Middle Eastern lamb san choy bau

These lettuce cups put a Middle Eastern flavour slant on the idea of san choy bau.

Credit: My Market Kitchen

• makes

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Filing

• 250 g lamb mince
• ¼ red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley  
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 tbsp sultanas
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup cooked couscous

Yoghurt dressing

• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• ½ Lebanese cucumber, grated
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• rind and juice of a lemon
• pinch of sea salt

To serve

• 6 iceberg lettuce leaves
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• coriander leaves

Allow extra time if not using already-cooked couscous.

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except olive oil and couscous in a mixing bowl.
2. Pour half the olive oil into a hot pan on high heat. Add half the mince mixture and cook while constantly stirring for 7-10 minutes or until brown. Set cooked mixture aside. Repeat with other half of the mixture.
3. Mix the cooked lamb with couscous and set aside.
4. For the dressing, mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
5. To serve, place 1/6of the lamb mixture into an iceberg lettuce leaf. Top with a heaped tbsp of the yoghurt dressing. Scatter a few pine nuts over and top with coriander leaves.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.