A delicious and easy recipe for Spinach Fatayer – this is a delicious Lebanese spinach pastry filled with a spinach and sumac filling.
Middle eastern food is in my blood and spinach fatayer is a dish I must have had hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Fatayer are popular flaky pastry pies in the Middle East and can be filled in various ways; cheese, meat, and my personal favourite – spinach.
This Lebanese spinach pie is filled with a mixture of spinach, combined with onion, pine nuts, pomegranate molasses and seasonings including salt, sumac (the magical ingredient), lemon juice and optional cayenne (for a bit of heat). They can be made in a variety of sizes but are perfect as a snack or appetizer/side dish.
What’s even better is that this spinach pastry is a wonderful way to boost your spinach intake, which is excellent for boosting your immune system and for a variety of health benefits. If you want to read more about the various health benefits that spinach provides then you can check out my simple garlic sauteed spinach, where I talk about this further.
I love to have these spinach pastries as a snack or a side along with some of my other favourite Lebanese food. I’ve even been known to dip them into some homemade labneh.
Tips to wonderful Fatayer Every Time:
- Although there are traditional fillings, feel free to experiment with these a bit. For example, with this spinach fatayer, you could add some crumbly feta cheese if wanted or something similar.
- In terms of spices, the absolute ‘must-have’ for the traditional flavour is the tangy, almost citrus-tasting sumac. Apart from that, a lot is left up to personal taste. I like to keep mine relatively simple. However, you could dress these up with some paprika, or even cayenne pepper (for heat).
- When making the dough, the key is to roll it out as thin as you can. It may puff up slightly in the oven, so it’s good to compensate for this.
- For this spinach pastry filling, in particular, it’s critical to get rid of as much of the moisture from the spinach before adding it to the pastry. The extra liquid can ruin the bake, and cause a ‘soggy bottom’ to the pies.
- Make sure you add warm water to the dough mixture, which will help to feed the yeast.
Additional Notes:
- Yes, these can be frozen once baked. I usually place them in an airtight container, with baking paper to separate the layers (so they don’t stick together). I’ve never tested the amount of time they can stay frozen as they’re usually all used within a month – but I would think 2-3 months would be fine. To reheat, just place in the oven at 180ºC (350ºF) for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the pastry).
- If you want a super quick ‘cheat’ for these, then you can use store-bought dough. It won’t be the same but can save valuable time if you’re in a hurry. I’ve tried this with shortcrust before, and pizza dough, with okay results – puff pastry or phyllo dough will have a very different final result (more like spinach puffs or greek spinach and cheese pastries).
The Recipe How-To:
Ingredients:
Dough
- plain flour and dry yeast
- brown sugar and salt
- 0live oil
- luke-warm water
Filling
- spinach
- sumac and salt
- pine nuts and olive oil
- red onion and lemon
- Pomegranate molasses
yields: 24 small pies or 12 medium ones
Steps:
Start by making the dough.
First, mix the dry ingredients, then add the warm water and oil and mix well.
A slightly sticky, pliable dough will form. Knead this for 5-10 minutes, till soft and elastic.
Set aside in an oiled bowl and cover it with a tea towel or muslin cloth. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes in a warm location so that it can rise.
While the dough is resting, prepare the spinach mix.
Start by chopping the spinach finely.
Then move it to a bowl and sprinkle the salt on top. Set aside for 8-10 minutes to macerate- this will help the spinach to release its liquid content.
Squeeze the spinach with clean hands, to remove as much of the liquid as possible.
Note* As you rub the spinach and squeeze it, it will wilt naturally.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onions.
And mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. At this point you can also add in any additional seasonings you may like, such as paprika or cayenne pepper.
Mix well.
When the dough has doubled in size, it’s ready. It should be very fluffy and airy.
Now it’s time to roll out the dough as thin as you can. Between 2-4mm is best for this recipe.
When you have a thin sheet of dough, you can cut it in circles.
To make smaller pies, just use a cup or a glass as a shape cutter (if you don’t have circular cutters).
