Ravinder Bhogal Shares Three Creative Ways to Cook with Filo Pastry

By Benson Daniel

Filo pastry is best known for its delicate layers and crisp texture, but its versatility goes well beyond traditional pies and pastries. Ravinder Bhogal has highlighted three simple recipes that show how the paper thin pastry can be transformed into a rich cheese pie, crunchy seeded crackers and crisp prawn rolls.

Bhogal’s approach focuses on ready made filo, making the recipes accessible to home cooks without the time consuming process of preparing the pastry from scratch. The key, she notes, is keeping the unused sheets covered with a damp cloth because filo dries out quickly and can become difficult to handle. Frozen filo should also be completely defrosted before use.

The first recipe is a cheese and spring onion pie that combines feta, ricotta, halloumi and either gruyere or mature cheddar. The filling is enriched with cream and eggs, then mixed with chives, dill, parsley, spring onions, lemon zest and a touch of nutmeg.

The pastry is layered into a cake tin, with each sheet brushed generously with melted butter. Once the cheese mixture is added, more filo is placed over the top and the excess pastry is folded back to create a rough, ruffled surface. Sesame seeds are scattered over the top before the pie goes into the oven.

Baked until deeply golden and allowed to cool briefly before serving, the pie offers a combination of creamy cheese filling and crisp pastry. It is designed to serve six people and can work equally well as a main dish or as part of a larger meal.

For something lighter, Bhogal’s seeded filo crackers require little preparation. Fennel, caraway and coriander seeds are lightly crushed and combined with sesame and nigella seeds, pul biber, onion powder and flaky salt.

Four sheets of filo are layered with olive oil before the seed mixture is spread across the top. The pastry is then cut into strips, triangles or squares and baked until crisp. Once cooled, the crackers can be served with dips, making them a simple option for entertaining or casual snacking.

The third recipe, saffron prawn boreks, brings a more elaborate flavour to the collection. Prawns are combined with softened onion, red pepper, carrot and green chilli, with saffron, pul biber, coriander and lemon adding colour and depth.

The prawn mixture is wrapped in filo and rolled into small parcels before being brushed with melted butter. A finishing mixture of fennel seeds and pul biber is scattered over the rolls before they are baked until golden and crisp.

The boreks are intended to be served either hot or at room temperature, making them suitable for parties and other occasions where food needs to be prepared in advance.

Across all three recipes, the filo itself remains the common thread. Its crispness provides a contrast to creamy cheese, crunchy seeds and richly seasoned prawns, while the pastry’s thin layers allow each dish to develop a light texture despite its fillings.

The recipes also demonstrate why filo remains a useful ingredient for cooks looking for quick ways to turn simple ingredients into something more impressive. With careful handling and plenty of butter or oil, a packet of ready made filo can become the basis for everything from a substantial family pie to finger food for guests.