Ouzi Rolls or Qouzi Fingers

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 kilo minced meat or meat cut into small pieces
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon white spice
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds, as desired
• 1 pack baklava or phyllo dough
• 1 egg
• Sesame seeds or nigella seeds for garnish
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 2 cups water

Method

1. Wash the rice well, then soak it for a quarter of an hour in water with one tablespoon of salt.
2. In a pot, put the ghee and sauté the meat, stir a little then add the peas and stir.
3. Drain the rice and place it over the meat.. add the spices and salt and stir.
4. Put two cups of water for each cup of rice. When the water boils, cover the pot and leave it over low heat until the rice is cooked.
5. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for five minutes before transferring it to a bowl .. add the toasted nuts and stir.
6. When the filling cools slightly, fill the baklava dough with it and roll it into a roulade.
7. Brush the ouzi rolls with beaten egg and garnish with nigella seeds or sesame.
8. Arrange the qouzi fingers on a baking tray and bake them in the oven at 180°C until the fingers are lightly colored.
9. Serve the ouzi rolls or qouzi fingers with cucumber and yogurt salad.