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Tikvenik
Tikvenik (тиквеник): rolled filo pie with grated pumpkin, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon
On Bădni vecher, Christmas Eve, Bulgarian families set the table with an odd number of meatless dishes, and in the north of the country a coiled tikvenik is almost always among them. Sheets of filo are brushed with sunflower oil, filled with grated sweet pumpkin, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon, rolled into long snakes and coiled into a round tin, then baked until crisp and dusted with icing sugar. The pastry shatters, the filling is moist and spiced, and slices are passed around with the boiled wheat and stuffed peppers of the feast. Because it uses oil, not butter, it is naturally vegan; check that your filo has no butter or egg in it. The mistake most people make is skipping the squeeze: raw grated pumpkin weeps, so press out the juice or the pie goes soggy. Chef's tip: lightly sprinkle each filo sheet with water as well as oil, and the layers puff up flaky instead of dry.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 ¾ lb pumpkinpeeled and coarsely grated
- 5 ½ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 4 oz sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the pastry
- 14 oz filo pastryegg- and butter-free, thawed
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 3 tbsp water
To finish
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Squeeze 1 ¾ lb pumpkin firmly in your hands or a clean cloth over the sink, a handful at a time, until most of the juice has run out.
5 minStep 2: Mix the pumpkin with 5 ½ oz walnuts, 4 oz sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and oil a 26–28 cm round tin.
4 minStep 3: Lay one sheet of 14 oz filo pastry on the work surface, brush lightly with ½ cup sunflower oil and flick over a few drops of 3 tbsp water. Lay a second sheet on top and do the same.
5 minStep 4: Spread a thin line of filling along one long edge and roll the sheets up loosely into a long snake. Place it against the edge of the tin in a coil.
5 minStep 5: Repeat with the remaining filo and filling, continuing the spiral inwards until the tin is full.
20 minStep 6: Brush the top with the rest of the 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil and bake for 45–50 minutes, until deep golden and crisp all over.
48 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes, then dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tikvenik take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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