Meat and Yoghurt Fattah

Method

1. Cut white pita bread into squares(3x3cm) using scissors. Fry bread in 2 tablespoon oil or margarine in a medium baking dish until just golden brown.

2. In a large deep pan, heat 1 tablespoon margarine or ghee. Add onions and stir until golden brown. Add 2 garlic cloves and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

3. Add meat cubes and fry slightly until just brown. Add enough water to cover the meat in the pan.

4. Add all spices, bay leaf, cardamom pods, and vinegar. Bring to the boil. Leave to cook until meat is done. Remove meat cubes from the broth. Reserve 1-2 cups of broth.

5. While meat is being cooked, makes the rice using the regular plain rice recipe.

6. In a separate bowl, mix yoghurt with the tahina, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper.

7. Arrange bread in the bottom of a baking dish. Add broth and stir. Pour yoghurt mixture over the bread then add rice. Put meat cubes over the rice then sprinkle fried pine nuts on top.

clipped from www.islamonline.net Meat and Yoghurt Fattah This is a very well known Shami dish. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Serving: 5 Cuisine: Shami (Lebanese – Syrian – Jordanian) White pita bread Ingredients  - 1/2 kg lamb (from leg or shin) - 3 garlic cloves, crushed - 1 onion, large size, thick slices - 1 tablespoon tahina - 2 tablespoon butter or ghee - 3 tablespoon sunflower oil - 5 or 6 packs yoghurt - 2 loaves of white pita bread - 2 cups of rice - 1 cup vinegar - 1/2 teaspoon all spices (optional) - 1 bay leaf - 2 cardamom pods - 1/2 cup pine nuts - 1 tablespoon lemon juice - salt and pepper