These are ftayer straight from my grandma’s cookbook! They are little delicious spinach pastries called ftayer are a staple at every gathering set by my Lebanese family, these addictive bite-sized pastries have to be my absolute favorite!
These are pastries filled with spinach, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, spices, sumac and olive oil straight from the homeland. They are addictive to say the least.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
3 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
1 1/4 water (you might need more or less accordingly)
For the filling:
10 small bunches of spinach
1 red onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sumac
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1/4 cup lemon juice (start off with 25 ml and add on as much as you like)
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
For the dough:
Mix the flour, sugar, salt, oil and yeast in a large bowl until combined.
Add the water gradually into the flour and mix until a dough forms.
Once the dough forms, kneed it for 7-10 minutes (using your hands or a hand mixer)
Cover and allow to rest at least for 1 hour before using.
For the filling:
While the dough is rising, start preparing the spinach filling.
Roughly chop your washed up spinach leaves and place them in a large bowl.
Add in a teaspoon of salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Then transfer the spinach onto a mesh strainer and squeeze the spinach dry.
Finely chop your red onion and add it into a bowl with your strained spinach.
Add in all your spices, olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. (You can add more or less of each seasoning according to taste.)
Your filling is now ready!
For assembling and baking the pastries:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Divide the dough in half and roll out one of the sections.
Using a circular cut out, lid, tea kettle lid, etc. , cut out the rolled dough.
Start placing a spoonful of the spinach filling onto each dough cutout. (make sure to keep your filling centered as if the filling gets onto the edges, the pastry will not seal well)
Pinch the two sides together then the third side to form a triangular shape. Pinch the edges well to prevent it from bursting in the oven.
Repeat with the remainder of the dough.
Place the shaped pastries onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them out evenly (use the measurement of half your finger as a guide).
Bake the pastries for 15-18 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown.
Serve warm with some lemon wedges and pomegranate molasses or dip the pastries into the mixture that stayed on the bottom of the bowl after dividing the filling into the dough.
Bon Appétit!
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