I recently went to Groundswell festival, an inspiring regenerative farming conference where I met a host of farmers and bakers who are experimenting with different varieties of wheat. I am increasingly fascinated by different wheats and have been researching this fibre’s pivotal role in improving gut health. You could, too! Try wholemeal and ancient grains in these easy flatbreads and use them to scoop up the deliciously fatty, spiced lamb.
Spiced lamb with cucumber yoghurt and nigella seed flatbreads
I have kept the spicing simple here, but you could also include allspice, peppercorns and coriander seeds in your spice mix.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
400g lamb mince
Salt and black pepper
1 onion, peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp aleppo chilli flakes
3 garlic cloves, peeled, 2 finely chopped, 1 crushed
4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
150g radishes, quartered
Tahini, to serve (optional)
For the flatbreads
250g flour (I use spelt), plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp nigella seeds
190g yoghurt
For the cucumber yoghurt
200g yoghurt
½ cucumber, cut into small cubes
1 small handful mint leaves
First make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients, then add the yoghurt. Pull together into a ball, tip on to a floured surface and knead for two minutes. Now rest in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp tea towel.
Season the lamb mince with salt and black pepper. Finely chop the onion and warm a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add half the oil followed by the mince, onions and spices, and saute for six to eight minutes. Add the two finely chopped garlic cloves, cook for a further two to three minutes, then add the pomegranate molasses and 200ml water, and cook for 10 minutes, until the lamb looks sticky and glossy. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Mix the yoghurt with the remaining olive oil, the crushed garlic clove and the cucumber, then season, chop half the mint and stir it in.
To cook the flatbreads, warm a large pan over a high heat. Divide the dough into six balls and roll each out on a floured surface to 15-20cm – the thinner, the better. Once the pan is smoking hot, cook each flatbread for a few minutes on each side until puffed up and blistered.
Serve immediately with the spiced lamb, a generous spoonful of cucumber yoghurt, the radishes and remaining whole mint leaves; a drizzle of tahini is also delicious.
The simple flex
For a vegan version, saute plant-based mince instead of the lamb and dress with tahini thinned down with water, lemon juice, garlic and seasoning, handfuls of herbs and lemon wedges, and a cucumber salad instead of the yoghurt.
• This article was amended on 16 August 2022 to remove a suggestion to use “Quorn mince” for a vegan version. That product is not vegan so use plant-based mince instead.
