Ftoyer Recipe: Cheese, Beef and Spinach

 From top to bottom:
Feta, Beef and Spinach Ftoyers

I've been wanting to eat ftoyers fatayer) for quite a while now. So we decided to try and make them. 

This dough is easy, doesn't rise - takes about half an hour to just sit there - and is so soft, you just might eat half the batch.

After Google-ing and YouTube-ing several recipes, we decided to try one, tweak it, and share with you.


If you decide to try it out, let us know, and share them with us on Instagram using #fdsonline

For the dough, you will need:

• 5 cups APF
• 1 tbsp active yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups warm milk (I microwaved mine for 30 seconds and left it on the counter while measuring the rest). 

Put all the ingredients in a mixer, mix well for about 4 minutes and put dough aside (cover with a towel).

For the spinach filling, you will need: 

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 cup onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups spinach 
• 1/4 tsp sumac
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 egg (for egg wash)

You want to cook the spinach like you normally would to eat, using the ingredients in the order that I mentioned them. The egg is for egg wash, so don't go putting it into your spinach filling.

For the feta filling, you will need:

• 9 oz feta cheese (break it up and soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes - to get rid of some salt)
• 1/2 cup parsley (I used 1/4 cup dried parsley)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 egg (for the filling)
• leftover egg wash from the previous mixture

Mix everything and set bowl aside. You don't want to leave it out too long, so get everything else ready while the cheese soaks in water.
Now take you dough, and roll out small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Take your rolling pin and roll them about 1/2 inch thick. Do not use flour, or else they wont stick. Trust me, you'll thank me later. 

If you don't mind eating them like this... use the flour, but don't say I didn't warn you. 

Taking the feta filling, put a tablespoon of the filling on one side of the dough and fold it (for reference, look at the first picture). Pinch the seams together. Give it some egg wash and lay them on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake them for about 20 minutes in a 220C. degree oven.

Taking the spinach mixture, also put a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold it into a triangle. For reference, you can view the YouTube film here, since I can't really explain it.Also give it some egg wash, line them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake them for 20 minutes in a 220C. degree oven.

Enjoy!

*Recipe courtesy of the Xawaash Somali Food Blog