Hawawshi

Ingredients

• 4 baladi breads or thick pitta breads
• 500g minced beef, at least 20% fat
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, very finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 red onion, sliced, to serve
• 150g tahini sauce, to serve

Before you cook

• Chop the onion, green pepper and tomato as finely as you can, then squeeze the tomato in kitchen paper to dry it.
• Mix the minced beef with the onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg and chilli flakes.
• Knead the mixture with your hands for 2 minutes until it turns slightly sticky and holds together.
• Rest the seasoned meat in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• Cut a slit along the edge of each bread and open it into a pocket.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 220C with a heavy baking tray inside.
2. Divide the meat into four and press each portion flat into a disc the size of a bread.
3. Slide one meat disc into each bread pocket and press the bread down so the filling spreads to the edges.
4. Brush the top of each hawawshi with melted butter.
5. Lay the breads on the hot tray and bake for 12 minutes.
6. Flip each one over and bake for another 10 minutes, until the bread is crisp and dark in patches and the juices have soaked through.
7. Rest the hawawshi for 3 minutes so the filling settles.
8. Cut each one into quarters and serve with sliced red onion, lemon wedges and a bowl of tahini sauce.