Egyptian Fatteh

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bread

   34 min

   Begin by tearing the pita bread into small, bite-sized pieces. In a frying pan, heat 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat, then add the bread pieces. Fry them until they turn a golden brown and become crispy, which should take about 5-7 minutes. Once done, transfer the crispy bread to a glass baking dish and set it aside for later use.

2. 2

   Coat the bread with flavor

   3 min

   Using the same pan, melt an additional tablespoon of butter. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of cumin, along with a pinch of salt, and sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Pour this mixture over the fried bread pieces in the baking dish, ensuring they are well coated, then return the dish to the side.

3. 3

   Cook the beef

   48 min

   In a pot, melt a couple of tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then add 1 lb of beef to brown it on all sides, which should take about 5-7 minutes. Next, add 1 quartered onion, salt, pepper, 1 chicken stock cube, and enough water to fully cover the beef. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for around 2 hours until the beef is tender enough to shred easily. Reserve the broth for later use and allow the beef to cool before shredding it.

4. 4

   Prepare the rice

   8 min

   In a separate pot, melt a few tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of noodles (shareya) and stir them continuously until they turn a golden color, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add 2 cups of rice and stir until the grains appear slightly opaque, then pour in 2 1/4 cups of water along with salt to taste. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, simmering for about 35 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and tender.

5. 5

   Layer the bread and rice

   5 min

   Take the reserved broth from the cooked beef and pour a portion of it over the crispy bread in the baking dish to allow it to soak up the liquid. Next, layer the prepared rice evenly on top of the bread, followed by adding more broth until it just reaches the surface of the rice without overflowing.

6. 6

   Make the red sauce

   8 min

   In a pan, heat either oil or butter over medium heat, then add 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, salt, and pepper, along with 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Stir this mixture until it becomes aromatic and starts to thicken slightly, about 5-7 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, you can adjust the consistency by adding a little water as needed. Once ready, spread this sauce generously over the layered rice.

7. 7

   Fry the meat

   29 min

   In a pan, heat a bit of butter or oil over medium-high heat. Add the reserved shredded beef along with a small amount of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Cook the meat until it is heated through and has developed a nice golden crust, which should take about 5-6 minutes.

8. 8

   Assemble and serve

   9 min

   Finally, spoon the golden-brown fried meat on top of the sauce-covered rice. Serve the dish immediately while it’s hot, and enjoy the delightful layers of flavors in this traditional Egyptian Fatteh!