Ravioles or Raviolia (Cheese Ravioli, as made in Cyprus)

A few days ago my son came back from Crete and some friends from Crete, Sophia and her family, from Sebronas, Chania, were kind enough to send me a lot of graviera cheese and fresh anthotyro cheese . So I had to think of something to do because it was a lot to store. I decided to make some ravioles with the graviera cheese and with the anthotyro cheese I put it in the deep freezer and in a few days I will prepare a Cypriot recipe called “Anarotourta”.

Ravioli, plural of raviolo have passed in the Cypriot cuisine as raviolia or ravioles plural of ravioli, so I have been making ravioli, stuffed with halloumi and mint or kaloirka, stuffed with minced beef, many times.  In Cyprus we make ravioles only with halloumi, mint and eggs and cook them in chicken broth, after boiling a chicken and serve them with grated halloumi cheese on top.

Ravioles

Preparation time: 10 minutes and 30 minutes to rest

Ingredients:

• To make the dough (see step by step instructions)
• 500 grams self raising flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup water (about)
• Extra flour on hand for “dusting”

To make the filling

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 250 grams of halloumi cheese, grated
• 250 grams of graviera cheese, grated
• 3 - 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of dried mint
• Extra halloumi and dried mint for sprinkling on top.

Directions

Making the dough (see recipe and instructions on how to make dough for pies or pasta).

Making the filling.

• Grate and mix the halloumi and graviera cheese, eggs (add one by one, depending on size of egg might need an extra egg) and mint, mix thoroughly until we have a nice mixture and cheese has been absorbed by the eggs.

Putting the ravioles together.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

We can proceed in two ways:

1. Roll out the phyllo with pasta machine and take it up to number 5.
2. Place 1 tea tablespoon of cheese mixture next to the other leaving 1 inch (3cm) gaps in between.
   
3. Cover with phyllo and cut with a glass, to give a half a circle shape, or
4. Roll out two sheets of phyllo. Place 1 teaspoon of mixture leaving some gaps in between.  Moist gaps brushing with water and cover with second phyllo. Press with fingers between the gaps to separate and either cut with a cutter or with a knife and then press firmly all the way around the edges of the ravioles with a fork.
   

This will add a “homemade” touch as well as to make sure the ravioles are sealed.

Storing:

Place on a tray after dusting with flour and cover with cling film to place second or more layers on top. Place in the deep freezer for an hour.

After leaving in deep freezer for a couple of hours to harden remove from tray and place in plastic bags and keep for as long as you like. When cooking, no defrosting is required.

Cooking the ravioli.

Preparation time: for cooking 10 – 15 minutes

1. Bring chicken broth to boil and add ravioles. No extra salt is necessary.
2. Place in boiling water for 10 – 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Remove with a slit spoon into platter and sprinkle with grated halloumi mixed with dried mint.

Serve hot.

Tags: Cypriot, dough, graviera, Greek cheese, halloumi, How to.., made with phyllo, Pasta, phyllo, Ravioli, Tips-cooking, Traditional