Moroccan cigars

Posted: Mon, Jul 20 2009, 5:28 pm Post subject: Moroccan cigars

Moroccan Cigars
Makes about 30

1 lb phyllo dough
1/4 C melted butter or margarine
1 medium onion, finely diced
1.5 lb ground beef or lamb
1 T hot sauce
1 T minced garlic
5 t mustard
2 t cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch cilantro
5 eggs lightly beaten
Pinch each of allspice, ginger, cayenne
oil as needed

Soften onion in oil, add meat and break up. Add seasonings and cook 15 minutes, then add cilantro and eggs and cook, stirring, until creamy. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Cut each phyllo sheet into 3 rectangles and place under moist towel. Brush 1 piece at a time with margarine/butter, then place about 2t meat mixture along short side. Roll up , sealing edges. Repeat with remaining mixture.

To Bake: place on cookie sheet with a little room between each, bake 30 minutes at 350F until golden.

Authentic-Fry: Fry in oil until golden.

Serve hot with hummus, tehina, etc.

Can freeze cooked cigars.

Time savers: layer meat and dough like a lasagna, bake until golden ("Moroccan cigar box") or fill bread dough, cut a steam slit, and bake. Bread dough works for individual servings, like borekas, or a longer loaf and served in slices.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 23 2008 Posts: 9074

I adore these, especially with Tahina. The best I ever tasted are from Mendy's @ the JCM. But they're so fattening Sad

Maybe I'll make them for Shabbos...I'm having VERY choshoveh company! Wink

Posted: Tue, Sep 08 2009, 4:13 pm Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

With what else can cigars be served? I'm having potato cigars tomorrow as an appetizer (company for dinner) and I don't care for techina or chummus. Any other sauce suggestions?

Posted: Wed, Sep 09 2009, 8:32 am Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

sarahd, hope it's not too late. Since cigarim are fried in oil, I'd stick to something that's not too heavy. I usually serve them hot on a platter with lemon wedges and optional pepper sauce (harissa). Aside from that, for appetisers, I'd say israeli salad (tomato, cuke, salad onion). If you want to go moroccan you can serve with carrot salad (either the cooked sliced version or grated version). I make refershing and very simple carrot salad--simply mix in salt, equal amount of orange and lemon juice, olive oil, and chopped parsley.

Posted: Wed, Sep 09 2009, 1:47 pm Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

sarahd, I also serve my potato cigars with sweet and sour sauce, a chile sauce, or hot sauce. Maybe duck sauce would go well?

Gold Member Joined: Jan 16 2008 Posts: 1831

I served these a few weeks ago on Friday night along with the chicken. The chicken was covered in "kickin' chicken" sauce from Kosher by design short on time. Its a mix of duck sauce and taco seasoning. I put some in a dish and the guests used it as a dip for the cigars.

Posted: Wed, Sep 09 2009, 3:08 pm Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

Thanks for the suggestions. I ended up not serving the cigars tonight, but I plan to serve them on Chanukah (planning ahead for a change) and I will keep this thread in mind.

amital, do you make your own sweet and sour sauce? I was thinking originally of serving it like that, but need a recipe.

Gold Member Joined: Mar 08 2006 Posts: 2405

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 20 2005 Posts: 5321

Can you use plain puff pastry?

Posted: Thu, Sep 10 2009, 5:29 am Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

I've made one with wonton skin when I couldn't get hold of filo dough. It comes out thicker but still tasted fine.

Puff pastry dough--it'll be hard to roll and stay in the cigar shape as pastry expands. If you're using puff pastry, it will be brekas, not cigarim.

Posted: Sun, Dec 13 2009, 5:13 pm Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

I'm reviving this thread, since Chanukah has arrived, the guests are coming tomorrow and I never got the sweet and sour sauce recipe. I imagine pinktichel is out of commission tonight (mazel tov!); does anyone else have a recipe??

Posted: Sun, Dec 13 2009, 6:08 pm Post subject: re: Moroccan cigars

For a very easy/quasi-cheat sweet and sour sauce, you can mix 1 carton/tin of passata (500g) with 1 small jar of apricot jam (or 1 tin of cranberry sauce) and simmer over low flame for 5-10min. You can adjust seasoning--add brown sugar if you want it sweeter, vinegar if you want it more tart.

This is not the same as sweet and sour sauce for chinese cuisine, which doesn't use tomato but use vinegar and thickened with corn starch.

Or try bottled sweet chili sauce (if available where you live). But then again, I don't serve cigarim with dips as they already are seasoned.

Posted: Mon, Dec 14 2009, 6:10 am Post subject:

Thanks for the recipe. I would serve the cigars with salads the way you suggested above, but I know my guests won't eat it, so why go to the trouble of preparing it?