Baalees ( Baked fish parcels)

This is something my mother makes quite often, especially during the month of Ramadhan. My brother-in-law calls them Baalees because they look like pillows ( baalees means pillows). It's a dough filled with a tuna filling. The filling is made using sauteed onions mixed with canned tuna, scotch bonnet peppers and lime juice.
The filling is added to the rolled dough and then folded so it looks like a little pillow.

 These are then brushed with beaten egg and then baked in the oven.

Yield: 18

Author: Nammi

Baalees ( baked fish parcels)

ingredients:

Filling

• 2 cans tuna, drained
• 2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 scotch bonnet
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 inch ginger
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 10-12 curry leaves, finely sliced
• salt

Pastry

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp margarine
• salt
• warm water

instructions:

How to cook Baalees ( baked fish parcels)

Filling

1. Heat a frying pan with a little oil ( 2 tbsp).  Add the onions and fry the onions till they soften and start to colour. 
2. While the onions are sauteing,  mix the tuna with ground pepper, ginger, lime juice and a pinch of salt. 
3. Once the onions are softened and starting to caramelize, add the tuna mixture, stir it into the onions and cook the tuna mixture.  Taste and adjust the salt and then switch off and let the mixture cool.

Pastry

1. Sift flour, and mix in the salt.  Rub the margarine into the flour.  
2. Once the flour and margarine are mixed, make a well in the centre and add the water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough until a smooth dough ball is made. Let it rest, covered with a damp cloth for about 15 minutes. 

Shaping and baking the parcels

1. After 15 minutes, take the dough and divide it into 18 balls. 
2. Roll each ball into small thin circles ( well roughly a circle). 
3. Add 2 teaspoons of the filling in the middle of the circle.  Fold the sides, and roll it up, sealing the end with a little water.  Repeat with the rest.
4. Place on a baking sheet, lined with baking paper  ( lightly oil the baking sheet if you don't have any baking paper.  Brush the pastry parcels with some beaten egg. 
5. Bake in a preheated oven at about 200 Degrees C, till golden.

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