Fauzia's Kitchen Fun

Fatayer

130

Fatayer

These buns are from the Middle Eastern cuisine, they are basically soft yummy pies, either with a meat filling or a spinach filling, sometimes even with a cheese filling. I have made two varieties, the meat fatayer and spinach fatayer. They are light to have and very healthy, can work as an appetiser or a snack, or even as part of a light meal when one isn't hungry enough to have something too heavy.
Servings 20 Fatayar

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose/plain flour
  • 1 tsp. yeast
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 4 tbsp. oil or melted butter
  • 1 tbsp. milk powder
  • some warm milk or water for kneading

Ingredients for Spinach Filling

  • 8 cups fresh baby spinach rinsed and drained, then chopped finely
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tomato chopped very fine
  • 1 onion chopped very fine
  • 1 small potato chopped very fine then boiled till soft and drained
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
  • pinch of turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil or any vegetable oil
  • pinch of sumac spice if you have it
  • 1 tsp. red chilli powder for spice
  • crumbled feta cheese optional

Instructions
 

  • For the Dough
    Knead the dough with all the ingredients using warm water/milk and then cover and set aside for about an hour or until it doubles in size. Once the dough is well risen, punch it down and divide it into 18-20 equal sized pieces. Shape them into balls, set them aside to rest for 15 minutes, make sure you keep them covered.
    In the meantime after kneading the dough and it is having its first rise, you can start preparing your filling. For the keema filling, use my standard recipe, I just added a bit of boiled potato cubes in it.
  • For Spinach Filling
    Place the chopped spinach in a bowl. Sprinkle the salt on it and cover. Set it aside to rest for 15 minutes. This will help to wilt the spinach leaves so that all excess moisture is removed. If the spinach is used without this step, the spinach will release a lot of moisture during baking and ruin the buns, so don't skip this step. Once the 15 minutes are up, take bunches of the spinach and squeeze out excess water using your hands. Put the moisture-free spinach into a bowl. Open up the spinach so that it doesn't clump up into balls. Now add all the other ingredients, onion, tomato, potato, spices, oil, lemon etc. Toss together until everything is properly combined.
    Once the dough balls have rested for about 15 minutes, roll each one out into a small circle of about an eighth of an inch thickness. Place some of the spinach filling the center, then pick 3 ends from the circle and bring them together to make the samosa triangle shape. Pinch together in the center so that the buns don't open up during baking.
    Place the buns on a greased tray. Brush them with olive oil or egg wash and you can sprinkle some sesame seeds. Preheat the oven at 180 C and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the buns are golden. Pat them with a bit of butter when they come out of the oven.
    Serve and enjoy! 🙂

Join the Conversation

  1. i stay in Tz & i luv this site Coz All the food that are mentioned above is all that v eat THANKS fauzia BAI

  2. & do u boil da spinach 1st or jst rest it with salt for 15mins den wen baking da spinach is wen it will cook itslf wid da vapour of da oven?

    1. Do not boil the spinach it will get perfectly cooked in the oven as the fatayer bake.

  3. my heartfelt gratitude to you, Fauzia. all the recipes i have tried have turned out splendid. now i don’t visit any other site for recipes. may Allah bless u, dear.

  4. Salaams.hope you are in the best of healths.im making these today and iv noticed that some of your rolls recipe ask for milson for thatkpowder.can i ask the reason for that.can it be opted out.my five year old daughter loves your website as well.before going to school today.she particularly ordered me to make something from fauziaskitchen.jazaakallah.and shes been telling everyone about your website.

    1. W/Salaam, Ameen and thank you. Yes you can use whole wheat, or mix whole wheat with plain flour for better results.

  5. Tried them out… They vanished from my kitchen while they were still hot and fresh!!!
    Will post some picts on FB soon :))

  6. Asslam Alaikum sister
    Asslam Alaikum sister

    are family love these we order these from outside as i wasnt show how to make…i saw the word fatayeer and jumped at the chance to make these. I jst wnted 2 ask were we get them they make it on like a naan with cheese and chuicken and add 2 sauces a white and red one.sister do u know this style and if so please cud u tell me how to make.i rely want to make as a treat.

    jazakallah

    1. W/Salaam, sorry I do not know
      W/Salaam, sorry I do not know this style which you mentioned but do try these,they are great. 🙂

  7. jazakallah,,, i am definetely
    jazakallah,,, i am definetely going to try this version inshallah they do look gr8. Alhamdulila i found your asite only recenty i have tried 3 of your recipesso far and they were all absolutely delicious. they really went down well with the family.my family said you should put a cookery book together. may allah reward you sister.

