Recipe from Fatimas by Kirsty Senior and Sophie Gilmour
Fatimas, Auckland’s go-to spot for Middle Eastern-inspired street food, is sharing its kitchen ethos in a new book.
To celebrate the launch of Fatimas the cookbook, we were lucky to be able to share a couple of veggie-driven recipes in Sage Vol. 1, and now online.
These recipes are perfect to make with produce pulled straight from your garden. Make the full recipe, or pick and choose between the delicious condiments, which have a multitude of uses.
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Carrots, lentils & labneh
“We love the concentrated flavour of baby carrots and how it is further boosted by the Moroccan Carrot dip that they sit on here – a great example of letting vegetables shine. We love the texture that puy lentils doused in spiced vinaigrette bring, and the rich, creamy labneh gives it an indulgent touch. This dish is substantial enough to stand alone as a meal with a salad and works equally well as a beautiful side dish alongside a slow cooked lamb shoulder.”
Serves: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the carrots
550g baby carrots (this is about 2 bunches from the supermarket)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp coriander seeds
250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
1 tsp runny honey
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the lentils
1 can (400g) lentils, rinsed thoroughly and left to drain
¼ cup (4 tbsp) Best Ever Warm Spiced Vinaigrette (see below)
To serve
375ml (1½ cups) Moroccan Carrot (see below)
½ cup Labneh (see below)
small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
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Method
Prepare the carrots by trimming the tops and if they are dirty give them a scrub. There is no need to peel them. If the carrots are particularly fresh, leave a centimetre or so of the green top. Slice the carrots in half horizontally if they are on the fatter side.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Fry the carrots for 5 minutes tossing them a few times. Add the coriander seeds and season. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the carrots have some colour. Add the boiling water. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, until the carrots are just tender when pierced with a knife, but not completely soft. Move the carrots around the pan a couple of times so they cook evenly. The water should all be evaporated. Turn the heat up for a couple of minutes if there is still water at the bottom of the pan. Add the honey and cook for a further minute. Remove the carrots and place them on a plate while you warm the lentils.
In the same pan cook the lentils for 2 minutes over a medium heat, until warmed through. Mix in the dressing and set aside.
Spread the Moroccan Carrot onto a large flat serving dish. Spoon the lentils on top.
Layer the lentils and carrots. Save any of the honeyed juices in the pan. Add 6 dollops of the labneh around the carrots. Pour over the honeyed juices and sprinkle with coriander.
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Labneh
“Labneh is fun to make and impresses your guests. The longer you leave it, the creamier the end result.”
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Makes about 450g (2 cups)
Prep time: 10 minutes + straining
Ingredients
900g thick, unsweetened, natural yoghurt
½ lemon, juiced
1 tsp sea salt
Toppings
Olive oil and fresh herbs
Za’atar and pomegranate molasses
Marinated olives
Drizzle with honey and toasted nuts
Very slow roasted tomatoes, chilli flakes and herbs
Method
Mix the yoghurt, lemon and salt in a bowl.
Lay 2-3 layers of cheesecloth on the bench.
Pour the yoghurt into the middle. Bring the edges of the cheesecloth together and tie with an elastic band. Slide a wooden spoon under the elastic band and place the spoon across the top of a bowl so that the labneh hangs in the centre but does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Leave in the fridge overnight or for up to 24 hours if you have time.
Untie the cheesecloth and tip the labneh into an airtight container. Keeps in the fridge for a week.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Spread the labneh onto a serving plate. Top with desired toppings. Serve with warm bread.
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Best ever warm spiced vinaigrette
“This is a staple dressing we have in our rotation, and we find ourselves making it all the time in the autumn and winter months. It cleverly elevates the flavour of pulses, root vegetables and grains by giving them a sophisticated warmth. It is inspired by a recipe we loved from ‘My New Roots’ by Sarah Britten.”
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Makes about 300ml (1 ½ cups)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
160ml (⅔ cup) olive oil
80ml (⅓ cup) cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
½ tsp finely grated orange zest
½ orange, juiced, water added to make 50ml
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place all ingredients in a jug and blend with a stick blender until emulsified.
Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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Moroccan carrot
“This recipe was adapted from the ‘Boiled Carrot Salad’ recipe in Claudia-Roden’s ‘New Book of Middle Eastern Food’. It is a dip that punches above its weight in flavour and is the perfect accompaniment to carrots to give you another dimension of flavour.”
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Makes about 350ml (1 ½ cups)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 large (400g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm rounds
½ tsp paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
Boil the carrots in salted water for about 30 minutes until completely soft. The softer the carrots, the smoother the dip will be. Drain well.
Blend the carrots while they are still warm with all the other ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. Depending on your blender this may take a few minutes. Be patient! Check seasoning.
Fatimas by Kirsty Senior and Sophie Gilmour
Photography by Vanessa Wu, published by Beatnik, RRP $59.99, release date October 2025
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