Spiced Beef Fatteh

Growing up, Nigella was everything I wanted to be. I found, and still find, her to be elegant and decadent.  She has had a bit of flack recently – I don’t think I will look at avocado on toast the same way again. But flicking through her older cookbooks recently reminds me of everything that I have always loved- her easy style, the effusively descriptive way she writes, the luxury she brings to everything, and the sheer joy she appears to get from preparing and eating food.

..I still want to be Nigella when I grow up.

This is a pure Nigella recipe – delicately spiced beef mince packed with veg, a garlic sesame creamy dip, and a smattering of toppings which work oh-so-perfectly, and a final dish that tastes as impressive as it looks. She knows how to put out a showstopper!

This meal would make an incredible sharing platter, the grand centrepiece of a Lebanese/Turkish style feast. It is also just as great as an individual main meal.  Or, instead of carving up the pitas, you could slice them in two and stuff them with the beef and toppings for an amazing lunch on the go.

Serves 4 as main meal

Ingredients for the mince

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 aubergine, cubed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinammon
• Pinch salt
• 500g beef mince
• 75ml vegetable stock

Ingredients for the yogurt dip

• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp room temperature tahini
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• Pinch salt

To assemble:

• 4 pita breads
• Handful pomegranate seeds
• Handful pine nuts

Method

Start with the mince bit. Heat the oil, cook the onion and pepper for 5-10 minutes until softened. 

Turn the heat down a little and add in the garlic to cook a few minutes more. 

Turn up the heat before tumbling in the aubergine and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Add the spices.

Stir well and allow to cook for 5 minutes more.

Fork through the mince and cook until mostly browned.

Turn the heat down, stir in the stock and let cook for 10-15 minutes more, until the stock has been absorbed.

While that is happening, make the dip. Combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic. 

Stir well and set aside. Sprinkle over some ground pepper and paprika to make it look a little prettier.

Now, you’re close to assembly time.

Toast the pita breads and slice into quarters. Arrange artfully on a plate.

Spoon the mince on top. Dollop some dip on top of that. Sprinkle over your pomegranate seeds and pine nuts and serve!