Spanakopita is a savory stuffed pastry. It is enjoyed as a snack in Greece. Flaky, crispy and full of beautiful flavours, this dish is one not to be missed. Today, i am giving it a go and creating my own version of this amazing dish. Read on.
I came around to tasting this savory beauty some 2 years back in Canada. Those days i was still getting used to the idea of living outside of India and getting adjusted with the new found ingredients and flavours. My husband would take me around in search of new and exciting flavours very often and i loved those first time experiences of trying out a new cuisine and getting to know about a new culture. During one such visit, we came around a greek shop where they sold fresh, hot from the oven Spanakopitas.
The shop owner sold these pastries in the form of a pie. It looked so inviting that i bought home a big pie myself. I remember me and the husband enjoying the pie for 2 days straight. It was amazing to core. I have never been a spinach lover but Spanakopita was simply “out of the world”. I knew then and there that i would be making Spanakopita soon.
Spanakopita – Greek savory pastry
Spanakopita- greek savory pastry
Ingredients
- 1 pack of ready made Phyllo sheets (my pack had 6 sheets)
- 1 bunch spinach, chopped
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 50 gms feta cheese, crumbled
- 50 gms cream cheese/ Neufchatel cheese, on room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Juice of half lemon
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil for brushing on Phyllo sheets (we will be using a brush to apply)
Method
- Place a skillet on flame. Add in Olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute till the onion turns golden brown.
- Add in Spinach, salt and pepper. Cook on high till the water evaporates from the spinach.
- Remove in a bowl. Let this cool down a bit.
- Next, add in feta cheese, cream cheese and lemon. Mix well.
- Mix the spinach mixture into the cheese mixture and lightly fold in. The stuffing is ready. Let the mixture completely cool down.
- Preheat the oven at 350 F and keep ready.
- Meanwhile, take the phyllo sheets out from the freezer and cut them into 3 rows, making 18 long strips of phyllo.
- Take one strip of phyllo sheet. With the help of a pastry brush, apply a thin film of Olive oil on the sides of the strip.
- Gently place 1-2 teaspoons of stuffing on one end of the strip and gently fold it in a zig zag formation to form the triangular shape of the Spanakopita. Seal the edges with a film of Olive oil as needed and place on a plate. Repeat this with all the strips of the Phyllo sheet.
- Now, either freeze these to use later or proceed with the baking.
- Place the spanakopita triangles on a pre-greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or till the spanakopitas are light golden brown.
- Serve warm.
I served these Spanakopitas with a side of Sriracha Hummus (add sriracha to the hummus recipe) and Tzatziki. It was like a flavour burst in the mouth. The spinach, cream cheese and feta went in perfect harmony and lend a subtle but beautiful flavour to these spanakopitas. Do try out my version and i am sure you would fall in love with it, just like i did 🙂
Looks interesting and super yummy 🙂 loving it
Looks fab! 😀
Wow…a delicious and easy snack recipe. Looks awesome and I am sure Kids will love it. I will give it a try soon.
Looks very yummy and I’m sure they were soooooo gooooood!
Thanks!! oh yes they were 🙂