“This pie is based on that comforting Greek favourite – spanakopita – although it is far more forgiving to make,” says Ravinder Bhogal.
“There is no buttering and layering of delicate filo pastry: instead, the iron-rich mixture of greens and cheese is blanketed under a nest of buttered kataifi pastry, a shredded filo dough that crisps up beautifully when baked or fried.
“You’ll find kataifi pastry in the fridge or freezer section of Middle Eastern grocers.”
Broccoli, kale and spinach kataifi pie
Ingredients:
2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, very finely crushed
200g kale, tough ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped
200g spinach
250g broccoli, boiled till tender and roughly chopped
4 eggs
60g pine nuts
60g currants, golden raisins or barberries
250g feta cheese
250g ricotta
Zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1
Handful of dill, roughly chopped
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
A good grating of nutmeg
150g sour cream
250g kataifi pastry
60g butter, melted
White sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Sea salt and black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over low-medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes till sweet and caramelised. Add the garlic and fry again till fragrant, then add the kale and soften before adding the spinach. Once the greens are wilted, take off the heat and cool.
3. Transfer to a large bowl along with the broccoli and add the eggs, pine nuts, currants, feta, ricotta, lemon zest and juice, herbs, nutmeg and sour cream, and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pull apart the strands of kataifi pastry to loosen and fluff them up. Stir the butter through the kataifi, coating it well.
5. Pour the spinach and ricotta filling into a deep pie dish – I use a 34cm baking dish. Gently pile the kataifi over the pie filling, sprinkle over the sesame seeds and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is hot and set and the kataifi pastry is golden brown. Serve with a light salad.
Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen by Ravinder Bhogal is published by Bloomsbury, priced £26. Available now. Photography by Kristin Perers.
