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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Cos, zhoug ranch & spiced nuts
“This is our version of a wedge salad with Zhoug Ranch Dressing which is a play on a Green Goddess. We think it’s seriously addictive. Fatima’s Spiced Nuts take this to the next level, but if you don’t have these try toasted and finely chopped hazelnuts or pistachios. Remember when you plate this that most of the flavour comes from the delicious dressing so it’s crucial to pour it between the layers of cos (thin it out with a little water if required) and be super generous with the chives.”
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 baby cos, destalked and cut in half lengthways (keep the lettuce in the fridge until you are ready to serve)
¼ recipe of Zhoug Ranch (see recipe below)
small bunch chives, finely chopped
4 tbsp Fatima’s Spiced Nuts (see recipe below), chopped
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Method
Lay the cos wedges on a platter. Spoon over the dressing. Sprinkle over the chives and chopped nuts. Check seasoning.
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Zhoug ranch
“We think we may have invented this sauce combination, and we are thrilled about it. Mixing Zhoug with a great ranch dressing (ours is inspired by the legendary Al Brown’s recipe), makes a magical sauce for dipping fried chicken wings or falafel in, spreading on a sandwich or drizzling over a cos wedge. Seriously addictive.“
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Makes about 450ml (2 cups)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
230g (1 cup) mayonnaise
125g (½ cup) sour cream
small bunch chives, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp Zhoug (see recipe below)
Method
Place all ingredients in a small food processor and pulse to combine. Alternatively, use a tall jug and stick blender. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Zhoug
“Every region needs a herby green sauce, and zhoug is the ‘chimichurri’ of the Middle East. With a base of green chillies, coriander and cumin, there are loads of versions of this Yemeni staple. We love how it gives a distinctly green heat to dishes that makes them exciting and also balanced. We eat zhoug a lot on grilled vegetables, meat, deep fried morsels or in sandwiches.”
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Makes about 220g
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
60g coriander
30g flat leaf parsley
2 (20g) green chillies, trimmed but seeds left in
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cardamom
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
pinch white sugar
½ tsp sea salt
70ml olive oil
60ml water
Method
Place all ingredients in a tall jug or a small food processor. Blend until smooth. Check seasoning.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Fatima’s spiced nuts
Makes about 800g (8 cups)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour + cooling time
Ingredients
500g whole nuts (we use 250g almonds, 120g whole cashews, 80g whole pecans and 50g macadamias)
140g (1 cup) sunflower seeds
140g (1 cup) pumpkin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp chilli powder
1½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
50ml (¼ cup) water
50g (¼ cup) caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Place all the nuts and seeds in a large bowl and mix. Spread out on a large baking tray so theynare mostly in a single layer. Roast for 45 minutes until perfectly golden. Stir a few times to ensure they are evenly toasted.
Meanwhile, mix together the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the water and sugar in a small pot over a low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and add the golden syrup. Add the spices and continue to stir. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. The sugar will caramelize and form a paste. Watch carefully as the golden syrup can easily catch on the bottom of the pot.
Tip the nuts back into the large bowl. Pour over the syrup and using a large spoon, mix to coat all the nuts with the spice paste evenly. Place back on to the oven trays to cool and harden.
Once cool, break the nuts into pieces so they are not stuck in large chunks. Sprinkle with a little extra sea salt.
Store in clean, airtight jars for up to 8 weeks.
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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