A super delish & crispy Purslane recipe made into pockets using puff pastry.
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Bakleh means Purslane in Arabic, and right now in the suburbs of Sydney, there is purslane growing everywhere. Truly fascinating.
Sure purslane is generally found on the side-walk, in parks, in lawns etcetera; but these last couple of weeks it's been growing in the masses. I don't ever recall this happening.
I should mention I used purslane from my mother's garden, ensuring no pesticides can be found on the plant - you know, council spraying and all
You can pick up a bunch of purslane from a fruit market (Arabic or Asian) rather than a supermarket.
What is purslane?
Purslane is a type of succulent which is edible and delightfully tangy/sour. It's widely used in Lebanese cooking, found in recipes for pastry and salads (try fattoush salad).
Stem, seeds, leaves and flowers can be eaten. Can be eaten both raw and cooked. Loaded with health benefits and vitamins such as Omega 3 fatty acids and so much more.
How to clean purslane?
Cleaning purslane is fairly simple. Discard any unwanted pieces, wash thoroughly with cold water and dry using a lettuce spinner.
Purslane Alternative?
If you can't get your hands on purslane, you can easily replace this with spinach or silverbeet. Follow the same steps within this recipe.
Check out my Fatayer bi sabanekh which is my family's Lebanese spinach pie recipe.
Steps to make Bakleh Pastries
Step one: Roughly chop purslane
Step two: Roughly chop white onion
Step three: In a bowl mix purslane, onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon sumac (optional) and seasoning to taste
Step four: Cut puff pastry sheet in half and place purslane filling on one side
Step five: fold pastry in half and press edges together using fingers or fork. Brush olive oil onto tops of pastry and sprinkle with black sesame.
Tip: use either baking paper or an oiled foil-lined tray for baking.
Step six: bake for approx 25-30min on 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) or until golden brown
Step 7: Allow purslane pockets to cool down before storing. Enjoy warm, with a side of salad - try my Quinoa Tabouli recipe
Vegan egg-wash alternatives
If you prefer to use an alternative to oil as an egg wash, here are some suggestions for egg wash substitute.
For another pastry recipe check out my vegan sausage rolls or my perfect vegan party food - zaatar pinwheels.
📖 Recipe
Purslane Pockets (Lebanese Bakleh)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit)
Purslane Filling
- Roughly chop purslane, leaves and stems
- Roughly chop onion
- Combine purslane and onion in a mixing bowl
- Add in olive oil, pomegranate molasses, seasoning and spices and combine well
Pastry Pockets
- Cut each puff pastry sheet in half, each half will create one pocket
- Place purslane filling onto on side of puff pastry
- Fold puff pastry, keep filling in the middle
- Using index finger or fork, press edges together until a pocket/pie is formed and there are no gaps in the edge
- Place each purslane pocket onto a baking tray that is lined with baking paper or foil. If using foil, oil prior to placing pockets onto tray
- Lightly brush on a coat of olive oil onto each pocket
- Sprinkle black sesame seeds
- Bake in the oven for approx 25-30 minutes or until golden brown
- Place on a cooling rack, serve warm.
- Left overs can be store in an airtight container - however allow to completely cool down before storing.
Equipment
Nutrition
Other recipes
As mentioned above, these pastries are great to eat with a salad; a simple garden salad will do, or you can make a side of quinoa tabouli which perfectly balances the tangy flavour of the purslane pockets.
If you feel like some more carbs, try my basic pizza dough which requires only 3 minutes of kneading.
Dennis
When weeding the grass from my garden the purslane comes out also. Oh well i guess i will have to eat it.
Janelle
Haha, not such a bad thing. I can't wait for the next batch to grow in my yard
Megan
Thanks for sharing! Wondering about the pastry. In my experience, “puff pastry” is a thicker very buttery pastry and “phyllo” is a thinner drier pastry. In these photos it’s looks more like phyllo to me. Does your dough have a high fat content? (I’m not worried about fats, just want to get the right dough - I’ll be buying it frozen.)
Janelle
Hi Megan,
I definitely used puff pastry for this recipe. When purslane is back in season here, I will make a video of this recipe to make it easier to see.
You can see the difference in pastry here https://plantbasedfolk.com/baklawa/ where I have used filo pastry.
Hope this helps.
J
Minou
I'd love to make these with purslane but I can't get my hands on any. Purslane was grown here in Sweden a long time ago but now it is impossible to find it for sale. I know that people grow it for their own use. I'm going to make these with spinach but to be honest it sounds a little bit boring. I'd love to be able to pick purslane like you do or at least to buy it.
Samson
Absolutely delicious. I picked it today at a friends house who was weeding her garden and throwing it in the bin! Absolutely delicious and nutritious. Thanks so much for this post. Love your site btw!
plantbasedfolk
Thank you for kind words.
It's amazing how something so simple as cooking purslane is foreign to many. Glad you taught her 🙂
veenaazmanov
Very interesting. Never tried one ever Have to check this out. Looks so crunchy and best for a tea time snack too.
Shashi at SavorySpin
This is my first time hearing of Purslane - such an intriguing succulent. And, speaking of firsts - bakleh is new to me too - I learned two new things today after visiting your blog and thank you for that!
Anjali
I had actually never heard of purslane before I came across your recipe but it was absolutely delicious! The spices you added to it really took it to another level too!
Alexandra
How delicious! This was my first time cooking with purslane, but what a delightful way to enjoy it - love the addition of the sumac, and the wonderful flaky pastry!
Jere Cassidy
So interesting to find this post, last week at farmer's market a vendor was selling purslane. It is interesting that it is used in cooking.
Boushra
Thank you Janelle for bringing bakleh some spotlight. I've always had to explain to most what it is and how it's edible. Everyone assumes it's just a weed. My family have been eating in home made pastry, when I don't have time I will use puff pastry as you have done in this recipe. Alf thankyou.