Spinach Pie Recipe

This Turkish dish, Fatayer, makes a healthy vegetarian dish.

Ingredients

  • fresh spinach - 900g/2lb
  • onion - 2, chopped
  • garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
  • saffron stands - 2, soaked in 10ml/2 tbsp boiling water
  • butter or margarine - 25g/1 oz/2 tbsp
  • olive oil - about 60ml/4 tbsp
  • feta - 275g/10 oz, crumbled
  • paprika - 5ml/1 tsp
  • eggs - 5, beaten
  • ground cumin and ground cinnamon - 1.5ml/¼ tsp each
  • pine nuts - 115g/4oz/¾ cup
  • filo pastry - 14 sheet
  • black pepper and salt
  • lettuce - to serve

Method

  • Place the spinach in a large colander, sprinkle with a little salt, rub into the leaves and leave for 30 minutes to drain the excess liquid.
  • Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas 4. Melt the butter in large pan and fry the onion until golden.
  • Add the garlic, nuts and cheese. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, spinach, saffron and spices.
  • Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
  • Grease a large rectangular baking dish. Take seven of the sheets of filo and brush one side with a little olive oil. Place on the bottom of the dish overlapping the sides.
  • Spoon all of the spinach mixture over the pastry and carefully dribble 30ml/2 tbsp of the remaining olive oil over the top.
  • Fold the overlapping pastry over the filling. Cut the remaining pastry sheets to the dish size and brush each one with more olive oil. Arrange on top of the filling.
  • Brush with water to prevent curling and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with the lettuce. Serves 6.

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