the filling and then roll the sheet all the way to the end. Seal the edges well with water.
  • Place on the baking sheet and brush the top of the cigars liberally with oil.
Turkish Cigar Pastry on tray
  • Bake at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown and crispy.
  • Serve the Turkish Cigar Pastry warm or at room temperature.
Turkish Cigar Pastry on circle tray
Savory Spinach And Feta Cigars is ready

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter

Turkish Cigar Pastry

Savory Spinach And Feta Cigars

Turkish Cigar Pastry is a fun dish to eat for kids and lot easier to eat than the traditional pies. It is very easy to make with store bought pastry sheets.
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Course: Appetizer, savory snack, Side Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 Cigars
Calories: 84kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 6 Phyllo pastry sheets
  • ½ cup Spinach Thawed, squeezed, and measured
  • 4 tbsp. Feta cheese
  • 1 Garlic Minced
  • a pinch Nutmeg powder
  • to taste Salt
  • to taste Pepper
  • to brush the pastries Olive oil

Instructions

  • Thaw the phyllo sheets according to the package instructions.
  • In the meantime, if using frozen spinach, that the spinach and then squeeze out all the liquid. Measure the spinach after you squeeze out the liquid.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, and mix well.
  • Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, brush some oil on the sheet. Fold the sheet into half and then place a tablespoon of filling on the long side of the sheet. Make sure you place the filling in a thin long cylinder.
  • Fold the phyllo sheet over the spinach filling and roll it once more. Fold in the sides to cover the filling and then roll the sheet all the way to the end. Seal the edges well with water.
  • Place on the baking sheet and brush the top of the cigars liberally with oil.
  • Bake at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown and crispy.
  • Serve the Turkish Cigar Pastry warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
« Oven Baked Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bethany Nash says

    October 23, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    I made these tonight. They were very good. Mine leaked, but yum. So glad I found your site.

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      October 24, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      Bethany, Thanks a lot! Glad you liked the recipe. They leak at times when not sealed. But gets better as we make more 🙂

      Reply
  2. Carole from Carole's Chatter says

    April 16, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    Hi Sandhya, this is great. I hope you bring it over to Food on Friday: Middle Eastern. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

    Reply

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Sandhya

I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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