Then add some of the spinach mix to each circle and fold in a triangular shape. Pinch it together carefully, so it doesn’t come loose in the oven.
If you want to make bigger pies, you can use a bowl or a plate to make the circles. Then add the spinach mixture and fold in a triangular shape.
Brush each pie with some olive oil . Then arrange as a single layer on baking sheets and bake at 175ºC (Fan assisted) for 30 minutes.
The spinach fatayers are ready when they turn golden brown and are heated through. You can enjoy them right away or at room temperature.
Any leftover spinach fatayer can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for around a week (I have to admit mine have never lasted longer than three days before I’ve eaten them all, so I don’t know the exact amount of time). They can also be frozen for 2-3 months.
Other Middle Eastern Inspired Recipes You May Like:
Even as a proud Lebanese food blogger, I haven’t posted a massive amount of traditional food to my blog. However, if you are wanting some more middle eastern inspired recipes then I definitely have some you may like. From these Veggie stuffed carrots, to these Lebanese Spicy Potatoes Batata Harra, or this modern twist on a classic Easy Rainbow Vegan Falafels ( perfect for a Falafel wrap).
I also have recipes for some of my other favourite smaller side dishes and salads including Vegan’ Moutabal’ Aubergine Dip, Traditional Tabbouleh Salad ( Tabouli Salad), Simple Spinach Yogurt Dip (Borani), or Simple Traditional Lebanese Fattoush Salad.
As always, if you try this recipe then, let me know. I’d super appreciate a rating or comment. You can also tag me in your recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie.
Spinach Fatayer (Lebanese spinach pie)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 4 cups white flour
- 1.5 tsp dry yeast
- 1.5 tsp brown sugar optional
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tBsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups water lukewarm
For the filling:
- 14 ounces spinach
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tBsp pine nuts
- 1 tBsp sumac
- 1 onion
- 1 tBsp Pomegranate molasses
- 2 tBsp olive oil
- 1 Large lemon
Instructions
- First, prepare the dough by mixing the dry ingredients and then adding the oil and water.
- Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it becomes soft and elastic.
- Set aside in an oiled bowl and cover it with a tea towel or muslin cloth. Let it rest for 30 minutes, in a warm location (so it can rise).
- While the dough is resting, chop the spinach.
- Place it to a bowl and sprinkle salt on top then set aside for 8-10 minutes to macerate - this will help the spinach to release its liquid content.
- Stir and squeeze the spinach with clean hands, to remove as much of the liquid as possible.
- Chop the onions and mix with the remaining filling ingredients into the bowl of spinach.**
- Roll the risen dough into a thin sheet (between 2-4mm is best). Then cut it in circles- using either a circle cutter or a glass/cup.
- Add some of the spinach mix to each circle (not too much as you need to be able to pinch the pastry closed) and fold in a triangular shape by pinch two sides together ad bringing the third bit up to the centre to pinch closed. (see images and video)
- Brush each pie with some olive oil . Then arrange as a single layer on baking sheets and bake at 175ºC (Fan assisted) for 30 minutes.
- The spinach fatayers are ready when they turn golden brown and are heated through. You can enjoy them right away or at room temperature.
Any leftover spinach fatayer can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for around a week (I have to admit mine have never lasted longer than 3 days before I've eaten them all so I don't know the exact amount of time) or be frozen for 2-3 months.
Video
Notes
Tips to wonderful Fatayer Every Time:
- Although there are traditional fillings, feel free to experiment with these a bit. For example, with this spinach fatayer, you could add some crumbly feta cheese if wanted or something similar.
- In terms of spices, the absolute 'must-have' for the traditional flavour is the tangy, almost citrus-tasting sumac. Apart from that, a lot is left up to personal flavour. I like to keep mine fairly simple. However, you could dress these up with some paprika, or even cayenne pepper ( for heat).
- When making the dough, the key is to roll it out as thin as you can. It may puff up slightly in the oven, so it's good to compensate for this.
- For this spinach pastry filling, in particular, it's critical to get rid of as much of the moisture from the spinach before adding it to the pastry. the extra liquid can ruin the bake, and cause a 'soggy bottom' to the pies.
