Fatayer are traditional Lebanese savory pies, easy to make but tricky to get right unless you have the right dough recipe. With this tried and tested dough, you can make restaurant quality fatayer at home in no time!
For the dough, mix water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Add salt and flour and mix well.
Chicken
If you love the traditional cheese fatayer, you’ll love this chicken variation of this Arabic dish. It’s equally filling, savory and satisfying. It also takes less than half an hour to make at home, assuming you already have a reliable fatayer dough recipe. The ingredients are very familiar too. You’ll need a simple mixture of water, brown sugar and yeast, as well as olive oil and flour. Then you’ll add za’atar, or mixed ground oregano, thyme, sesame seeds and sumac, for the topping. You can even use tahini, if you prefer. The dough will take about an hour to double in size.
Spinach
This recipe for spinach fatayer, known in Lebanon as Fatayer bi Sabanekh, is an easy savory pastry jam packed with Lebanese flavors. They are made from homemade dough stuffed with a delicious combination of spinach, onions and spices and then baked to perfection! They make the perfect appetizer, snack or party food.
To make the filling, start by dicing the onion and sauteing it in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the chopped spinach, salt, sumac, pepper and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Roll the dough into a circle of 1/8 inch thickness and place the spinach filling in the center. Bring 2 sides together and pinch to seal, then fold the third side over to create a triangle shape. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Bake the fatayer for 30 minutes until they turn golden brown and are warm. Serve immediately, or freeze them for later. To reheat, just put them in a oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees.
Cheese
Whether stuffed with spinach, meat, or cheese, fatayer are a Levantine staple. These savory hand pies are easy to make and perfect for breakfast or lunch!
Traditionally these fatayer are filled with akkawi cheese but you can also use feta or mozzarella. If you’re not a fan of akkawi, try adding a mixture of the two instead!
To make these delicious cheesy fatayer, add the all-purpose flour, salt, instant yeast, lukewarm water and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Mix well with a dough hook attachment on a stand mixer or by hand until combined.
Then divide the dough into 16-18 balls and let rest for 10 min. While waiting for the dough to rest, prep the filling. Roll out the dough balls on a lightly floured surface into long ovals and add a big heaping tablespoon of cheese. Shape the dough around the cheese to make a boat-looking shape and pinch the ends to close it.
Shawarma
Shawarma is a popular street food that can be found all over the world. This dish is enjoyed as a sandwich or in a bowl with vegetables, hummus and pita bread. It is also a healthy option that is high in protein and nutrients.
It is made by alternately stacking strips of fat and seasoned meat pieces on a vertical spit. The spit is slowly roasted in front of or over an flame for hours. A tomato or a halved lemon is often added to the top for seasoning and aesthetic reasons.
There are many different sauces that can be served with shawarma. These can include tahini sauce, Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce), garlic yogurt sauce, skhug and amba sauce (pickled mango with chile). Other toppings that are commonly used are pomegranate concentrate or a simple garlic mayonnaise. Other condiments and dips are baba ganoush, tzatziki, or fattoush salad. All of these are delicious additions to a shawarma plate.فطاير دجاج