SPINACH TURNOVERS (FATAYER)

INGREDIENTS (Makes 6)
All-purpose flour-1 cup
Olive oil(extra-virgin)-3 tblsp.
Salt-1/4 tsp.
Onion-1(finely chopped)
Spinach-1 bunch(chopped)
Lemon juice-1 tblsp.
Pine nuts-1 tblsp.(optional)
Sumac-1 tblsp.*
Pepper-1/2 tsp.
Salt-to taste

METHOD

1.In a bowl, sieve/combine the flour with salt and make a well in the center and add 2 tblsp. olive oil and combine well with fingers until flour is evenly moist.

2.Add about 1/3 cup water and combine till a rough dough forms, if the dough seems too dry add 1-2tblsp. of water.Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 mins.

3.Turn the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Cut the dough into 6 pieces and cover with a wet cloth.

4.In another bowl, toss the finely chopped onion,add in the spinach and pine nuts and drizzle lemon juice and 1 tblsp. olive oil and combine well. Add salt, pepper and sumac.

5.Preheat oven to 450 F/gas mark 8.Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

6.While oven is heating, roll out each piece of dough to a 6 inch round i.e. about 1/8 inch thick.

7.Spoon about 1-2 tblsp. spinach mixture onto the centre of the round and pick three sides of the dough together like a pyramid and squeeze the joins to seal together. You can leave sealing at the centre for the filling to show n the middle.

8.Bake for about 20 minutes and turn the grill on for 5 minutes until lightly coloured on top.You can also brush lightly with an egg for a golden glaze like the ones in the photos.

Serve warm or at room temperature with labneh or chilly garlic ketchup.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

1.You can change the filling to whatever you desire. Some ideas are chicken, spinach and feta cheese, beef mince etc.

2.You can also cook the spinach slightly by sauteing in oil onions,spinach,spices and adding lemon juice but be sure to squeeze out excess moisture and brush insides with butter to avoid a soggy fatayer.

3.Be sure not to over cook as it might turn out hard. Also after cooking, this can be refridgerated for 2 days and reheated at 375 F oven.

*Sumac is a powdered tangy spice from sumac berries used widely in mediterranean cuisine. It has a lemony flavour and no substitute for it.

SPINACH CHICKEN CURRY (PALAK CHICKEN)

INGREDIENTS(Serves 2-4)

Chicken-500 gms
Spinach(shredded)-1-2 bunches
Oil-3 tblsp.
Black peppercorns-4
Cloves-4
Cardamom-3
Onions-1 (finely chopped)
Garlic clove-4(finely chopped)
Ginger-1/2"inch piece(finely chopped)
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
Kashmiri chilly powder-1/2 tsp.
Yogurt-3 tblsp.
Garam masala powder- a pinch
Bay leaves-2(optional)
Salt-to taste

METHOD

1.Heat oil in a kadai and add the whole garam masalas i.e. peppercorns, cloves, cardamom and add the bay leaf and saute for a minute.

2.Add chopped onion, garlic and gineger and saute till it turns golden brown in colour.

3.Then add the masala powder i.e. cumin, coriander and red chilly powder. Saute for a minute till raw smell fades.

4.Add chicken and litlle salt and stir fry on high flame for a minute.

5.Lower flame and add one tblsp. of yogurt and stir fry for a minute till all the spices all get blended well.

6.Keep adding a tblsp. of yogurt and stir frying for a minute till all yogurt is used up and chicken turns golden brown in colour.

7.Add 1 bunch of finely chopped spinach and litlle more salt and stir fry till chicken gets coated with spinach.

8.Cover and cook for about 20 minutes and add garam masala powder.

9.Blanch 2nd bunch of spinach in boiling water with little salt and grind in a mixie to a paste.

10.Add this to the chicken and cook till chicken if tender and fully cooked.

Serve hot with rotis. Children will love to eat these as it is mildly spiced and is green in colour. My kids call it the green chicken curry.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

1.The last two step can be skipped i.e. without adding spinach paste, you can cook chicken. I like to add spinach paste to bring out the green colour.

2.To make it more spicy, you can add 2 green chillies that are split at the 2ndstage and also increase the red chilly powder to a tsp at the 3rd stage.