Spiced Samneh Malawach with Jammy Eggs and Fresh Zhug

Method

1. Make the samneh: put the butter and fenugreek seeds in a small 16 cm pan over low heat and cook for 10 min. When the foam has risen and settled, the milk solids on the bottom are light brown and it smells nutty, take it off the heat, stir in the turmeric and strain through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper so only clear fat remains. Stop at light brown; darker turns bitter. Let it cool until soft.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter (for the samneh) 70 gFenugreek seeds ½ tspGround turmeric 1 pinch

   low heat

2. Mix the flour, sugar and some of the salt in a bowl, add the water in stages to form a ball and knead for 8 min until smooth and soft. Shape one ball per person, rub with a little samneh, cover and rest for 30 minutes.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 200 gSugar 1 tspSalt ½ tspWater, room temperature 120 ml

3. Grease the worktop and your hands with samneh and pull each ball out in all directions until thin enough to read newsprint through. Brush generously with samneh, fold the long sides in by thirds into a strip and roll it up like a snail. Wrap and refrigerate for 8 h. Overnight, the gluten relaxes completely and the butter layers set firm, so the layers separate clearly when fried.

4. Take the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time. Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil over high heat, lower in the eggs, turn down to medium heat and cook for exactly 6 min 30 sec, then chill in iced water for 5 minutes and peel. The yolks will be soft and jammy.

   Add in this stepEggs, room temperature 2

   high heat→medium heat

5. Grate the tomatoes, discarding the skins, and season with the rest of the salt. Crush the seeds from the cardamom pods finely in a mortar, pound in the garlic and chillies to a paste, then add the chopped coriander, parsley and cumin and pound again; finish with the olive oil and lemon juice. A mortar gives a much brighter flavour than a blender.

   Add in this stepRipe tomatoes 1Salt ¼ tspCoriander (cilantro) 15 gFlat-leaf parsley 8 gGreen chillies 1Garlic cloves 1Ground cumin ¼ tspGreen cardamom pods 1Extra virgin olive oil 1½ tbspLemon ½

6. Press a cold coil between baking paper into a 20 to 22 cm disc. Heat a dry 24 cm cast-iron or non-stick pan over medium-low heat and cook one at a time, covered, for 5 min in total, turning once. Slow cooking over gentle heat crisps every layer right through. When done, clap it between your hands from both sides to open the layers.

   medium-low heat

7. Sprinkle each malawach lightly with flaky salt and serve straight away with the halved jammy eggs, grated tomato and zhug.

   Add in this stepFlaky sea salt to taste