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.
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
Directions
- 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 degrees 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. Bumuelos can keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
