The Pita Krompiruša (“the potato-filled pita”), or Pita Savijača (“the rolled pita”), is a traditional recipe from present-day Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The pita is a sweet or savory dish made of thin rolled dough with a filling (meat, cheese, vegetables, fruit).
In Serbian, the word “pita” is classified as a Turkism of Greek origin and means a dish made of more or less thin dough, in which the filling is rolled.
Just like the word berek or börek is used for the same dishes, but in Turkish.
In general, “pitas” can be classified based on the type and method of thinning the pastry, based on the forming method, and based on the type of filling.
The two basic types are: those based on phyllo dough and those based on puff pastry, like the Pita Krompiruša.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Eastern European
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cups water
- to taste salt
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 1 onion
- to taste salt and pepper
Steps
For the dough: mix the flour with salt and add warm water.
Work the dough.
For the filling: grate the potatoes. Sauté the onion in vegetable oil, add the potatoes, salt, and pepper.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Roll out the dough thinly. Add the filling to half of the dough and roll it onto itself (like a snail).
Bake in the oven at 392°F for 35 minutes.
Serve accompanied by yogurt.
FAQ
How many “pitas” are there in Balkan cuisine?
In the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as throughout Serbia, many types of “pita” are produced. So, for example, we associate the burek with Turkish, Bosnian, and southern Serbian cuisine.
Banica is characteristic of Bulgarian cuisine.
Gibanica and užumara are specialties of Šumadija.Which “pitas” are made with phyllo dough?
The burek, gibanica, rjumara, banica, ačak-pita, mantije, pita with meat based on katmer crust and baklava.
They are prepared by layering sheets of phyllo dough and filling them with meat, cheese, vegetables, or fruit.
Gibanica is more often made with cheese (gibanica jjumara) or vegetables, spinach, or chard.
In Bosnia-Herzegovina, burek is only with meat, while every other filling has a special name, i.e., cheese, zeljanica, krompirusha, pie with apples or cherries, etc.
In Novi Sad, when you just say burek, it generally means it is with cheese, while in Belgrade you always need to specify what you want in the burek, as one can also be empty.What course is pita?
Savory-filled pitas can be served as a hot or cold appetizer accompanied by yogurt, even though the gastronomic rule is to serve them at the end of a meal.
Sweet ones are served hot or cold only at the end of a meal.
They are served on special plates, from which pieces are taken and eaten on smaller plates, with a fork and knife.Isn’t Pita a Greek bread?
In Greece and Middle Eastern countries, this term is used for the form of thin and round breads, which can be filled with meat, vegetables, and other foods.
