Lebanese Fatayers - Cheese & Spinach

Rachel Dbeis

Beit Mery is a village 20 mins East of Beirut, nestled on the popular Matn hills of Lebanon, overlooking the Mediterranean. That’s where my childhood memories formed, over colorful and abundant food.

When I think of Lebanese dishes, I often think of the creative possibilities that reside within the raw ingredients of each meal. Every recipe is an old memory overlooking the water just like every dish is a story yet to unfold. This relationship with Lebanese food informs the creative process behind my recipes and the fusion of middle eastern flavors and western ingredients.

Recipe 

• Prep  45-60 mins
• Make 20-30 mins
• Total 65-90 mins
• Author: The Lesbanese Cook
• Yield 6-8 people

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3 cups of plain flour
• 3 tbsp oil (ideally olive oil)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the cheese filling:

• 1 1/2 cups of feta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups of ricota cheese
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 1 tsp salt

For the spinach filling:

• 1 bag (200-250g) of washed spinach, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sumac (optional – if not using, add 1 tsp of lemon juice instead)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• A handful of toasted pine nuts
• Optional 1/2 cup of feta cheese

Steps

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

In a deep bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Make a well in the centre and add the oil to the well then mix it into the flour. Gradually add the water, bringing in the flour as you do and combining the ingredients to form your dough.

Flour your kitchen or work surface well, then transfer the dough and knead it on the floured surface for a few minutes, until it feels smooth. You can add a bit of flour if the texture is still wet. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rest as you prepare your filling.

For the Cheese Filling: Combine everything together then place it in a sieve over a deep bowl to drain any excess fluid.

For the Spinach Filling: Combine the spinach, onions, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, sumac (if using) together then place it in a sieve over a deep bowl to drain any excess fluid. Add the cheese (if using) and the pine nuts. Mix everything well.

There are two ways to shape the fatayer. The first method: dust a work surface generously with flour Roll portions of the dough into sheets of about 3-5mm thickness. Cut circles of about 10 cm diameter each. Place one to two tbsp of the filling of your choice in the middle of the circle. Imagine each circle having three edges like a triangle. Lift two edges and bring them together from the top down, then lift the third edge up sealing it with the two edges. You should now have a triangle shaped fatire with filling inside.

The second method: If you find the method above too hard, dust a work surface generously with flour Roll portions of the dough into sheets of about 3-5mm thickness, then cut two circles of dough, place the filling in one circle, superimpose the second circle on top of the first one, and seal the edges of the two circles together. Make sure you seal it well so the mixture doesn’t ‘come out…’

Once the oven is ready, brush the fatayer with olive oil then place them on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet, about 2 cm apart as they will expand during cooking. Bake them for about 15-20 mins or until golden. If you’re feeling in the mood you can always deep fry them for a few minutes each. Up to you!

Serve them hot or at room temperature.

Embrace the little presents my friends. 

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Rachel Dbeis is a medical doctor, writer, and literary translator from Beirut. She currently lives in Exeter, where she runs The Lesbanese Cook, a website and podcast about the role of food and sexuality in Middle Eastern culture.