This is a Middle Eastern (possibly Armenian), Greek Cypriot dish that resembles a mini pizza with minced meat (usually lamb) and spices, which is popular in many Middle Eastern countries. I was so inspired by it that I created my very own vegan version, with my own interpretation and touch. I do hope you will drool over it as much as we did – seriously, this is an impressive dish, which exudes the most exotic aromas. Easy to make too !
TIP : Serve with My Hummus – see http://www.mouthwateringvegan.com/2010/07/17/my-hummus/
INGREDIENTS
1 medium sized red onion, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil for frying
just under ¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp mixed spice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_spice)
salt to taste (don’t omit)
¼ of a red chilli, finely chopped
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp chilli powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste
a pinch or so of dried mint
2 cups Linda McCartney veggie mince, or Gardein crumbles
½ the juice of a fresh lemon, for garnishing
2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
medium size pitta breads
METHOD
- Heat your oil in a saucepan, and gently fry your onions for some minutes.
- Now add the tomato paste and mix. Allow this to simmer for a few minutes, and then add all your spices, including the chopped chillies, and mix. Keep the temperature low as you go along.
- Next, stir in the mince and put the heat up. Don’t leave the mix unattended – you must continue to stir this non-stop until the mince absorbs the flavours – this will take around 10 minutes. If it’s too dry, add a little more olive oil, but not water, as this would make the mince soggy, and we don’t want that for this recipe. Now just sprinkle on the dried mint.
- The aromas will be beautiful in your kitchen, so now taste the mix, and if you’re happy (maybe you need to add more salt), take off the heat, and spoon onto the centre of your pitta bread. If you are making it with hummus – like myself – add the hummus first in a circle, but leaving the centre of the pitta bread without hummus, so that you can spoon on the wonderful spicy mix. Garnish with the parsley, and be generous with a huge lemon wedge. Smile and Enjoy !
All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
These are free recipes for your pleasure – all we ask in return is that you take a few moments to leave us a constructive comment !
suitable for vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike
This does look awesome!!! Had in mind to make Indian Tahli tomorrow, but think i’m gonna make a change in menu 😉
Looks delicious and very easy to make so this will definitely be one of my family’s meals this coming week. However, I’m not know what mixed spice is. Thanks.
Doug Hi there and thanks for dropping by with your comment – here is a link to what mixed spice is. Do let me know how it all goes as and when. Cheers ! 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_spice
Hi there Steffie and thanks for dropping by here with your comment – do let me know how it goes ! and enjoy ! 🙂
hi, thanks for posting this. i had never heard of this dish and am definitely looking forward to trying it. regarding the gardein crumbles, i was able to find the meatless burger. should i thaw and crumble that? assuming i should not precook it before putting it in the spices. thank you.
Oh boy! Am I going to try this 🙂
This looks so good I cannot wait to try it…just wrote down the whole recipe and there are a couple of things I don’t have so as soon as I go shop again I will get the missing ingredients and try this…it sounds so good..thank you so much !
Selicious ! I’m definitely going to make this later this week ! ♥
Hi there Maya thanks for dropping by here. Do let me know how it goes as and when. 🙂
Hi there Trudie thanks for dropping by here. Do let me know how it goes as and when you get all the ingredients and make it ! Cheers to you !
Barbara Hi there and hope you really enjoy this ! Come back with your feedback !
Wendy Hi there, I have not tried Gardein myself as in Europe they don’t have it, so I buy an equivalent, but I am told by many that Gardein are great. So if I were you I would try and get hold of the crumbles, I don’t know what the burger’s consistency or taste is like, but if you like it and it’s like a minced ‘meat’ then you could allow it to semi thaw, and then put it in your processor until it resembles crumbles , then use it according to the recipe treating the crumbles as your fozen mince. Hope this helps ! 🙂
I’ve pre-ordered your Mouthwatering Vegan Recipes. Is this in there?
Thank you for all the lovely recipes!
Kelly dear, Hi there and thanks for dropping by here. Thank you for pre-ordering my book. This recipe is not in my book because it’s very recent – I only came up with it a week or two ago. That said the best recipes from my blog are included as well as many new exotic recipes that will reveal themselves my book this April. May I suggest if you haven’t already, that you join my new monthly upcoming newsletter which will include a lot of useful vegan tips, info, recipes etc. . . I will add you unless I hear to the contrary. I look forward to your future comments on my blog and best wishes your way in the meantime !
