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Egyptian Dukkah and Chickpea Meatball Pitas

Name: Egyptian Dukkah and Chickpea Meatball Pitas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 (makes 42) people
Ingredients: 500g minced beef; Olive oil, for frying; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 1 cup cooked basmati rice; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 4 zucchinis, grated; 1/2 cup rosa tomatoes, halved; 4 Tbsp Egyptian dukkah; Zest of 1 lemon; Juice of 1 lemon; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 cup breadcrumbs; 15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped; 100g chevin (soft goats cheese); 1 egg, beaten; 6 pita breads; 1 red onion, sliced; 1/3 large cucumber, sliced into ribbons; Baby herb leaves, for garnish; Lemon wedges, for serving; Tzatziki:; 2 cups plain Greek yogurt; 1/4 large cucumber (+-10cm), grated; 1 garlic clove, crushed; Juice of 1/2 a lemon; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Olive oil, for drizzling; Egyptian Dukkah:; 1/4 cup hazelnuts

Recipe overview

Prep: 15 min
Cooking: 15 min
Ready in 30 min
Serves 6 (makes 42) people

Ingredients

500g minced beef
Olive oil, for frying
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup cooked basmati rice
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 zucchinis, grated
1/2 cup rosa tomatoes, halved
4 Tbsp Egyptian dukkah
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup breadcrumbs
15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
100g chevin (soft goats cheese)
1 egg, beaten
6 pita breads
1 red onion, sliced
1/3 large cucumber, sliced into ribbons
Baby herb leaves, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving

Tzatziki::
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/4 large cucumber (+-10cm), grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling

Egyptian Dukkah::
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Tips and tricks

Can’t find store bought Egyptian dukkah? Follow the recipe below to make your own.

Method

Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the onions, zucchinis and tomatoes until the vegetables have softened.
Add the garlic and dukkah and cook for an additional minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, lightly mash the chickpeas then add the minced beef with the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, coriander, goats cheese and egg and generously season with salt and pepper.
Using your hands, form the minced beef mixture into about 42 small meatballs.
Heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and working in batches, fry the meatballs for approximately 5 to 8 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
To make the tzatziki, combine the yogurt with the cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice if required.
Slice each pita bread lengthways into two and warm in a griddle pan for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flipping and repeating on the second side.
Spread the tzatziki over the grilled pita breads and top with dukkah meatballs, red onions slices and cucumber ribbons.
Garnish with baby herbs and serve with lemon wedges.
Egyptian Dukkah
Heat a small frying pan and dry roast the nuts and sesame seeds until golden.
Remove the nuts and sesame seeds from the pan and dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and paprika for a minute or two to release the flavours. Stir in the sugar and salt. Add the toasted nuts and spices to a food processor and pulse until you have a semi-fine texture.
This process can also be done by hand using a mortar and pestle.