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Tajine malsouka
Tunisian baked egg and cheese pie in crisp pastry, with spinach and potatoes
In Tunisia a tajine is not a stew but a thick baked frittata, and tajine malsouka is the festive one: eggs, cheese and filling baked between layers of malsouka pastry so the top and bottom turn crisp and golden. It is served at Ramadan, weddings and Eid, cut into squares. Chicken is the usual filling; here spinach, potato and white beans give it body. Chef's tip: brush every pastry sheet with butter, edge to edge; dry corners burn in the oven.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the filling
For the custard
For the pastry
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion and 10 ½ oz potatoes for 10–12 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and golden at the edges.
12 minStep 2: Add 9 oz spinach, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and stir until the spinach wilts and its liquid evaporates. Stir in 7 oz cooked white beans and 4 tbsp parsley and cool.
4 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Beat 8 eggs with ½ cup single cream and 5 ½ oz grated Gruyère or Emmental, then fold in the cooled filling.
Step 4: Brush a 24 cm round or square baking dish with ⅝ oz melted butter. Line with 5 sheets of 8 malsouka or brik pastry sheets, brushing each with butter and letting them overhang the sides.
Step 5: Pour in the filling and level it. Fold the overhang over the top, then cover with the remaining 3 sheets, brushed with 1 ½ oz melted butter and tucked in at the edges.
Step 6: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer in the middle comes out clean. Common mistake: cutting it hot — rest for 15 minutes so the egg sets and the squares hold together.
40 minStep 7: Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature with salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tajine malsouka take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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