Cabbage and leek briwat (Moroccan pastries)

These moreish parcels of spiced potatoes, lentils, cabbage and leek are served with a tangy and zesty tamarind dipping sauce in Shane Delia's restaurant Brisbane restaurant Layla. Try the recipe for yourself to impress guests when entertaining.

Credit: Jason Loucas

• makes

  20

• prep

  1:30 hour

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 packet Tunisian brick pastry 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 litres olive oil, for frying 
• Salt 

Cabbage and leek filling

• 500 g Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
• 50 g leeks, washed and sliced
• 50 g savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• 50 g cooked black lentils
• 4 g coriander seeds
• 4 g cumin seeds
• 5 g smoked paprika 
• 50 g unsalted butter 
• Salt 
• Olive oil 

Date and tamarind dipping sauce

• 300 g date molasses 
• 300 g tamarind concentrate 

Instructions

1. To make the filling, place diced potatoes into a pot with cold water over a high heat.
2. In a separate pan, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. Once fragrant, drizzle some olive oil and add the cabbage and leeks to the pan. Cook until tender then from the heat and keep aside. 
3. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the heat and strain, using a fork break down the potatoes and allow to cool down. 
4. Place pot back on a high heat and add your butter and paprika and allow to foam, once foaming add your potatoes, leeks and cabbage and season with salt. Remove from the heat and add your black lentils and mix well. Keep potato mix aside till required. 
5. To make the topping, combine ingredients a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce by half and set aside.
6. To assemble the briwat, cut brick pastry into 9 cm-wide strips. Brush the pastry with egg mixture and place 35 g of potato mixture onto the bottom of the strip. Fold the sheet across the filling to form a triangle. Repeat until you have folded the entire length of the brick pastry and brush the top with egg mixture. Set aside and repeat until with remaining potato mixture.
7. Heat the olive oil in a pot over a medium heat to 175°C. Cook the briwat in batches to not overcrowd the pan, and fry on each side until golden and crispy.
8. Season with table salt and serve with the date and tamarind dipping sauce.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.