Monday 7 January 2013

The famous Greek pita - recipe

Dear readers,
Today I will share a recipe with you. Our cooking is a mix of different cuisines - as you know if you read my food and drink page. I learned this dish in Greece- from my mother-in-law, my greek-food-mentor. I made it in Norway several times - and our familiy and friends loved it. Now, I tried out my recipe here in India too - worked great! And because readymade filo-dough can be a bit tricky to find here - why not make it yourself ? So here we go:

PITA 
Spanakopita or Tiropita - with spinach or cheese filling or both- or you can fill it with your own favourite filling.
You need:
 For the dough:
  • 200 gram butter
  • 1 dl olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 3 dl soda water
  • aprx 500 gr white flour (in India: maida)
For the filling:
  • spinach
  • feta cheese
  • 1 egg
You do:
Divide the butter in 3 equal parts. It needs to be soft but not melted. Leave aside in a bowl.
In another bowl you mix about 1 cup of the flour with salt and baking powder. Then add the egg and oil, and then mix before you add the soda water and then mix well. Then add the rest of the flour. If needed, add some more flour. It shall not be sticky.

Separate the dough in 3 equal parts. Open the first on the table (like you're making a pizza). Add the one part of the butter on the dough. Spread it, so the dough has a layer of butter all over. Leave it on the table. Then open the second part of dough (somewhere else) - (same size as the first one). Lay it on the top of the first butter-covered part. Spread butter on that one too. Then open the third part of the dough and lay that on top of the second one. Spread the last part of the butter on. Then roll it together,  (shape of a bread) put it in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
A good tip: you can also keep it in freezer and defrost it when you'll make the pita.

Prepare the filling. I like mixing spinach with mashed feta cheese and the egg.
Separate the dough in 2 equal parts. Open the first one, again like you are making a pizza, but it shall cover the bottom of a large oily oven-pan. Put on the filling. Open the second dough and lay on top. Mark lightly with a knife how you want your pieces. Put a little butter on top.
In the oven for 200 C for aprx 30 minutes (light brown on the top).

You dig in:
Kali oreksi!


Sorry! Didn't get to take those fancy pictures of the process or even of the ready pita- before it was eaten up ! - just theese two pieces left...Very yoummie!



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