Spinach and Feta Cheese Parcels : Baked Palak Samosa

As much as I slobber  for Indian sweets, I behave pretty decently when it comes to Indian chaats. I have got so many wide-eyed responses from people ( especially females ) when I say that I don’t like chaat. I can have Pani puri at the most, and that’s it. Am done then and there. You would say it’s a good thing, not to crave for deep fried stuff. Yeah, kind of actually. But then I compensate it with over eating, binging on snacks and sweets all the time. I am such a sucker for sweets, specially Indian sweets that it compensates ( in terms of calories ) for everything I dont like to have like Chocolates, fizzy drinks, chaats etc.

There is a long list of savoury snacks I don’t go crazy for, like Aalu tikki, Raj Kachori, Chhole bhature et al. And Samosa... When everyone in my friend circle used to have Samosas after school, I used to stuff myself with Jalebis or Laddoos. Yes, even during Monsoon.!! I know how foolish I sound when I say I don’t like Samoas. I have tried to find out various substitutes for the deep fried goodies, but I was never fully convinced. You rarely get that crunch and crispiness which only excessive oil can bring. And then those waistlines, huh!?

I have  had those filo pastry Samosas at times, at my friends’ places. Never really liked them honestly. Especially the frozen ones, they taste so horrible and soggy. One time I visited a friend who was frying these Samosas at the same time, and I had to have two of those with ketchup ( I hate that too ! ). And trust me when I say, I couldn’t eat any snack for over 10 days after that. That said, I eat some or the other thing every now and then so it was kind of a big deal for me.

Anyway, I had seen these spinach parcels on various blogs and I was so keen on making them sometime. I love the two flavours, spinach and cheese mixed together. Be it ricotta or feta or even our good old paneer, I love mixing it with spinach and have it. For this recipe, its only feta cheese with spinach and some seasoning and that’s it. And some garlic of course, for that delicate yet prominent flavour. These parcels are of Greek origin, and traditionally are made with loads and loads of cheese in it. But I have had only a few grams left after I had it all raw as a snack in itself, so I just used that much. 

There is something to be said for combining Spinach with feta and ricotta cheese. The sensation that it creates is amazing. The creaminess of ricotta and the saltiness of feta combine with earthy spinach to create a wholesome taste. Spanakopita is a Greek savory pastry, but we could easily call these parcels, baked spinach samosas. I wonder how will they taste with Chutneys and Ketchup. As for now, I only had them with Sweet chili sauce and Thai peanut sauce. 

What you need?

• 8-10 filo pastry sheets / or spring rolls sheets
• 500 gm packed spinach leaves
• 200 gm Feta cheese (almost ½ cup)
• 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp  to bruch on top
• 2 tsp mix seasoning – black pepper, paprika, salt, nutmeg
• 2 tbsp pine nuts – you may use walnuts too
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced 

How to make?

• Take filo sheets out and thaw well beforehand. Wash spinach and drain it perfectly squeezing hard, keep aside.
• To make the stuffing, heat oil in a pan. When hot enough, add minced garlic and fry for 10-120 seconds.
• Add spinach and cook it covered for 5-6 minutes, spinach will wilt. Now  add spices and cook it open to evaporate the remaining water, stirring in between.
• When cooked  properly, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool

• After it comes to room temperature, add crumbled feta cheese and mix very gently. Be careful not to mash the cheese, it might taste the same but appearance will be all bland
• Take one filo sheet at a time, keep the stuffing in between and fold it up as a parcel.  Arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 40-50 minutes till the top turns golden brown.
• Serve hot with sweet chili sauce or peanut dip.

Notes:

• Make sure you eat it fresh and hot, since once it gets cold and you reheat it it will be all soggy and the stuffing wont taste that good
• Add more seasoning as per your taste 
• You may stuff these parcels as per your choice, with peas, potato or any other veggies. 

Sending it to Jagruti's Potluck party