Gibanica, Gužvara

There is no adequate name in English language, but it's traditional dish in Croatia and Balkan. It can be made with cottage cheese, cottage cheese and spinach,  it can be sweet and salty, but today we're making my favorite and most simple Gibanica with cottage cheese.




Actually name Gibanica is generate from verb gibati - to move around, and Gužvara means crumpled.

For recipe  you will need:

1 pack of filo dough (500 g)
500 -700 g of cottage cheese
200 ml of sour cream (or yogurt for lighter variation)
200-300 ml of mineral water
2-3 eggs
salt
optional: feta cheese

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add salt, sour cream, mineral water and cheese (if you're yousing feta cheese also, put it in mixture) and combine.

Place one sheet of filo dough in a lightly buttered 33 x 23 x 5 cm pan.



Than take one by one sheet of filo pastry and dunk it into the cheese mixture.



Gently crumple it and place it into the prepared pan.


Repeat until all the filling and sheets are used (leaving only 3-4 spoons for the end, and one lid sheet for the top of gibanica). 
Place the filo lid on top, and brush it with 3-4 spoons of cheese mixture.


Place it in a preheated oven (200°C) and bake it until golden, and cruncy on the top. If you're not sure is it baked, you can shakea a pan and if gibanica is separating from pan, than it's baked. 
If you think it's still not baked, but the top of gibanica is already brown, you shouls cover it with aluminum foil. 



Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes.
Serve it with yogurt or sour cream, or just enjoy it plain.



Gibanica is also great when chilled.

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