This is another of the recipes that work very well on their own, or as part of a wider feast. The fatayer are so pretty that seeing them come out of the oven as little brown parcels makes the effort worthwhile.
Makes 12
1 quantity dough (Lahmacun)
2 teaspoons nigella or sesame seeds, to sprinkle (optional)
for the filling
2 tablespoons butter
2 small onions, finely chopped
500g/1lb 2oz minced (ground) kid
200g/7oz cooked, or defrosted frozen, spinach, squeezed dry
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baharat spice blend
50g/1¾oz pine nuts or flaked almonds, toasted
small bunch of parsley, dill or mint, finely chopped
Have the dough proved and doubled in size as outlined on Lahmacun.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the onions and fry until soft, about 10 minutes.
Put the rest of the filling ingredients together in a bowl, then stir in the cooked onions and mix very well. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Knead the dough for a minute or so, then divide equally into 12 pieces. Divide the filling into 12 too.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough out to a circle about 13cm/5in in diameter. Take one portion of the filling and flatten it out onto a circle of dough, leaving a 2cm/¾in clear border around the edge. Brush the border with a little water.
Wrap the dough by bring up three edges to create a little pyramid – ensure you pinch the seams well to seal the dough. Brush with water and sprinkle with the seeds, if using. Repeat with the remaining dough circles and filling, and place on a baking tray. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.