Layers of crispy flatbread soaked in rich lamb broth, topped with tender meat, rice, and a drizzle of ghee. This satisfying Yemeni casserole transforms yesterday's bread into a hearty, soul-warming feast.
Ingredients
500g lamb shoulder, cubed
4 rounds of dry flatbread, torn
2 cups basmati rice, cooked
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp hawaij spice mix
1 tsp cumin
4 cups lamb broth
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley
Instructions
1Boil lamb cubes in salted water until very tender, about 1 hour. Reserve 4 cups of the broth and set meat aside.
2Toast or fry torn flatbread pieces in a skillet with a little ghee until golden and crispy.
3Layer the crispy bread in the bottom of a large serving dish. Ladle hot lamb broth generously over the bread to soak it.
4Spread a layer of cooked rice over the soaked bread, followed by the tender lamb pieces.
5In a small pan, heat ghee with hawaij and cumin, then drizzle this spiced ghee over the entire dish.
6Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately while the bread is still soaking up the aromatic broth.
Did You Know?
Fattah was originally created as a way to use stale bread — Yemeni cooks turned leftovers into a celebrated feast dish through ingenious layering.