Fattah
Fattah has deep roots in Egyptian culinary tradition, with some food histories tracing its origin back to the pharaonic era, though the current form, with layers of bread, rice, and beef, was consolidated over centuries of Ottoman and Arab influences. The name derives from the Arabic verb for 'to break' or 'to crumble', referring directly to how the bread is torn by hand into pieces before frying. Fattah remains one of the central dishes of Eid al-Adha, traditionally served with the freshly slaughtered meat of the sacrificial animal, a moment considered essential for many Egyptian families. There are also significant regional variants — some cities in the Nile Delta prefer a thicker tomato sauce, while in Alexandria shrimp or fish are often added alongside the beef.
Layers of fried bread
Flat Egyptian bread, torn into pieces and fried or baked until perfectly crisp, forms the base of every portion.
Cumin-scented rice
Rice cooks separately with a little cumin and sits atop the crispy bread, gradually absorbing the sauce above.
Long-simmered tender beef
Pieces of beef simmer for hours with onion and bay leaf, until extremely tender and easy to pull apart with a fork.
Garlic and vinegar sauce
A spicy tomato sauce with fried garlic and vinegar is poured generously over the top, tying all the layers together.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 600 g beef, cut into pieces
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 flat Egyptian breads
- 300 g rice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 8 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 500 g pureed tomatoes
How to make it
- 1The beef pieces go into a large pot with water, the quartered onion, and bay leaves, simmering covered over medium-low heat for about two hours, until the meat becomes very tender.
- 2The resulting broth is strained and kept separate for the sauce.
- 3The flatbreads are torn into small pieces and fried in oil or baked in the oven until evenly crisp and golden, then arranged at the bottom of a large platter.
- 4The rice is washed and cooked with the ground cumin and a little of the beef broth, until fluffy, then poured over the crispy bread.
- 5The chopped garlic fries quickly in hot oil, until golden, without burning.
- 6The pureed tomatoes are added over the fried garlic, cooking ten minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 7White vinegar is stirred into the sauce just before taking it off the heat, giving a fresh tangy note that balances the richness of the meat.
- 8The boiled beef pieces are placed over the rice, and the hot garlic-tomato sauce is poured generously over everything, served immediately while the layers are warm.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
