🧀 Rakakat (Cheese Rolls)
Rakakat are slim Levantine cigars of thin phyllo pastry filled with salty white akkawi cheese, mozzarella and chopped parsley, then fried until crackly and golden. The shell shatters at the first bite and the filling turns soft and stretchy. They are a fixture of mezze spreads and Ramadan iftar tables.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 phyllo sheets
- 200 g akkawi cheese, soaked to remove salt and grated
- 100 g mozzarella, grated
- 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
- Oil for frying (or 2 tbsp for baking)
Method
- Soak the akkawi in water for 1 hour, changing the water once, then drain and grate.
- Mix the akkawi, mozzarella and parsley.
- Cut the phyllo into strips about 10 × 25 cm, place a line of filling along one short edge, fold in the sides and roll tightly.
- Seal the end with a dab of water.
- Fry in hot oil for 2–3 minutes until golden, then drain on paper towels.
How to make it lighter
- Bake instead of frying: brush with 2 tbsp oil and bake at 200 °C for 15 minutes — 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Use part-skim mozzarella and more parsley in the filling.
- Count rolls before eating: serve 2–3 alongside a large salad rather than a full plate.
History
Rakakat, whose name comes from the Arabic word for thin, are a common mezze item in Lebanon, Syria and across the Levant. They are especially popular during Ramadan, when many families prepare them in large batches.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →