Frikesee – The Amazing Tunisian Sandwich

Looking for a new way to introduce Israeli food into your menu?
Meet the Frikesee. Frikesee is a Tunisian sandwich that has found its way into many Israeli menus. It’s just that delicious.

Frikesee is a great way to change up your Hanukkah menu (it’s fried!), to add to a special event or even a fun dinner treat. Think of them as salty sufganiyot if you want, stuffed with “kol tuv” as we say in Hebrew…. everything good.

So, what’s the story behind Frikesee?

Frikesee is a traditional street food in Tunis, Tunisia. The fried rolls are traditionally made on the spot (like our falafel that is fried in front of your eyes while you’re waiting to eat), and then filled with potatoes, tuna, hard boiled eggs, olives, pickled lemon spread and various dips. Apparently, you can find Frikesee vendors on every corner and each has their own twist, different fillings and takes on the traditional sandwich.

Here in Israel, Frikesee made Aliyah with the Tunisia Jews that came to Israel after its founding. Frikesee can be found in Tunisian hot spots throughout the country but not only. The Frikesee roll is used as a base for the “Tunisian sandwich”, although it’s not always fried on the spot. And therefore, I propose that whether you’re in Israel or abroad, it’s time to learn how to make your own homemade, hot, Frikesee! It’s the perfect Hanukkah dish to change up your sufganiya or latke diet.

First things first, you need to make the rolls.

Want to try something new this Hanukkah season?

 Try this Frikesee sandwich for a new fried treat, that you simply won’t be able to put down.

Check out our Hanukkah box for a special ingredient and other Hanukkah delights.

Shalom, I’m Maya, a native Israeli (aka sabra) and the founder of Israelibox.
IsraeliBox is a subscription box that brings Israel closer to you than ever.

I started Israelibox to give you the chance to experience Israel like Israelis do.

Join me in supporting Israel in a unique way while enjoying the great products our small businesses have to offer.

Frikesee homemade fried rolls

 Ingredients:

1 kg. white flour

1 tbsp. dry yeast

1 tbsp. Atlantic Sea salt

1 tbsp. sugar

½ cup olive oil

2 ¼ cups water

 

Olive oil for frying

Directions:

  1. In the mixer bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and water until the dough turns into a ball. Keep kneading the dough at medium speed for 10-12 minutes. Mix by hand if desired. Avoid adding more flour throughout the process, the best Frikesee will be with soft and slightly challenging dough!
  2. After kneading, create a ball and place in a bowl. Cover with saranwrap or a moist kitchen towel. Let rise until the dough doubles in size (approx. an hour). When finished, punch the dough down, knead, create another ball and let rise again for an hour.
  3. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch the dough down again, knead slightly, and create balls the size of a clementine. Flatten each ball slightly with your hands and place on the tray, with space in between each. Let rise for 30 minutes.
  4. Time to fry! In a low and wide pot, add oil (height of a few inches at least). You can use olive oil or any oil that you desire. The desired temperature for frying this dough (and any dough) is 180 degrees C (350 F). We recommend using a thermometer to get the temperature right, it makes all the difference.
  5. Fry the rolls until they are golden on the bottom (approx. 2-4 minutes), then flip and fry until golden on the other side. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to soak up the oil. Cut in half but don’t cut all the way through so that the ends will still be connected.

After you’ve perfected the rolls and have them hot and ready to go, it’s time to fill them. There are a bunch of ways to fill them, but I’ve chosen my favorite.

First, you need to get your Filfelchooma spread ready. Yes, Fil-fel-choo-ma! Filfelchooma is a delicious spread that combines paprika, garlic, oil and other spices. It’s super simple, just combine the following ingredients:

100 gr. Sweet paprika

2 tbsp. ground garlic

1 tbsp. cumin

½ tbsp. black pepper

½ tbsp. spicy pepper (or chili)

½ tbsp. salt

½ tbsp. carraway

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup corn oil (or other oil)

Now it’s time to get the rest of the ingredients ready:

6 Frikesee rolls

Tuna fish (canned is fine- just choose high quality)

6 hard boiled eggs

Lemon pickle spread (hint: you’ll find this in our Hanukkah box!)

3-4 potatoes cooked in salt water, peeled and sliced

Black olives

Black pepper

Optional:

Anchovies

Sardines

Pickles

Tomatoes

Let’s get ready to build your Frikesee!

  1. Slice your Frikesee rolls
  2. Spread the “Filfelchooma” and lemon pickle spread, add the tuna. Add the hard-boiled egg and the slices of potatoes and sprinkle black pepper on top. Add the olives and anything else you desire including anchovies, sardines, pickles, tomatoes, and more!
  3. Sprinkle a bit of fresh lemon juice on top.
  4. Enjoy!

Once you try a Frikesee sandwich for the first time, you won’t be able to stop eating them (don’t say I didn’t warn you!). Each time try adding different extra ingredients for a special touch. Be’tavon!

Check out some more of my favorite Hanukkah recipes:

Want to try something new this Hanukkah season?

 Try this Frikesee sandwich for a new fried treat, that you simply won’t be able to put down.

Check out our Hanukkah box for a special ingredient and other Hanukkah delights.

Shalom, I’m Maya, a native Israeli (aka sabra) and the founder of Israelibox.
IsraeliBox is a subscription box that brings Israel closer to you than ever.

I started Israelibox to give you the chance to experience Israel like Israelis do.

Join me in supporting Israel in a unique way while enjoying the great products our small businesses have to offer.