I knew that this would be delicious. I made a cheats version of hummus with a can of cannellini beans, peanut butter, lemon and garlic. So tasty. These vegan recipes are the best by far that I have tried. Thank you.
Pauline Hi there and welcome here, thanks for your feedback, am so glad you made and enjoyed this ! I am also delighted that you like my recipes on my site. Best wishes your way and I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
We had this for dinner last night. Was gorgeous! We had it with a dollop of caramelised red onion hummus and it worked really well. Can’t wait to have the leftovers tonight. Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Rachel Hi there and welcome here. I am delighted that you made and enjoyed my Lachmajou, the caramelised red onion hummus sounds, well, just awesome ! Enjoy the leftovers and I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! Best wishes your way in the meantime ! 🙂
Thanks for getting back to me about the crumbles. i was not able to find gardein in the market and was too eager to make this dish to wait any longer. i went with boca crumbles instead, and i found this variety to work great. such a delicious combination of tastes. i made your hummus too, and it was the perfect condiment. i just loved the hummus recipe and don’t believe i will ever buy the pre-made kind again. thank you so very much for your recipes. i have tried four now, and each one is truly delicious!
A delicious traditional Turkish dish! Nice!
Hi Faith. I am told it is Armenian or Cypriot. But it’s served in other Middle Eastern countries it seems. Whatever the case may be, I do hope you make and enjoy it !
Hi Wendy, I truly am delighted that you are enjoying my recipe. I know what you mean about the hummus. Enjoy more of my recipes !
I’ve just made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious! I forgot to soak my chickpeas, so didn’t get to make the hummus, but I did make my own pitta. The flavours from the spices made it hard to stop eating, but thankfully I did – which means I have more for tomorrow night.
I made this for lunch and shared it with my meat eating husband, we both loved it. I used quorn mince which also worked out very well. I will make sure I try some more of your recipes. Thank You!
Bianca Hi there and welcome here – I am delighted you made and enjoyed this ! Are you in the UK or the US ? In the UK they sell Linda McCartney mince which is totally vegan and tastes as good as Quorn – just a thought ! Very best wishes your way and I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
Hi there Susan, that sounds great ! I am glad you indulged yourself and hope you try it with hummus too in the near future ! Best wishes your way in the meantime.
this is the next one on my cooking wish list
Hi there Vicki and I shall look forward to your feedback on this recipe. Best wishes your way. 🙂
so easy and very tasty!!! deelish!
Thanks for letting me know Vicki – so glad you enjoyed it !
Hi Miriam. I made this for dinner last night paired with a kalamata olive hummus, and it was truly wonderful! Such an aromatic and flavorful dish, and it was a breeze to prepare. This will be a staple in my dinner rotation. Congratulations on your book! I’m so looking forward to receiving it.
Dawn Hi – that really sounds so perfect. I am delighted that you made and enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your interest in my book too and hope you enjoy it as and when. Meantime, I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
Olive oil, among other popular oils, are not supposed to be heated past a certain degree (like for frying in skillets) or they turn into bad fats instead of the good ones I would expect you’re looking for by using olive oil. Coconut oil is supposed to be the best for cooking because the fats resist the high temperatures reached when frying.
I am wondering if any Australians have made this and what product was used. Today we used a Sanitarium casserole mince, which was fairly moist in a gravy. It was tasy and we will certainly make it again, but it didn’t have the same glossy, dry look that yours did Miriam. It is very difficult to source vegan products where I live.
Jeanine Hi there and welcome here. I am totally unfamiliar with the Sanitarium casserole mince with gravy that you mention – however, here is a useful link that will help you find what you need in Australia, feel free to like the page and make your enquiries accordingly :- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Products-you-can-buy-in-Australia/170979382913716?fref=ts – the dish should be fairly dry in as much as it’s not one of those ‘saucy’ mince dishes – rather the mince itself absorbs all the flavours without being dry to the palette, and that in part is the appeal of the dish. Hope this helps a little Jeannine. The other alternative would be to purchase dried soya mince (I am not crazy over it myself) but it would do the job. Hope the link helps and I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
Lynzie Hi,
Extra virgin coconut oil is great for the reasons that you mentioned. But good quality olive oil is too, especially cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Here are some facts from the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) have to say about it :-
“At The Olive Oil Source, we believe that extra virgin olive oil smokes roughly between 400 and 365ºF (204 and 185ºC) depending on its free fatty acid content. Here is what the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) has to say about frying food with olive oil:
When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoke point (410ºF or 210ºC) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (356ºF or 180ºC). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying.
