Goulash (Egyptian Meat Pastry)

Goulash is a crispy meat pastry made with phyllo sheets. It’s so easy to put together and can be quickly prepared to feed a crowd. It’s commonly filled with a flavourful meat filling, or pastrami and cheese.

You can tailor this recipe to whatever you have on hand: chicken, olives, bell peppers… It’s also a great way to use up any leftover samosa filling!

What To Serve With Egyptian Goulash?

This is one of those dishes that can either be enjoyed as a main, or served amongst a platter of side dishes for a gathering.

As a main dish, it goes really well with salad or roasted vegetables. This is especially true during the summer months, when the heat is unbearable and you really don’t want to start cooking a hot meal with pasta or rice.

In the winter months, when it’s cold outside, you can have it with some vegetable soup. I find that having vegetable soup on its own, isn’t very filling, so it’s nice to have a crispy meat dish to go along with it.

Seasoning

Like in most Egyptian recipes, the meat filling for goulash uses warm spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If you don’t have any of these spices, feel free to leave them out or substitute them.

Alternatively, if you’re not ready to buy many spices at once, you can grab a pre-made shawarma spice mix instead; some of them have a similar blend of seasoning used in this recipe. Start with a teaspoon and add more if needed.

Phyllo Pastry Recipes

There are two pastries that I use time and time again: puff pastry and phyllo! With both pastries, you can easily transform them into something sweet or savory. For example, you can use phyllo to make baklava or this delicious spinach and feta borek – it’s one of my most popular recipes!

Goulash (Egyptian Meat Pastry)

This crispy meat pastry is made with phyllo sheets and a flavourful meat filling. It's so easy to put together and can be quickly prepared to feed a crowd.

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp oil for frying
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 400 g mince beef
• 35 g ghee
• 235 g phyllo sheets (or less is fine)

Seasoning

• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp corriander
• ½ tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
• ½ tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Egg Wash

• 125 ml milk
• 1 large egg (or 2 small eggs)

Instructions

 

Meat Filling

• Heat a pan and add some oil. Once the oil has warmed up, add your chopped onion. It should start sizzling. Keep an eye on the onion, and occasionally stir until it turns golden brown. Push the onion to one side of the pan, to make room for the minced beef.
• Add the minced beef to the pan and gently press it down. Once the beef browns on one side, break it up with a wooden spoon and mix it with the onion.
• Mince the garlic, and add it to the pan along with your seasoning (except oregano). Stir the beef mixture to evenly incorporate the seasoning. When the beef has fully cooked, turn off the heat and mix in your oregano. Set it aside to cool.

Assemble

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). With some melted ghee, butter a 28 x 22 cm (11 x 8 inch) glass or ceramic dish. You can use a larger dish if available.
• Layer two sheets of phyllo, followed by a thin sprinkling of ghee. Repeat until half of the phyllo sheets are used. Then add the meat filling, and continue layering two phyllo sheets with ghee, until all the phyllo sheets have been used up.
• Cut the goulash into slices. Then, prepare the egg wash by whisking the milk and egg together. Season it with some salt and pepper. Then pour the egg wash over the entire goulash, and tilt the dish so it's evenly spread out.
• Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes. Once out of the oven, cut through where you originally sliced and serve!

Notes

• You can use anywhere from 8 to 14 phyllo sheets for the top and bottom of the goulash; a good aim is 10.
• For a goulash that better holds its structure, use less meat filling or a larger dish.
• If you decide on a larger dish, feel free to add more milk to the egg wash. I would say maximum 175ml of milk per egg.

How To Store Leftover Egyptian Goulash?

Wrap the cooled goulash in clingfilm, or place in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Whenever you’re craving a slice, you can either reheat it in the oven. This helps maintain its crispiness. Or, if you’re in a hurry, pop it in the microwave!