Pizzas used to be just an Italian affair, but as more chefs and home cooks have explored the exciting repertoires of multicultural flavors, the versatility of this dish has lent itself to new worlds of culinary exploration.
Wood fired pizza ovens are well known tools for Middle Eastern cuisine, so why not diversify your mealtimes with the addition of some delicious flavors?
Middle Eastern foods are full of spice and rich flavor, satisfying the whole family with moreish and nutrition-packed meals that are perfect for sharing.
If you’re an adventurous cook, you can create the perfect meal using flavors and ingredients such as:
- Coriander
- Anise
- Cumin
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Garlic
- Caraway seeds
- Harissa
- Lamb
- Chickpeas and
- Yoghurt
For those looking for some tasty recipes, look no further than these two sumptuous examples of Middle Eastern cuisine!
Middle Eastern Lamb Pizzas
Serves: four
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 300g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup Greek style yoghurt, plus more to garnish
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 600g minced lamb
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 400g can of chickpeas, drained
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Methods:
- Heat your pizza oven as prescribed
- Make the pizza dough by mixing flour and ½ teaspoon salt into a bowl. Then make a well in the centre and pour ½ cup of hot water, the yoghurt and two tablespoons of oil. Mix until dough comes together
- Lightly flour a flat surface and turn the dough out, kneading the dough until smooth. Roll dough into ball and wrap in cling film before setting aside
- Grab a frying pan and heat ¼ cup of oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and remaining salt, cooking until soft.
- Add lamb, breaking up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon until lightly brown. Then add spices, tomato paste and ¼ cup of water, cooking and stirring for two minutes
- Divide dough into four, and roll each portion out on a floured surface, shaping dough into rectangles roughly 12x30cm.
- Top each of the pizza bases with a quarter of the cooked mince mixture and sprinkle with a quarter of the drained chickpeas
- Slide pizzas into the oven, rotating the pizzas once, and bake until bases are crisp and brown
- Remove pizzas and top with extra yoghurt and coriander leaves, serve
Lite Middle Eastern Lamb Pizzas
Serves: two
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large Lebanese bread
- Olive oil spray
- 200g of lean lamb mince
- 1 medium red onion (half chopped finely, the other half sliced)
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 tomato, sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of chopped coriander
- 1 teaspoon of chilli paste
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Flat leaf parsley to garnish
- ½ cup of Greek feta, cubed
- 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
Methods:
- Heat your pizza oven as prescribed
- Spray your frying pan with oil and place on medium heat
- Cook the finely chopped red onion until golden, and then add mince and garlic, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon until brown. Add the cumin, chilli paste, and coriander and once heated through add the lemon juice and keep cooking until the meat juices evaporate
- Spread the tomato paste on the Lebanese bread and top with mince
- Dress with the remaining sliced onion, tomato and sprinkle with pine nuts and crumbled feta
- Bake until dough is crispy and brown, then garnish with parsley and serve
