Dinner

Egyptian Fatteh

Name: Egyptian Fatteh
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 180 min
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 1 lb beef; 1 onion, quartered; 1 chicken stock cube; 2 tomatoes, crushed; 4 cloves garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tbs tomato puree; 2 cups rice; 1/4 cup noodles; 1/4 cup butter; 2 cups olive oil; 1 pita bread, torn into bite-size pieces; 1 tbs cumin; 3 tbs white wine vinegar; salt, To taste; pepper, To taste; water, to cover meat; 2-1/4 cups water

A layered Egyptian rice dish with crisp pita, tender beef, aromatic broth, tomato sauce, and fried meat on top.

3 hr
780 kcal
Egyptian
Rice dish

Mellowpan tip: Makes 6 servings. Plan the extras as tomorrow’s lunch.

Get the shopping list

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Steps

Step 1:
Tear the pita bread into bite-size pieces.
Step 2:
Melt about 1/4 stick of butter in a frying pan, add the bread pieces, and fry until golden brown and crisp.
Step 3:
Transfer the fried bread pieces to a preferably square glass baking dish and set aside.
Step 4:
In the same pan, add a little more butter, salt, about 2 crushed garlic cloves, and about 1 teaspoon cumin.
Step 5:
Stir until aromatic, then add the fried bread pieces and stir to coat them.
Step 6:
Return the bread to the glass baking dish and set aside.
Step 7:
Put some butter in a pot and stir-fry the beef until browned.
Step 8:
Add the quartered onion, salt, pepper, chicken stock cube, and enough water to cover the meat.
Step 9:
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, about 2 hours.
2 h
Step 10:
Let the meat cool, then remove the chunks to a bowl and set aside. Reserve the cooking broth separately.
Step 11:
Put some butter in a pot, add the noodles, and keep stirring until very golden but not too dark.
Step 12:
Add the rice and stir briefly until some of the rice turns opaque white.
Step 13:
Add 2-1/4 cups water and salt to taste.
Step 14:
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, testing the rice after about 35 minutes.
35 min
Step 15:
Pour some of the reserved meat broth over the bread in the baking dish to saturate it.
Step 16:
Add the cooked rice on top of the bread.
Step 17:
Slowly spoon the remaining broth onto the rice until the broth level reaches the top of the rice.
Step 18:
In a pan, heat a little oil or butter with the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste, salt, pepper, 2 crushed garlic cloves, cumin, and about 3 tablespoons vinegar.
Step 19:
Stir until aromatic and slightly smooth. The sauce should be thick rather than watery; add a little water if it is too thick.
Step 20:
Spread the red sauce over the rice with a wooden spoon.
Step 21:
In another pan, heat a little butter or oil with the beef, a touch of tomato paste, about 1 tablespoon crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon cumin.
Step 22:
Cook until the beef is golden and fried.
Step 23:
Spoon the fried beef over the rice and serve.