Sticky tamarind tomato & spinach whirl

Try this riff on a Greek spanakopita. With a sticky-sweet, spiced and tangy twist, it’s a spectacular veggie centrepiece for any special occasion

  • Prep:40 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 30 mins
    plus cooling
  • Serves 8
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 424
  • fat 27g
  • saturates 15g
  • carbs 27g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 16g
  • salt 1.8g

Ingredients

  • 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 small garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 leek, halved and finely sliced
  • 5 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 300g spinach, wilted, excess water squeezed out and roughly chopped
  • 400g feta, crumbled
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves, plus a few leaves to serve
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 6 filo pastry sheets
  • 100g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Mix the tomatoes, garlic, half the oil, tamarind and sugar together, along with a generous pinch of seasoning. Tip onto a baking tray and put in the oven for 25-30 mins or until sticky and roasted. Leave to cool a little.

  2. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the leek and spring onions, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 mins. Leave to cool completely, then tip into a bowl and mix with the spinach, feta, roasted tomatoes, eggs, coriander, smoked paprika and seasoning.

  3. Heat the oven to 200C/180C/gas 6. Brush a sheet of filo with melted butter, then lay another sheet on top and brush with butter again, keeping the rest of the filo covered with a clean, damp tea towel to stop it drying out, Spoon a third of the filling along the long side of the rectangle and gently roll into a long tube. Repeat this two more times until you have used all the filo and filling. In a round pie dish, or round ovenproof pan, carefully coil the three filo rolls from the outside of the dish in towards the middle, so you end up with a large spiral. Don’t worry if it cracks a bit – you can layer the filo to cover any cracks. Brush the whole spiral with more butter, sprinkle over the chilli flakes and bake for 50-60 mins until deep, golden brown. Scatter over the extra coriander to serve.

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