SAMI TAMIMI is a co-founder of Ottolenghi and co-author of Falastin, Jerusalem and Ottolenghi: The cookbook.

He is a champion of Palestinian food and culture and his new solo book, Boustany, which translates from Arabic as ‘My Garden’, features over 100 delicious vegetarian recipes celebrating the food of his homeland.

Celebrating the food of Palestine, this is Persiana (225k TCM) meets Plenty (301k TCM) from Ottolenghi co-founder and author of the award-winning Jerusalem (234k TCM).

Vegetarian recipes celebrating the food of Palestine, from the co-author of Falastin, Jerusalem and Ottolenghi- The Cookbook.

A homage to Palestinian food and culture, Boustany, is the first solo cookbook from Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi co-founder and champion of Palestinian food and culture.

Boustany translates from Arabic as ‘My Garden’, and the down-to-earth, relaxed and plentiful recipes are reflective of Sami’s signature style and approach to food. Bold, inspiring and ever-evolving, Boustany picks up where Falastin left off, with flavour-packed, colourful and simple vegetable- and grain-led dishes; this is how Sami grew up eating – platters of aubergine and chickpeas with a spicy green lemon sauce and fragrant lentil fatteh that always tasted better the next day. These are the dishes he has known, loved, cooked and shared with friends.

With over 100 recipes, Sami offers recipes for breakfast, sharing plates, big celebrations, simple breads, moreish sweet treats, easy dinners and more. It’s an approach that’s strongly present in Palestinian cuisine, from building your mooneh, or pantry, by preserving seasonal vegetables and herbs to lining the dinner table with a variety of salads and condiments reflective of a love for fresh and vibrant food.

Aubergine & fava beans with eggs

Bitinjan w Ful ma’ Beyd

I always keep a couple of tins of ful (fava beans) in my pantry for those times when I crave a quick and satisfying late breakfast or lunch at weekends. When simple butter and toast won’t do the trick and I’m in need of something more substantial and savoury, this is when fava beans come to the rescue.

You can substitute the eggs with feta cheese for an extra creamy and salty touch. Alternatively, the recipe works beautifully as a vegan dish without the eggs.

If fava beans aren’t available, you can easily substitute them with other tinned beans. Make sure to season the beans generously and serve them with fresh crusty bread or flatbread.

This is a truly filling and satisfying meal that never fails to impress.

2 medium aubergines (around 630g)

80ml olive oil, plus extra to serve salt and black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped (175g)

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 small piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (20g)

1 green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all (20g)

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

1/₂ tsp ground cinnamon

11/₂ tsp tomato paste

2 plum tomatoes, chopped into 2cm chunks (300g)

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 x 400g tin of fava beans, drained

300ml water

15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus more to serve

4 large eggs

30g sumac onions

Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.

Cut the aubergines into 4cm chunks and place in a large bowl. Mix well with 40ml of the oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until completely softened and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the aubergine is roasting, make the sauce. Put the remaining oil into a large sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 7 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger, green chilli, chilli flakes, spices and tomato paste and cook for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, fava beans, water, 1¼ teaspoons of salt and a good grind of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Add the aubergine chunks and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the coriander, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well. Use a fork to gently swirl the egg whites a little bit, taking care not to break the yolks. Simmer gently for 7-8 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. You can cover the pan with a lid for the last few minutes (to speed up the process).

Leave to settle and cool for a couple of minutes, then garnish with the sumac onions, coriander, a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt on the eggs.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sami Tamimi was born and raised in Jerusalem and was immersed in food from childhood. He started his career as commis-chef in a Jerusalem hotel and worked his way up to become head chef of Lilith, one of the top restaurants in Tel Aviv in the 1990’s.

Sami moved to London in 1997 and worked at Baker & Spice as head chef, where he set up a traiteur section with a rich Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean spread. In 2002 he partnered with Noam Bar and Yotam Ottolenghi to set up Ottolenghi in Notting Hill. At Ottolenghi, Sami and Yotam created a concept that has proven a huge success from day one, serving trademark savoury food and pastries, providing catering and running two busy restaurants in central London. Over the years, Sami was in charge of food creativity and nurturing younger chefs around the company.

Alongside Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi is co-author of two bestselling cookbooks- Ottolenghi- The Cookbook and Jerusalem – A Cookbook. Sami’s third cookbook Falastin is co-authored with Tara Wigley and was the winner of the Fortnum & Mason Cookery Book of the Year 2021.