Meat fataya
🥟 Golden, tender pastries filled with spiced beef, onion and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 🌾 500 g wheat flour
- 💧 250 ml warm water, adjusted gradually
- 🧫 7 g dry baker’s yeast
- 🥚 1 medium egg
- 🫗 50 ml neutral oil for the dough, plus about 1 litre for frying
- 🧂 8 g fine salt and 1 teaspoon sugar
- 🥩 350 g ground beef
- 🧅 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 🧄 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 🍅 1 ripe tomato, about 150 g, seeded and diced
- 🌿 10 g chopped fresh parsley
- 🌶️ 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and black pepper
- 🌶️ Fresh or powdered chili, optional and served on the side
- 🧂 4 g salt for the filling, reduce if the beef is already seasoned
Preparation
🧫 Mix the yeast and sugar with 100 ml warm water; wait 5–10 minutes for a light foam to form. If nothing appears, check the yeast date and start again before adding flour.
🌾 Put the flour and 8 g salt in a large bowl. Make a well and add the egg, oil and yeast mixture. Gradually pour in the remaining water while mixing; stop as soon as the dough comes together and feels soft, not liquid.
🫳 Knead for 8–10 minutes on a lightly oiled surface. The dough should become smooth and elastic. Cover and leave it to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place; it may puff up without necessarily doubling.
🧅 During the rest, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, add the garlic and then the beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until all the meat is browned and no raw part remains.
🍅 Stir in the tomato, paprika, cumin, pepper and 4 g salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the liquid has evaporated; add parsley off the heat. Spread the filling on a plate and let it cool completely before filling the dough.
🔪 Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. On a lightly oiled surface, roll each ball into a thin disc about 14 cm wide. Put a portion of cold filling in the center, leaving a clear border; do not fill to the edge.
🥟 Lightly moisten the border, fold the disc into a half-moon and press out the air around the filling. Press the edges with your fingertips, then pinch or crimp with a fork. Place the pastries on a tray without stacking them.
🔥 Heat the frying oil in a stable pot. Without a thermometer, drop in a small piece of dough: it should rise with a gentle sizzle, not brown immediately. Fry the fatayas in small batches for about 3–4 minutes per side until evenly golden.
🧺 Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack or absorbent paper. Check that one opened pastry is hot in the center and that the filling has no raw parts. Let the others cool for a few minutes before serving to avoid burns.