Thanks Miriam – new to your site & can’t wait to try this! My husband & I have been vegan for about a year & love Middle Eastern flavors. This combo sounds like it will make a great addition to our options. My husband is the better chef in our house but this seems fast & simple which makes it right up my alley!
Sooz Hi there and welcome here. This is an easy dish to make and I hope you make it and that both yourself and partner enjoy it ! Let me know how it goes and best wishes your way ! 🙂
Just realised that the Quorn I used in this is Vegetarian but not Vegan. I made it again using Linda McCartney’s mince and it was also delicious. I am in Australia and thankfully one of the big supermarkets here stocks it. In fact the supermarkets here are getting a lot better at stocking Vegan foods.
How wonderful of you to respond to ALL feedback!
Unless a comment does not warrant an answer, or in the very rare occasion when somebody is being blatantly wasting my time, then I answer all comments ! Have a good day Joe.
Hi there Bianca and yes, Quorn is vegetarian not vegan, but I was not sure whether you were vegetarian, as I have a handful of vegetarians on my blog ! Linda McCartney is my preference and tastes every bit as good as Quorn. So glad to hear that you can purchase it from Australia, that’s awesome news. Best wishes your way !
Just made it for the first time this evening.
The kitchen smelled really nice afterwards.
Really delicious dish.
Thank you for sharing this Miriam.
I am so glad to hear this Pascal ! The emitting aromas of a good dish linger and remind us that good things are about to hit our plates & palettes too. Cheers !
Hi Miriam – I used Natural Soya Protein Mince and it worked really well. The flavours are just amazing and the mince just soaks them all up. I served it in flour tortillas which I had left over from my ratatouille and kidney bean fajita dish I made last night and served them with my home made humous. I must say, another winner and one to make again and again.
Hi Sharron, everything you said sounds perfect – you mirror my sentiments on the dish perfectly, so you must have done a great job ! I agree it’s a must have again type of recipe too ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Have a good weekend in the meantime !
Think I’ll be making this one again this evening.
Fast and delicious.
That’s great news Pascal.
Miriam will most of your dishes make a reappearance in your book or will it be new recipes?
Good question Pascal. It is going to be a mixture – I cannot say the exact proportions, but I would at a guess say 60% are going to be new. Best wishes. 🙂
Wow 60% of new recipes, wohoo!
Sorry couldn’t contain my enthousiasm 😉
Don’t get me wrong I love the recipes you put on so far but the more the better 🙂
Btw, no idea if its too late to add to your book but I hope you put in a recipe for a spectacular vegan bread made in a bread machine which goes with everything.
Unless you put that in one of your upcoming newsletters of course.
Miriam I would like to ask you something so is there some way I can contact you by email?
Don’t worry its not something weird, I am normal regular person, I just hope you can help me out with something that I don’t feel like posting on your blog.
Hi Pascal. My book is being printed as we speak, so cannot submit more recipes. A bread machine bread recipe may be posted up some time in the near future. You will know about it though the newsletter. Regarding writing to me, I think it is best if you send a message to me on FB (Miriam Sorrell), it is not public there. Best to you !
Pascal Hi – glad you are happy with that.
Hi Miriam.
Didn’t think of the possibility to contact you through Facebook.
No longer necessary though, already know what I needed to know.
You won’t know me when I PM you on there anyway cause I’m using a false name on FB.
Don’t trust the internet.
I just made an exception for your blog cause I have faith in you.
No worries Pascal – glad you have sorted things out. Best wishes to you !
As I am currently in Hawaii I cannot get hold of any of Linda McCartney’s products. I used Tempeh and mushrooms instead. It tasted divine.