  8. Salam aleykum.. have some
    Salam aleykum.. have some queries after going through various similar recipes, just hoping for a better understanding. Hope you’ll share your thoughts inshallah.

    I observed yeast was added but sugar wasnt for triangle oven buns, and that there was no rising time after kneading, but a 30min one after forming the buns. Is the omission of sugar to do with the need for less rising reqmnt. or for flavor?

    Secondly, I observed fatayer and croissants to have the same ing., similar dough making processes, resting, punching down and another 15min rest before rolling out, with the only difference between in the additional rising given to croissants after filling and sealing, while the fatayer once prepared are baked immediately. What do you suppose this extra rising step is for in the former?

    Without intending to confuse you and to make my query more clearer, what I’m trying to understand is the significance of the varied rising/resting periods as in the following dishes:

    triangle buns – No rising period after kneading; one rising period after forming
    foldover – One rising after kneading; one rising period after forming
    fatayer – Two rising periods(one long,one short) after kneading;
    no rising after forming
    croissants – Two rising periods(one long,one short) after kneading;
    one rising period after forming

    Do answer when you get the time inshallah 🙂

    1. W/Salaam. Different
      W/Salaam. Different procedures are used with baked goods depending on the results/outcome desired. For example, the triangle buns dough is not rested and allowed to rise because the dough is layered prior to shaping the buns. Once dough rises, it is difficult to get perfectly soft layers that won’t puff up and change the look of the bun in the end. Sugar is merely for taste however it also helps the yeast along, and again, in the procedure for triangle buns we are avoiding the dough from swelling too quickly. For Fatayer, if they are allowed to rise after shaping, the shape of the buns will not be the same. 🙂

  9. Asak….i made dese fatayers
    Asak….i made dese fatayers today…dey trund out gud…bt i dnt gt d golden brown colour lik in d pic shown in ur site…alhumdulillah d taste ws gud n texture wise it ws so..n baking i did in my microwave but on d covection mode…..

    1. W/Salaam, sorry but I never
      W/Salaam, sorry but I never bake in the microwave so am not sure what might have gone wrong with the technique. If your microwave has a grill then use it in the final few minutes to colour the buns.

  10. Hi.. I tried this tasteful
    Hi.. I tried this tasteful recipe .. But while baking itself it didnt brown bt started to harden. I dont knw y.. My oven is kenwood convection

    1. Hi, thanks. If your oven does
      Hi, thanks. If your oven does not naturally brown the tops then you need to turn on the top grill of your oven during the final few minutes of baking. Overbaking the buns will make them hard.

  11. Salam dear,pls can u let me
    Salam dear,pls can u let me know,as I have downloaded your app on ma fone, now how to get my favorite recipes from the app. Pls guide. Thnx sis

    1. W/Salaam, did you download
      W/Salaam, did you download the full version? Please confirm your phone model so I can guide you accordingly. 🙂

  12. I checked it’s not the full
    I checked it’s not the full version as I have to pay , I think. Inshallah will download the full version n let u know ahsant

  13. Salaams Fauzia
    Salaams Fauzia
    Made this today for Iftar along with your recipe of virgin piña colada and it was so yummy . The Fatayer came out so soft and the spinach filling was so delicious. Thank you so much. Lots and lots of duas for you in this holy month of Ramadan

  14. Hi, can I use mozzarella
    Hi, can I use mozzarella cheese instead of feta cheese? Also how much do I need to put? Jazakallah.

    1. Hi, yes you can but you must
      Hi, yes you can but you must bear in mind that the consistency of feta cheese and mozzarella are very different. One is crumbly and the other stretchy. You can put as much as you might like. 🙂

  15. Salam….
    Salam….
    just want to tell All my sisters…..

    FKF is doing great job… I have her app and keep making things from there and it comes out great…
    On Eid I made Al Baik Chicken Broast…. wow… it was great … my hubby n daughter just loved it…. n I know I hv added one more favourite in my list of cook book :))
    great Job fauzia…..
    thanks a lot….
    shukran

  16. Salaam aleikum Mrs Fauzia,
    Salaam aleikum Mrs Fauzia,

    This is the first recipe Ive tried out from your website and the dough is really yummy! I wanted to ask whether I could use the same dough recipe for stuffed buns? I actually would like to make Turkish pogaca. Many thanks for your response! Regards from Poland!

    1. W/Salaam Emilia! Yes you can
      W/Salaam Emilia! Yes you can use this same dough for stuffed buns, would turn out awesome! 🙂

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