Middle Eastern recipes with sumac, tahini and spices

This Lebanese potato and bulgur bake has a spiced onion filling nestled between two soft layers. Baking turns the top golden brown and firms up the edges enough to cut the kibbet into wedges.

Small, open dough rounds from Baalbek get a generous topping of juicy tomato, parsley and spiced ground lamb. Bake them on a hot baking sheet: this helps the bases brown quickly while the meat cooks in a thin layer.

Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber and parsley get a lively kick from lemon and sumac. Toasted flatbread soaks up some of the tomato juices just before serving, while still keeping a little crunch.

This zucchini-rich ijjeh is a tender, golden-brown herb omelet packed with parsley and spring onion. Serve it warm or at room temperature with tangy yogurt and flatbread for lunch.

Crispy-fried oyster mushrooms and cremini mushrooms get warm, cumin-forward shawarma spices, creamy tahini and bright pickled onion. A hearty lunch with soft, crunchy and tangy elements in every bite.

Golden potato cubes get their distinctive spicy, fresh flavor from garlic, chili, coriander, and lemon. Serve them warm for sharing, with a cool yogurt dip on the side.

Thinly sliced tempeh with cumin, coriander and lemon cooks up golden brown, with firm, crisp edges. Tucked into warm flatbread, it pairs with creamy tahini sauce, tangy red cabbage and fresh parsley.

This ijjeh is a broad, golden-brown omelet with parsley, mint and spring onion. Serve it with tangy lemon yogurt, crisp radishes and flatbread for a simple, complete meal.

This Levantine pumpkin kibbeh has a soft outer layer made with pumpkin and fine bulgur, wrapped around a savory filling of Swiss chard, onion and chickpeas. Baking gives the outside golden-brown edges, while lemon yogurt adds freshness.

The fennel is first browned until golden, then gently braised in stock. A fresh sauce made with tahini, lemon, garlic and cumin, along with pomegranate and toasted sunflower seeds, turns it into a colorful vegetable side dish.

A hot oven gives courgette golden-brown edges and a tender centre. Creamy lemon-tahini sauce, fresh herbs, pomegranate and crunchy pumpkin seeds turn it into a colourful sharing platter.

Mujaddara builds flavor from a short list of ingredients: tender lentils and rice, warm cumin, and a generous layer of deep golden-brown onions. Take your time with the onions; their sweet, savory flavor gives the whole dish its character.

Juicy green beans with the odd charred edge, fresh garlic yogurt, sumac onion and crunchy walnuts. This colorful side dish brings together creamy, tangy and nutty flavors.

In fesenjan, chicken simmers in a dark, slowly reduced sauce of walnuts and pomegranate molasses. The flavor is nutty, fruity and sweet-and-sour all at once. Served with steamed basmati rice, it’s a distinctive stew that mainly asks for time and the occasional stir.

Sweet roasted beetroot gets a fresh lift from creamy labneh, lemon and sumac. Mint and crunchy pumpkin seeds make this a colourful side dish that also works well as a light lunch.

This Lebanese casserole is made with spiced bulgur shells layered around a filling of sautéed lamb mince, onion and pine nuts. The top bakes until golden brown; yoghurt with lemon and mint provides a fresh contrast.

Okra develops dark, roasted spots in a hot oven while staying firm inside. Creamy lemon yogurt sauce, tangy red onion with sumac, and crispy flatbread make this a colorful sharing platter.

Eggs gently cook in a spiced tomato sauce, making shakshuka a relaxed meal for an evening or a late weekend brunch. Serve it with flatbread and scoop the sauce straight from the pan.