Thanks again. x
Maree Hi there and welcome here. How wonderful that you managed to use great substitutes and that it worked so well – kudos to you for that and I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best wishes your way in the meantime. 🙂
Thank you Miriam for your comment above and the link. Today, in a city a large distance away from my home town, I found the Linda McArtney vege mince. What a find! I am so excited! I’m looking forward to re-making this with renewed vigour! Fortunately we had cooler packs in the car and were able to transport the frozen product home.
Hey Jeannine, that’s awesome news ! And if you like it, go stock up with plenty ! You must try my latest potato lasagna with it, you will go nuts ! Cheers and I look forward to your feedback soon. Cheers ! 🙂
Made this – awesome! Lucky we have Linda’s products here in New Zealand! Thanks Miriam – cant wait to receive your cookbook in June!
Hi there Carla and thanks so much for dropping by here with your feedback. Linda McCartney’s products are wonderful especially the mince and sausages !!! (have you tried the sausages ? they are addictive and make an extra perfect Sunday morning brunch with my mushroom tofu scramble and baked beans !). So pleased you enjoyed the Lachmajou ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂
Miriam, please let us know when and where your cookbook makes its entrance! Cheers.
This recipe is awesome and easy. Crumbles can be substituted with lentils and walnuts or tofurkey sausage. We ate this mixture on organic blue corn tacos toasted then broken in half to make flat. Also stuffed in cabbage. Mmmmm.
Hi there Susan and thanks for your feedback – sounds great and glad you enjoyed it ! Best your way in the meantime and I look forward to your future comments on my blog.
Hi there Helen and welcome here. Thanks for your interest in my book. It should be out mid June. It is published by Random House Canada – “Appetite” being an imprint of Random and is already out for pre-ordering on my homepage (Amazon) – feel free to browse it there, it’s on the right hand side column on the front page. Best wishes your way ! 🙂
Made this again & my meat eating friends love it but then so do I. I serve it with not only houmous but with garlic mushrooms and roasted vegetables. Delicious!
That’s great news Cheryl and so glad you all enjoyed it so much – it’s always a great boost when our non-vegan friends and family enjoy great vegan food that we have prepared. Best wishes your way in the meantime. ! 🙂
Hi Miryam, this looks great, but as is often the problem here in Israel, the main ingredient The Linda Mc Cartney mince replacer is not available here. Do you have any ideas for alternatives? Looks like it might include lentils (?). Palestinians have a similar dish called Sfiha, so it`s probably widespread throughout the ME.
Ahanron Hi there – use puy lentils for it (pre-cook them 1st, drain them and then treat them as minced meat as per the recipe), they are the best. Enjoy and come back with your comments as and when. 🙂
Hey Miriam. How are you? I have a question. …. I want to cook exact dish but not use soy mince. Could I substitute with lentil and walnuts? Do you think it would work okay? Or is there something else I could do? The people I am cooking for won’t eat soya or quorn or tofu….. ;-)thank you Miriam! Xxxx
Vicki Hi. Use the Puy lentils if you can get hold of them, boil them 1st, drain and set aside. Then use crushed walnuts or pecans (I prefer pecans roughly chopped and roasted) the rest, just follow the recipe and treat these as your plant based ‘mince’. Let me know how it goes and enjoy !
wow, i had never heard of this dish before today when I read about it in a book. Then, a little while later I logged onto facebook and saw a post of this recipe!! what are the odds. Going to try making this tonight it looks easy and delicious thanks!
Kara Hi ! The odds are slim, but there you have it. I hope you really enjoy this and come by again with your feedback ! Cheers your way in the meantime. 🙂
I did enjoy it! So tasty and easy to make 🙂 Will be cooking some more again soon! Thanks for the recipe 😀
Thanks for getting back to me Kara and so glad you enjoyed it ! 🙂
Made this tonight, substituted the mince with a mixture of lentils, capsicum and mushrooms. Oh, and doubled the garlic. Yum! Pre-ordered your book.
Sounds absolutely great Annarosa, and many thanks for dropping by here with your feedback. Thank you for pre-ordering my book, how kind ! 🙂
I wish you were my wife.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as well as my others heros ! 🙂
This is so insanely delicious! I’ve made it 3 weeks in a row. I’ve been using Beyond Burgers as the meat and eating on flour tortillas.
That sounds awesome Mimi !