Fattah (Rice, Bread, and Beef in Garlic-Vinegar Sauce)

Name: Fattah (Rice, Bread, and Beef in Garlic-Vinegar Sauce)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Egypt
Ingredients: 2 lbs beef shank, cut into chunks; 2 cups white rice; 2 pita breads, torn and toasted or fried until crisp; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tbsp white vinegar; 2 tbsp ghee; 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp cumin; 4 cups beef broth

8 servings25 min prep90 min cookMedium Egypt

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Fattah (Rice, Bread, and Beef in Garlic-Vinegar Sauce)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Fattah, a layered dish of crisped bread, rice, and beef in a garlicky vinegar-tomato sauce, has deep roots in Egyptian cooking and is traditionally served for major celebrations, including Eid al-Adha, when it's made with meat from the ritual sacrifice. Its bread base reflects an old tradition of using stale bread as a foundation for rich dishes.

Ingredients

Scale:· 8 servings

2 lbs beef shank, cut into chunks
2 cups white rice
2 pita breads, torn and toasted or fried until crisp
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp ghee
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
4 cups beef broth

Instructions

1Simmer beef shank in water with salt until very tender, about 1 hour; reserve the broth.
2Cook rice using some of the reserved beef broth for extra flavor.
3Simmer crushed tomatoes with half the garlic and cumin to make a tomato sauce.
4Melt ghee in a small pan, fry remaining garlic until golden, then stir in vinegar to make the dakka sauce.
5Layer toasted pita in the bottom of a serving dish, top with rice, then beef.
6Pour the garlic-vinegar dakka sauce and tomato sauce over the top just before serving.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…