Bumuelos, or burmuleos, are fritters from the Sephardic cuisine of Turkey and the Balkans, that are likely to be originated from Moorish Spain. There are many versions for these fritters: Some are sweet, some are savory, some are made with flour for Hanukkah and some are prepared with matzah for Passover.
Kashkaval is a hard cheese from the Balkans and is available at Eastern European and some Middle Eastern supermarkets. You can replace it with pecorino, parmesan or any hard cheese you like.
Note: Bumuelos can keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to five days.
Sephardic Matzah and Cheese Patties
These fritters are the perfect appetizer.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 18 patties
Ingredients
- 5 sheets of matzah
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ lb feta cheese (preferably soft)
- ¼ lb grated kashkaval cheese (see note above)
- 4 scallions, sliced
- 1–2 Tbsp matzah meal (optional)
- neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Break matzah into a large bowl and cover with water at room temperature. Let stand for 30 minutes for the matzah to absorb the water and become very soft.
- Use your hands to squeeze as much water as possible from the matzah and transfer to another clean bowl. Add eggs, feta, kashkaval and green onion and mix well. The mixture should be thick enough so that you can form patties that will keep their shape. If the mixture seems too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons matzah meal to thicken it.
- Prepare a bowl of water near your burner. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towel.
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat to about 325°F or until a drop of the matzah mixture will bubble all around in the oil. Wet your hands and form a 1½ -2 inch flat patties of the matzah mixture and drop into the oil. Fry on medium simmer for about 3-4 minutes on each side (6-8 minutes all together) until golden brown on both sides. Transfer patties to the baking sheet. Serve warm.
Notes
Bumuelos can keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to five days.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Sephardic
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Can these be baked instead of fried?
Hi Marlene, we haven’t tested baking this recipe but please let us know how it turns out if you do.
Just wanted to say that I made these in the oven and they turned out great! I formed nugget-shaped patties on parchment paper on a baking tray and sprayed with cooking oil. My oven has an air fry feature; I think I baked on the air fry setting for maybe 20ish minutes at 350, flipped them over, and baked another 10ish minutes. Made these last week, so I probably have the times wrong – when they start turning golden, it’s time to flip or remove.
Came out SO good! Called them “Passover Nuggets” and my kids loved them!
Can this be made with matzah meal instead of matzahs?
We haven’t tested the recipe with matzah meal, I’m afraid.
Sounds tasty, but I can’t try it because without serving size and/or nutrition information I can’t tell how to fit it into my health needs
So, GOOD!
I swapped scallions for shallot + garlic. Worked great!
Make sure your oil is high smoke point, as the fire need to be high so that they don’t stick. Also, don’t try to turn them early, or they stick, too.
Wonderful! Our newest favorite Pesach dish.
Make sure the oil is hot, and you’re using a high smoke-point oil like avocado. Otherwise they stick and don’t work. Also, really let them cook the full time one both sides, or again, they stick.
I added fresh, minced garlic and swapped shallot for the scallions because my dh hates the latter. I also used Parmeseasn instead of the where-do-I-find-it kashkaval.
Great cold, too.