Fatta with Lamb, Rice and Garlic Tomato Sauce
The Egyptian feast dish: crisp toasted bread, buttery rice and tender lamb under a sharp, garlicky tomato sauce.
- Time2 hr 15
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £3.23 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the lamb, onion, cardamom, bay leaves, salt and the cold water in a large pan. Bring to the boil, skim off the grey foam, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the lamb is very tender.
90 min - 2
Lift the lamb out and keep warm. Strain the stock and measure out 540 ml for the rice. Keep the rest of the stock for the sauce.
- 3
Melt the butter in a medium pan, stir in the rice for 1 minute, then add the 540 ml stock. Bring to the boil, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
22 min - 4
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Toss the torn pitta with the olive oil on a tray and bake for 8 minutes until crisp and golden.
8 min - 5
For the sauce, melt the ghee in a pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds until just golden. Carefully add the vinegar, then the tomatoes, coriander, pepper and 150 ml of the leftover stock. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
10 min - 6
Build in a wide dish: crisp pitta first, then rice, then the lamb. Spoon the hot garlic tomato sauce over the top and serve straight away while the bread is still crunchy in places.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.