Additional Notes:
- Yes, these can be frozen once baked. I usually place them in an airtight container, with baking paper to separate the layers ( so they don't stick together). I've never tested the amount of time they can stay frozen as they're usually all used within a month - but I would think 2-3 months would be fine. To reheat, just place in the oven at 180C (350F) for 20-30 minutes ( depending on the size of the pastry).
- If you want a super quick 'cheat' for these, then you can use store-bought dough. It won't be exactly the same but can save valuable time if you're in a hurry. I've tried this with shortcrust before and pizza dough. Puff pastry or phyllo dough will have a very different final result ( more like spinach puffs or greek spinach and cheese pastries).
Delicious! I also made some with wild Malva , which was really delicious.
That does sound delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Super! wanted to try making fatayer for a while now and just made it yesterday using your recipe, amazing , thank you so much from KSA 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment, Salwa. Glad you made the recipe and liked it. 🙂
I am so happy that I accidently came across this recipe! I was craving a spinach pastry and happened to have puff pastry and frozen spinach in the freezer. It tasted delicious. I can’t wait to try it with the fresh dough and fresh spinach next time. Thank you 🙂
So happy you gave it a try, Lili. I am sure it will taste even better with the fresh dough 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Would frozen spinach work the same as fresh?
hi Yara, I personally prefer fresh spinach but frozen would work too BUT please make sure to squeeze as much water as you can out of the frozen spinach as you can so it doesn’t get too watery and too soggy if that makes sense? Let me know how it goes 🙂
We made them yesterday and my kids want them again today! they are super simple and delicious!
awww so glad to hear Alice, thank you so much so glad you liked them. Remember you can make very very large batches and freeze them for months! Then anytime you fancy some, just defrost them in the toaster and they taste just as fresh 🙂
Just like Grandma used to make!
Thank you.
Fund memories of home
Thank you for your comment, Eli. Glad you like the recipe.
This was excellent, tank you. And the dough is a breeze. I just didn’t manage to make the fatayers golden. I had to take them out of the oven looking palish. Any suggestion?
Thank you for your comment, Régine.
Did you brush the fatayers with olive oil before baking? You could keep them in the oven a few minutes longer. You could also move the baking tray closer to the upper grill for the last couple of minutes. I hope this helps.
Can I use frozen spinach? How much?
Hi Stephanie, I am sorry for my late reply. Yes you can, just make sure to squeeze out the water as much as you can. Hope this helps!
Can I use whole wheat instead of white four? if so do i need to make any adjustments to the recipe? Thank you
Hi Carolina,
You can substitute the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. You could do a mix of 50-50, or if you prefer using only whole wheat, you can use the same amount but then add a bit more water to the mix. I hope this helps.
I made this last night and it was fabulous! Thanks!
Hi Juanna,
Thank you so much for letting me know. So glad you liked them :)!
HI! Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry yeast? thank you
Hi Silvia,
Yes of course, it will be even a lot better using fresh yeast (just multiply the quantity by 3). Also remember to play with the thickness of your dough (sometimes I like them really thin, sometimes thicker), hope you’re going to like it 🙂
Best wishes,
Samira
This recipe is amazing and fool-proof! The filling came out tangy and delicious just like the restaurants’! I usually leave the dough to rise for 3-4 hours to get a fluffy, perfect bread. Thank you Alphafoodie!
I’m so glad to hear that you love the recipe ( I do too!). Enjoy the Fatayer!
I am in love with all your recipes and this one is a favorite… Would be amazing to see more Middle eastern recipes from you
Hi Maram,
Thank you so much for your comment. Glad you like this recipe. There are already many Middle Easter recipes here on the blog including Falafel (several versions), Makdous, Muhammara, Fattoush and Tabouli salads, and others. And there will be more. 🙂
Absolutely delicious!! I decided to make some small and larger ones. I promptly ate 3 after making. Easy recipe & video to follow!
Thank you so much for your comment, Shushma. Glad you tried and liked the recipe.