Crumbed lamb cutlets with pasta, green chilli, and chickpea salad

Name: Crumbed lamb cutlets with pasta, green chilli, and chickpea salad
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 egg, lightly beaten; ¼ cup hummus; ⅓ cup lemon juice; 12 lamb cutlets; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 400g small pasta shapes; 2 cups baby rocket leaves, chopped; 2 spring onions, sliced; 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1 tsp seeded mustard; 1 long green chilli, finely chopped; 1½ cups dried breadcrumbs; ½ cup dukkah*, plus extra to serve

Two surprise ingredients make golden-crumbed lamb cutlets even better.

Jessica Brook

January 30, 2025

Dial up the flavour in these simple lamb cutlets by adding dukkah spices to the breadcrumbs.James Moffatt

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

Crumbed lamb cutlets are delicious. But dipping them into a mixture of hummus and egg and crumbing them with dukkah and breadcrumbs takes them to the next level. And that’s before you’ve even added a punchy pasta salad.

Ingredients

1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup hummus
⅓ cup lemon juice
12 lamb cutlets
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
400g small pasta shapes
2 cups baby rocket leaves, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp seeded mustard
1 long green chilli, finely chopped
1½ cups dried breadcrumbs
½ cup dukkah*, plus extra to serve

Method

Step 1
Mix the egg, 2 tablespoons of the hummus and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a wide, shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lamb cutlets and toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes, or until al dente, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta, rinse in cold water and place in a large bowl.
Step 3
Add the rocket, spring onions and chickpeas to the pasta, and toss to combine. Whisk the remaining hummus, lemon juice and olive oil with the mustard and chilli in a small bowl. Pour over the pasta salad and toss to coat.
Step 4
Combine the breadcrumbs and dukkah on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Press the lamb into the crumbs.
Step 5
Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. In two batches, add the lamb to the pan and cook for 6 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning halfway through.
Step 6
Divide the salad among 4 plates, and add 2 or 3 cutlets on each. Serve, dusted with a little extra dukkah.

Note

Dukkah is a crunchy mixture of ground spices, seeds and nuts that can be folded through yoghurt as a dip, whisked into a salad dressing or sprinkled over barbecued lamb, chicken or fish. It is available in supermarkets and specialty grocers, or you can make your own.