Middle Eastern Lamb Mince Flatbread

This Middle Eastern Lamb Mince Flatbread is proof that it doesn't take a lot of time or effort to produce a delicious meal that is packed with flavour and texture. This is a scrumptious, healthy one-pan meal that you can easily pull together in 30 minutes. Warm lamb mince seasoned with middle eastern spices is mixed with fragrant fresh herbs, juicy pomegranate jewels and crunchy pine nuts. This is served with warm flatbreads and a fresh crunchy green salad that contrasts the richness of the lamb.

Key ingredients:

• Lamb mince - lamb mince can be fatty, so I advise choosing a leaner lamb mince if possible.
• Seasoning - ground allspice, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander give the lamb mince a tasty middle eastern flavour. If you don't own all of these spices don't worry. You could leave out one or two of them and still have a really tasty dish. However, I urge you not to skip the allspice because it provides a wonderful aromatic taste.
• Beef stock - adds umami saltiness to the lamb mince.
• Molasses - adds rich sweetness. You can substitute this with honey.
• Fresh herbs - fresh coriander, mint and parsley are stirred into the cooked lamb mince before serving. If you don't have all of these herbs it's fine to skip one and make up the volume with the others.
• Pomegranate - buying a packet of pomegranate seeds is the most convenient option although I find a whole pomegranate yields fresher and juicier seeds. If you decide on a whole pomegranate you can freeze any seeds you have left. Simply spread them out on a tray so they are not touching and freeze for at least two hours before transferring them into an airtight bag or container.
• Flatbread - you can choose any type you like or even make your own. They are best heated under the grill before serving.

How to make lamb mince flatbread

1. Toast the pine nuts

Place a frying pan on a medium to high heat and toast the pine nuts for a few minutes. Remove them from the pan and set them aside when they start to brown.

2. Prep the salad

Place the salad ingredients into a bowl and mix the dressing ingredients together in a salad dressing container or small jug/mug.

3. Cook the onions, chilli and garlic, brown the lamb mince and season

Place the frying pan on a medium heat, add oil and fry the onions with the green chillies until the onion is translucent. Reduce the heat, add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Increase the heat and add the lamb mince and cook until brown. Reduce the heat to medium and add ground allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, a crushed beef stock cube and molasses and continue to cook for a further few minutes. 

4. Stir herbs, pomegranate seeds and pine nuts

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the fresh coriander, mint, parsley, pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.

5. Serve

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve the lamb mince with warm flatbreads.

Tools and equipment

• Frying pan - use a large (approx.28cm) flat-bottomed pan that will hold all the lamb mince and distribute heat evenly. Cast iron does this well.
• Salad bowl (or other large bowl) - for preparing the salad
• Salad mixers - for mixing the salad and dressing. If you don't have them a couple of forks will do the job.
• Dressing shaker - optional but recommended if you eat salad regularly. Especially useful, if you like to prep a large amount of dressing ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Alternatively, you can mix the dressing ingredients with a fork in a small bowl or mug.
• Garlic crusher - very useful for quickly producing small pieces of garlic. Use a knife to cut the garlic into tiny pieces if you don't have one.

How to eat lamb mince flatbread

Either put the salad and lamb mince inside or on top of the flatbread or serve the flatbread on the side. It's up to you. I also recommend serving this dish with Tzatziki - its cool freshness is a great match for the Middle Eastern spices in the lamb mince.

You could also swap the flatbread for rice or another grain such as quinoa or couscous.

3 tips for yummy lamb mince flatbread

1. Keep the salad and dressing separate until you serve the salad - this prevents a soggy salad and ensures it will be perfectly fresh.
2. Keep an eye on the pine nuts - pine nuts only take a few minutes to toast and can go from slightly brown to burnt very quickly.
3. Add the pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs to the lamb mince just before serving - add the fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds just after you have taken the mince off the heat. You want the herbs to wilt a little but not be cooked into the lamb mince.

Lamb mince flatbread FAQs

More quick and easy dinner recipes:

• Grilled Lemon & Turmeric Chicken Thighs
• Baked Furikake Salmon
• Speedy & Spicy Sesame Chicken
• Easy Lamb Kofta Wraps with yogurt sauce

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