Spinach and Beef Pies - Fatayer - Manakeesh

Name: Spinach and Beef Pies - Fatayer - Manakeesh
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 cups all purpose flour; 2.5 cups warm water; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1.5 tbsp instant yeast; 2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp sugar (optional); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion diced small; 1 lb ground beef; 1 can diced tomatoes (or 2 Roma fresh); 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp allspice; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp salt; 4 tbsp sumac; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you like spicy); Juice of one lemon; 1/2 lb spinach; 1/2 bunch parsley finely chopped

12 steps

Prep:15minCook:35min

These meat pies will keep you coming for more. They have a tangy savory flavor and are the best comfort food. They are easy to make (although time consuming). Feel free to use pre-made dough or you can make the dough from scratch I'll provide my favorite easy all purpose dough recipe. There are so many shapes and sizes you could experiment with until you find the one you love most. (Personally I like the flat mini pizza ones as they're easier to shape and come out with the exact bread to stuffing consistency I like.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 01:08:32 GMT

Ingredients

24 servings

Dough

6 cupsall purpose flour

2 ½ cupswater

warm

½ cupolive oil

1 ½ Tbspinstant yeast

2 tspsalt

1 Tbspsugar

optional

Filling

1 Tbspolive oil

1onion

diced small

1 lbground beef

1 candiced tomatoes

or 2 Roma fresh

½ tspcinnamon

½ tspallspice

¼ tspnutmeg

1 tspblack pepper

1 tspsalt

4 Tbspsumac

1 tsppaprika

½ tspcayenne pepper

optional if you like spicy

1juice of lemon

0.5 lbspinach

0.5 bunchparsley

finely chopped

Instructions

Dough prep:

Step 1

Mix all dough ingredients together in a stand mixer or by hand until it forms into a ball. It should not be sticking to your hands when you touch it. If it is too sticky, gradually add more flour until it doesn't stick anymore. If it is too dry, add some olive oil and mix in until it is softer.

Step 2

Cover the dough in a bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit aside for 1-2 hours until the dough rises.

Step 3

Divide dough into 24 or more parts depending on how large or small you want the pies to be.

Step 4

Cover and set aside while preparing the stuffing.

Stuffing prep:

Step 5

Add diced onion into a large pan and sautee in olive oil until translucent. Once softened, add the ground beef and mash it together with the onions.

Step 6

Add the tomatoes, and all the spices and lemon juice to the pan. Cook together with the meat and onions until it reduces most of the liquid.

Step 7

Add the spinach and cook until it shrinks tremendously in size and there is not much liquid left in the pan. Add the parsley and give it one more mix. Turn off the heat and prepare to make the pies.

Pie assembly and baking:

Step 8

Flatten the dough and place the meat into the center. At this point, the dough can be formed into boat shapes around the meat, traingles, squares, or flat like mini pizzas. Just keep each baking dish with a consistent shape as to ensure uniform baking with the time in the oven.

Step 9

As you fill up baking sheets with the pies, set the oven to 375°F

Step 10

Place the trays one by one in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 depending on how browned you like your dough.

Step 11

Once baked place all the pies in a serving bowl covered with a towel to keep them soft.

Step 12

Enjoy!