Fatayer Sabanekh (Lebanese Spinach Triangles)
فطائر سبانخ (لبنانی پالک کے تکونے)
Fatayer are the little filled pies of the Levant, and spinach fatayer are the most famous: soft bread dough wrapped into neat triangles around a tangy filling of spinach, onion, sumac, lemon and olive oil, then baked until golden. The filling is sharp and fresh rather than heavy, which makes them perfect for mezze, picnics and iftar. They're a little like a baked spinach samosa, made with soft dough.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 40 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Medium
- Serves 16
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, add the oil and warm water and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour until doubled.
Rub the chopped spinach with 1 tsp salt and leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Mix with the onion, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil and nuts.
Heat the oven to 200°C. Roll the dough thin and cut into 10 cm circles. Put a spoon of filling in the centre, lift up three sides and pinch the edges firmly together to form a triangle.
Brush with olive oil and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serve with lemon or yogurt.
Kitchen notes
Squeeze the spinach very dry; excess water makes the triangles open in the oven.
Keep flour off the edges you pinch together, or they won't seal.
They freeze well after baking; reheat in a hot oven for 5 minutes.
The pies of the Levant
Fatayer (meaning “pies”) are made in bakeries and homes across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan, in all shapes and with many fillings. Spinach fatayer, with their sharp lemony filling, are among the most popular, and they’re a fixture of mezze platters and Ramadan iftars.
A tangy filling
The filling is raw when it goes in: chopped spinach salted and squeezed to remove water, then mixed with onion, sumac, lemon juice and olive oil. It cooks inside the dough, staying bright and tangy.
Sealing the triangle
The classic three-cornered shape is made by lifting up three sides of a circle of dough and pinching the edges together. The key is to keep the edges clean and to seal them firmly, so they don’t burst open in the oven.
Serving
Serve warm or at room temperature with shorbat adas, fattoush or a mezze spread. They pack well for lunchboxes and picnics.
Questions people ask
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. Thaw and squeeze it very well, and skip the salting step, adding salt to taste instead.
What other fillings are common?
Cheese (akkawi or feta with parsley), spiced minced meat (sfiha), and za'atar.
Can I use ready-made dough?
Yes. Pizza dough or bread dough from a bakery works well.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 130
- Protein
- 3 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
