Beef and Aubergine Fatteh
by Nigella. Featured in AT MY TABLEIntroduction
This is a subtly textured, richly flavoured arrangement of toasted pieces of flatbread topped with meaty aubergine and beef, a garlicky tahini-yogurt sauce, red pepper flakes, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and fresh shredded mint. I think of this rather as a refined, Middle-Eastern form of nachos.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This is a subtly textured, richly flavoured arrangement of toasted pieces of flatbread topped with meaty aubergine and beef, a garlicky tahini-yogurt sauce, red pepper flakes, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and fresh shredded mint. I think of this rather as a refined, Middle-Eastern form of nachos.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
For the base:
- 4 pitta breads (split open and cut into nacho-sized triangles)
For the topping:
- 500 grams full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 5 x 15ml tablespoons tahini (at room temperature)
- 1 - 2 lemons (to give 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)
For the aubergine-beef layer:
- 3 x 15ml tablespoons regular olive oil
- 1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 medium-large aubergine (cut into small cubes)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)
- 500 grams minced beef
To sprinkle over:
- 125 grams pomegranate seeds
- 50 grams toasted pinenuts
- 1 tablespoon mint (finely shredded leaves)
For the base:
- 4 pita breads (split open and cut into nacho-sized triangles)
For the topping:
- 2 cups full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 5 x 15ml tablespoons tahini (at room temperature)
- 1 - 2 lemons (to give 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
For the aubergine-beef layer:
- 3 x 15ml tablespoons regular olive oil
- 1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 medium-large eggplant (cut into small cubes)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
- 1 pound ground beef
To sprinkle over:
- ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
- ⅓ cup toasted pinenuts
- 1 tablespoon mint (finely shredded leaves)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F. Spread the pitta triangles out onto a large baking sheet and toast for 10–15 minutes, or until they are crisp. You don’t need them to colour, but if they do just a little here and there, that’s not a bad thing. Set the pitta triangles aside for the moment.
- Beat the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes together in a heatproof bowl that will later sit over a saucepan. Taste to see if you want any more salt. Put to one side while you cook the aubergine-beef layer.
- Warm the oil in a wide, though not deep, heavy-based saucepan or casserole and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and carry on cooking it, still stirring occasionally, until soft and a pale caramel colour. This will take another 4 minutes or so.
- Turn the heat up to medium, tumble in the aubergine cubes and stir well to mix with the onion. Stay by the hob as you will need to stir frequently, and cook them for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if they look as if they’re catching.
- Stir in the cumin, coriander and a teaspoon each of Aleppo pepper and sea salt flakes and, now over a high heat, add the mince and use a fork to break it up a little and turn in the pan until it’s lost its red colour. Turn the heat back down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through. Taste to see if you want to add more salt, then take off the heat while you return to the tahini-yogurt sauce.
- Pour some just-boiled water into a fresh pan, enough to come about 3cm / 1¼ inches up the sides, and put over a low heat. Sit the bowl with the tahini-yogurt mixture on top, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Beat well until the yogurt is slightly above room temperature and has the consistency of lightly whipped cream.
- Now for the grand assembly: arrange the crisp pitta triangles on a large round plate (I use one of about 32cm / 12 inches diameter). Top with the aubergine-beef mixture, followed by the yogurt-tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper (or paprika, if you’re using that) to give a light dusting. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and, finally, strew with the finely shredded mint leaves. Eat with your fingers, nacho-style.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F. Spread the pitta triangles out onto a large baking sheet and toast for 10–15 minutes, or until they are crisp. You don’t need them to colour, but if they do just a little here and there, that’s not a bad thing. Set the pitta triangles aside for the moment.
- Beat the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes together in a heatproof bowl that will later sit over a saucepan. Taste to see if you want any more salt. Put to one side while you cook the eggplant-beef layer.
- Warm the oil in a wide, though not deep, heavy-based saucepan or casserole and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and carry on cooking it, still stirring occasionally, until soft and a pale caramel colour. This will take another 4 minutes or so.
- Turn the heat up to medium, tumble in the eggplant cubes and stir well to mix with the onion. Stay by the hob as you will need to stir frequently, and cook them for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if they look as if they’re catching.
- Stir in the cumin, coriander and a teaspoon each of Aleppo pepper and sea salt flakes and, now over a high heat, add the mince and use a fork to break it up a little and turn in the pan until it’s lost its red colour. Turn the heat back down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through. Taste to see if you want to add more salt, then take off the heat while you return to the tahini-yogurt sauce.
- Pour some just-boiled water into a fresh pan, enough to come about 3cm / 1¼ inches up the sides, and put over a low heat. Sit the bowl with the tahini-yogurt mixture on top, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Beat well until the yogurt is slightly above room temperature and has the consistency of lightly whipped cream.
- Now for the grand assembly: arrange the crisp pitta triangles on a large round plate (I use one of about 32cm / 12 inches diameter). Top with the eggplant-beef mixture, followed by the yogurt-tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper (or paprika, if you’re using that) to give a light dusting. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and, finally, strew with the finely shredded mint leaves. Eat with your fingers, nacho-style.
Additional Information
MADE AHEAD/STORE:
The pitta can be toasted 1-2 ahead. Store in an airtight container. The aubergine-meat layer can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool and refrigerate, within two hours of cooking, in an airtight container. Return to the pan and add a splash of water, then reheat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
FREEZE:
Meat layer can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
MADE AHEAD/STORE:
The pitta can be toasted 1-2 ahead. Store in an airtight container. The aubergine-meat layer can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool and refrigerate, within two hours of cooking, in an airtight container. Return to the pan and add a splash of water, then reheat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
FREEZE:
Meat layer can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
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Show more commentsWhat a great recipe idea Nigella many thanks for sharing it's incredible we ate all of it between the two of us xxx
I made this for the first time yesterday and absolutely loved it. I was looking for a recipe so that i could do something different with minced beef. I happened to be re-watching 'At My Table' on iPlayer and this was one of the featured recipes.
I loved it and so did my husband. He described it as 'banging'. I shall use the other half of the tahini paste for the chicken shawarma, which I've made twice and was also 'banging'.
Thanks N - you're the best! x
Made this recipe for lunch. Replaced the mince meat with chickpeas. It was delicious
This was yummy, I didn't heat the sauce (but it was room temp by then) as I got rather hungry. Due to what I had/could find made a few tiny changes subbing pistachio for the pine nuts. The other change was to the spices I had a ras el hanout mix on hand and used that with a sprinkle of sumac to finish.
Made this for dinner tonight, for two of us, and ate the lot!! I drizzled a bit of olive oil over my pitta after toasting. It was like a fancy and very yummy sharing kebab plate, will definitely make it again for my partner and I, or a group of friends.
This recipe is perfect for gathering with friends. It tastes delicious and is exotic and interesting. It looks beautiful and it provides a relaxed and informal environment. It's fun having everyone huddled around a large platter of this picking, talking, and laughing. It always provides a perfect evening!
One of our favourite tv-dinners. After one try it became a regular dinner recipe.
I made a vegan version of this last Christmas Eve for my family. I used soy patty instead of the beef and a vegan alternative instead of the yogurt. It was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. I´m going to make it again this Christmas and I plan on making it a tradition for all Christmases to come.
I served this as an appetizer at a party and it sure was a crowd-pleaser. Very unique dish that has a total 'wow' factor.
This is absolutely delicious! Don't change anything, the recipe is perfect. Thank you so much.
Just great flavours and the dish looks Beautiful. The garlic and tahini dressing alone is amazing and I would happily serve that on its own as dip.
Amazing my "go to" for a group. Looks pretty and tastes delicious!