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MIDDLE EASTERN SPINACH PIES

03/27/20 — Ada Broussard

Middle Eastern Spinach Pies



Author: The Migoni Kitchen 

Makes 16 Pies 

Total Time: Approx 70-90 minutes

For the full post, head to Summer's blog. 

These small hand pies, otherwise known as Fatayer in Arabic, can be filled with ground beef, mixed cheeses, or spinach with assorted spices. They are usually a hit with all the kiddos in our family, plus would be super fun to get the little ones involved in making them! 

 

It’s worth mentioning that the pies freeze amazingly well, so make a few extra and save them for later. If you’re not one for extensive cooking projects, you can swap store bought pizza dough or even crescent roll dough and still use the same spinach filling with a similar result. 

 

The dough is very simple and similar to pizza dough, requiring yeast, flour, and water. It does require some time to rise, so you can work on preparing the filling while the dough rises. The filling is mostly spinach and onion. We opted to add in some fresh herbs like mint and parsley as well along with some lemon and sumac for freshness. Sumac is a common spice in Middle Eastern cooking that has a fresh lemony taste. Locally, it’s carried at Whole Foods and Central Market. 

 

Ingredients:

Pie Dough

  • 1 Packet Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Cup Lukewarm Water
  • 2½ Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Spinach Filling

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 6 Ounces Fresh Spinach Finely Chopped (can sub about 4 ounces frozen spinach)
  • ½ Medium Yellow Onion Diced
  • 1 Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Mint Chopped
  • 1 Lemon Juiced
  • 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 2 Teaspoons Sumac
  • ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
 

Instructions: 

Making the Dough

  1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and water into a large bowl and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes until the yeast has bubbled.
  2. Next, combine the flour, salt, and olive oil in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Add in the yeast mixture into the flour and knead until the dough is soft and no longer sticks to the bowl.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.

The Spinach Filling

  1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
  2. Add in the spinach and herbs and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, allowing the greens to wilt and most of the liquid to evaporate.
  3. Then, add in the remaining ingredients - lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and sumac. Cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Making the Pies

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 450-500F
  2. Once the dough has risen, take a golf-ball size piece of dough and roll out onto a floured surface into a flat disc about the size of the palm of your hand.
  3. Fill with approximately 2 tablespoons of the cooled spinach filling in the middle of the disc.
  4. Wet the edges of the dough slightly with water and pinch the edges of the dough together to sear the filling in. We make ours into triangles.
  5. Continue until you have used all of the filling.
  6. Bake on a baking sheet at 450-500F for 10 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.
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