Cheese Pies/Takhratha'd gupta

These cheese pies are great to have for breakfast or lunch or anytime really.  The dough is very yummy and soft.  The dough recipe was adapted from Samira Cholagh.

You can fill these any combination of cheese, meat, or veggies that you would like.  I have a couple feta cheese combinations below.

Make 20 pies

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg beaten
olive oil for greasing bowl and baking sheet

Below are 2 different fillings.  Choose one or if you would like you could half the recipe for the fillings and make 2 types of pies, which is what I did.

Cheese Filling 1
2 1/2 cups feta crumbled
6 green onions chopped fine
2 cups parsley with stems removed, chopped fine

Cheese Filling 2
2 1/2 cups feta crumbled
6 green onions chopped fine
16 oz fresh spinach steamed, squeezed, and chopped* or 10 ounce frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed of water
     *Put 2 cups of water in a large pot, add spinach and stir until it is completely wilted.  Drain.  When spinach is cool, squeeze it        in your fist until most of the water is out.


Stir the yeast in the warm water.  Add sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes or until it is foamy on top. 

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour and salt.  Add the warm milk, olive oil, and yeast mixture.  Mix ingredients and then knead until smooth.  The dough will be sticky but if you find it is overly sticky, add a little flour.  

Lightly grease a different bowl.  Set the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rest for at least one hour or until it doubles in size.

Prepare your cheese filling by mixing the vegetables and feta cheese well.

Roll the dough into a log with your hands and then cut into about 18 to 20 equal sized pieces.  Roll the pieces into balls and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest another 30 minutes.

Dust the surface you are using and your rolling pin with flour.  Using the rolling pin, flatten the ball into a circle.  Add about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle.  Make the circle into a triangle by gently pulling on three points.  Bring those three points up to meet.  While you are holding the three points up like a tee-pee, pinch together the openings to close.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Repeat.  Brush the top of the pies with the beaten egg

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

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