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Lamb Patties With Hummus and Pitta

by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA SUMMER

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Introduction

Think hamburger, Middle-Eastern style. And if this isn't enough of a come-on, think again. I am mad for these pitta-sandwiches smeared with hummus and stuffed with red onion, mint, shredded lettuce and small mint-and-oregano flavoured lamb patties.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

NIGELLA SUMMER

2002

Buy Now

Lamb Patties With Hummus and Pitta — Photo by Petrina Tinslay

As featured in

NIGELLA SUMMER

2002

Buy Now

Ingredients

Makes: about 8 bulging pittas

Metric Cups

For the Patties

50 grams bulgur wheat
500 grams minced lamb
4 teaspoons dried mint (or to taste)
4 teaspoons dried oregano (or to taste)
1 clove garlic
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
olive oil for frying

For the Sandwiches

approx. 8 pitta breads
1 little gem lettuce (shredded)
1 bunch fresh mint (chopped)
1 red onion (halved and sliced very thinly)
300 grams hummus
300 grams Greek yoghurt
approx. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tomatoes
2 lemons

For the Patties

⅓ cup bulgur wheat
1 pound ground lamb
4 teaspoons dried mint (or to taste)
4 teaspoons dried oregano (or to taste)
1 clove garlic
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
olive oil for frying

For the Sandwiches

approx. 8 pita breads
1 small heart of romaine lettuce (shredded)
1 bunch fresh mint (chopped)
1 red onion (halved and sliced very thinly)
1¼ cups hummus
1¼ cups Greek yoghurt
approx. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tomatoes
2 lemons

Method

Soak the bulgur wheat by covering it with boiling water and leaving it for 15 minutes in a small bowl.
Drain the bulgur thoroughly, pressing the water out in a sieve and put it in a bowl with the minced lamb. Add the dried mint and oregano, mince in the garlic (I just grate it with a fine microplane) and the lemon zest. Stir everything thoroughly and then form into small walnut-sized patties, then flatten them slightly between your hands and arrange them, as you go, on a clingfilmed baking sheet or plate and let them stand for 20 minutes in the fridge to firm up. If you want to, you can cover them with clingfilm, too, and leave them in the fridge for up to 6 hours before frying them. I get, by the way, about 34 patties out of this mixture.
Fry the patties in a little olive oil until cooked through, and a beautiful golden brown on both sides. These are little, so it shouldn't take too long: I'd reckon on about 4 minutes a side. The important thing is not to crowd the pan as you cook.
To make up your sandwiches, roughly proceed as follows. Toast or otherwise warm each pitta bread and cut a strip off one long side to open it, then stuff it with a salad of shredded lettuce, chopped mint and half-moons of red onion rings. Dollop into each gaping pitta (and you can do this before or after the salad stage actually) a couple of tablespoons of hummus mixed with 1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt and a pinch of ground cumin. Cram with four or five lamb patties, then squeeze in half a tomato roughly chopped and give a good spritz of lemon juice.

Soak the bulgur wheat by covering it with boiling water and leaving it for 15 minutes in a small bowl.
Drain the bulgur thoroughly, pressing the water out in a sieve and put it in a bowl with the ground lamb. Add the dried mint and oregano, mince in the garlic (I just grate it with a fine microplane) and the lemon zest. Stir everything thoroughly and then form into small walnut-sized patties, then flatten them slightly between your hands and arrange them, as you go, on a clingfilmed baking sheet or plate and let them stand for 20 minutes in the fridge to firm up. If you want to, you can cover them with clingfilm, too, and leave them in the fridge for up to 6 hours before frying them. I get, by the way, about 34 patties out of this mixture.
Fry the patties in a little olive oil until cooked through, and a beautiful golden brown on both sides. These are little, so it shouldn't take too long: I'd reckon on about 4 minutes a side. The important thing is not to crowd the pan as you cook.
To make up your sandwiches, roughly proceed as follows. Toast or otherwise warm each pita bread and cut a strip off one long side to open it, then stuff it with a salad of shredded lettuce, chopped mint and half-moons of red onion rings. Dollop into each gaping pitta (and you can do this before or after the salad stage actually) a couple of tablespoons of hummus mixed with 1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt and a pinch of ground cumin. Cram with four or five lamb patties, then squeeze in half a tomato roughly chopped and give a good spritz of lemon juice.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Lamb patties can be formed a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Leftover cooked lamb patties will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Transfer leftovers to the fridge as soon as possible and within 2 hours of cooking. Eat cold.
Uncooked lamb patties can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Put on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (parchment paper), covered loosely with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and freeze until solid. Once the patties are solid, they can be transferred to a resealable bag or airtight container. To thaw the patties, put them on a plate or lipped baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge overnight.