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Title: Handrajo (Eggplant & Zucchini Turnovers)
Categories: Jewish Israel Turkey
Yield: 1 Servings
| STUFFING | ||
| 3 | tb | Corn or sunflower oil |
| 2 | md | (1 c) onion, chopped |
| 2 | (1 c) tomatoes, chopped | |
| 1 | lb | Zucchini, coarsely grated |
| 1 | lb | Eggplant, coarsely grated |
| 1/4 | c | Kashkaval cheese, grated |
| 1 | ts | Salt, or to taste |
| 1/4 | ts | Pepper |
| PASTRY | ||
| 1/2 | c | Yoghurt |
| 1/4 | c | Corn or sunflower oil |
| 2 | tb | Margarine, melted |
| 2 | tb | Kashkaval cheese, grated |
| 2 | c | All-purpose flour, or more if needed |
| 1 | Egg yolk mixed w/1 ts water | |
Izmir is a beautiful city in southwest Turkey, situated on an almost perfect bay of the Aegean Sea. Here is a Jewish community of ancient lineage. My teacher there was a Jewish lady of a certain age with devotion to her tradition and a knowledge of Ladino and several other languages, all of which helped in the translation and explanation of these recipes. The "handrajo" is a snack or appetizer that originated in Izmir. She explained to me that the dough, as described by old time cooks, should be "as soft as the lobe of your ear."
1. To make the stuffing: Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions over moderate heat for several minutes, until they are golden. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant and continue to stir-fry; cover the pan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce the mixture to a paste. Uncover, add the cheese, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook to evaporate all the liquid. Set aside.
2. Make pastry by mixing yoghurt, oil, and margarine in a bowl. Add the cheese and enough flour to produce a soft smooth mixture. Prepare the dough on a well-floured board. Cut off pieces the size of a walnut, and roll out flat cakes 3 or 4 inches in diameter. Put 1 tb the stuffing on the lower half of each cake and fold over into a halfmoon. Bend the two side edges down to round out the shape and seal with the tines of a fork. Paint the surface with the egg yolk/water mixture. Put the pastries on oiled baking sheet and baked in a preheated 350F oven for 1/2 hour.
Serve warm or at room temperature, anytime with tea or Turkish coffee. Makes 25 to 30 turnovers.
Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. DPileggi in Houston, Texas
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