Ingredients
375 g Antoniou Kataifi Pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
500g lamb mince
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp harissa spice mix
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup mint, finely chopped
Salt
Cracked pepper
200 g butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
To serve
500g labneh
1 large pomegranate
Pine nuts, toasted
Mint leaves
Recipe tips
Labneh
Labneh is a cheese made from salted strained yoghurt that pairs beautifully with this dish. You can either make your own or buy it ready made.
Method
Before you begin this Kataifi Pastry recipe, take the Kataifi out of the fridge (still in its packet) to bring it up to room temperature.
Harissa lamb mixture
Heat the olive oil in a medium sized frypan over high heat. Add lamb mince and stir until seared. Add onion and cook until onion is transparent. Add garlic and cook for a further minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the harissa spice mix, cumin, coriander and pine nuts. Cook for two minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir through the parsley and mint. Set aside.
Preparing the Kataifi
Remove the Kataifi Pastry from the packet and unfold it completely to reveal a long circular length. Using scissors, cut the kataifi into approximately 25-30cm lengths. Using your fingers, pull the strands apart, keeping their length intact where possible.
Assembling the rolls
Coat a baking tray with melted butter and set aside. To start making the koupes, create a long rectangle with the Kataifi, measuring approximately 25-30cm in length and 10cm in width, ensuring there is enough Kataifi to hold the lamb mixture. Gently brush the strands with some melted butter. Place 2 tablespoons of the lamb mixture along the front width of the rectangle. Roll the pastry tightly, tucking the sides in as you go. Place on the baking tray and brush with melted butter. Repeat until all the pastry and filling has been used.
Frying the rolls
Place vegetable oil in a large frypan, (approximately 2cm in height of oil) and heat over high heat. Place the Kataifi rolls in the frypan, 3-4 at a time and fry until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.
To serve, spread labneh onto a plate, place the rolls on top and garnish with pomegranate, pine nuts and mint.
Recipe, styling and photography by Sydney Food Sisters.
Learn how to make Harissa Lamb Kataifi Koupes