This purslane recipe uses puff pastry that has been turned into pockets filled with a delectably sour purslane and onion filling. Great for lunch, dinner or on the run.
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What is Purslane?
Purslane is a type of succulent which is edible and delightfully tangy/sour. It's widely used in Lebanese cooking, and found in pastry, stir-fries, sautees and salad recipes, such as in this fattoush salad.
The stems, seeds, leaves and flowers can be eaten both raw and cooked.
Purslane is loaded with health benefits and vitamins such as Omega 3 fatty acids and so much more.
Here's a quick list of vegan purslane recipes to try.
What is Purslane In Arabic?
Bakleh means Purslane in Arabic, it is often written as "ba2leh" or "bakleh". It is pronounced as bah·leh.
It is widely used in Arabic cooking. This recipe is based on my Lebanese fatayer recipe (hand pies).
How to clean purslane?
Cleaning purslane is fairly simple. Here are the steps;
- Sort by discarding any unwanted pieces
- Wash thoroughly with cold water by placing it in a bowl and giving it a swirl several times, you may need to change the water a couple of times
- Then dry using a lettuce spinner.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a recipe I grew up with, my Mom used to make it for us all the time, so both kids and adults love the flavor.
- A seriously great way for vegans to get omega-3s into their diet.
- These are like hand pies, can easily be consumed on the go.
- Cooking purslane is relatively easy.
- The flavor is tasty, the combination of pomegranate molasses with the purslane and onion encassed in flaky puff pastries is ah-mah-zing!
- Dietary friendly - vegan, soy-free and corn-free
Ingredients You'll Need
Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Vegan puff pastry following the instructions to thaw out the sheets. If they become too soft to handle, place them in the freezer for 10 minutes to help them firm up again.
Fresh Purslane can be found growing nearly everywhere! Or try your local Asian or Middle Eastern small grocer.
Onion will be diced to go into the filling.
Pomegranate molasses a key ingredient to get the flavor that is sour yet sweet. This can be found at your local supermarket in the international section or at a local Middle Eastern small grocer or buy pomegranate molasses online, this is the brand I like (affiliate link).
Sumac is perfect with pomegranate molasses as it enhances the sourness. This is a red herb from the sumac berry, which is widely used in my vegan Lebanese cooking. Sumac can also be purchase online (affiliate link) or found in the spice section of your grocer, some supermarkets may stock it also.
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. Place the unbaked pockets on a lined baking sheet.
Step six: bake for approx 25-30min on 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) or until golden brown. Allow purslane pockets to cool down for 5 minutes. Enjoy warm with a side salad.
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 similar to this one.
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.
Serving Suggestions
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.
FAQ
Cleaning purslane is fairly simple.
Discard any unwanted pieces, trim any hard stems and wash thoroughly with cold water.
Then dry using a lettuce spinner.
Purslane, is an edible succulent green vegetable with a taste that is unique, bright, and delightful. It is a refreshing and slightly tangy flavor that is sometimes described as a combination of subtle sweetness, citrus-sour, and earthy and leafy greens.
Its taste is vibrant and fresh, with a pleasant crispness that adds a lovely texture to any dish. It can be enjoyed both raw and cooked.
Purslane is generally found on the sidewalk, in parks, on lawns etcetera.
If you are picking purslane in fields or parks, be sure to check your local council's pesticide schedule. Otherwise, if it is fairly easy to grow, it proliferates easily.
You can pick up a bunch of purslane from a local fruit market / small grocer (Arabic or Asian) rather than a supermarket. Though this may be hard and seasonal (warmer weather).
Other Lebanese Pastry Recipes
Check out my Fatayer bi sabanekh which is my family's Lebanese spinach pie recipe.
For another pastry recipe check out my vegan sausage rolls or my perfect vegan party food - zaatar pinwheels.
If you feel like some more carbs, try my vegan pizza dough which requires only 3 minutes of kneading.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Purslane Pockets (Lebanese Bakleh)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit)
Purslane Filling
- Combine purslane and onion in a mixing bowl. Add in olive oil, pomegranate molasses, seasoning and spices and combine well.100 gram purslane, 1 medium white onion, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon sumac, 1 pinch Salt, 1 pinch Cracked black pepper
Pastry Pockets
- Cut each puff pastry sheet in half, each half will create one pocket. Place purslane filling onto one side of the puff pastry.4 sheets puff pastry
- Fold puff pastry, keep filling in the middle. Using your 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 lined baking 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 Serve warm.1 teaspoon Black sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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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.