Breads and flatbreads
ChefGeorgina Bitar
How to Make Lahm bi Ajeen (Meat Flatbreads)
Lahm bi Ajeen is a wonderfully popular dish everyone loves. There's a trick in this recipe to prevent the meat from shrinking during baking — discover it! Delicious served with yogurt.
Lahm bi Ajeen — one of the most delicious traditional recipes everyone loves
Ingredients
Start here, then move straight into the method.
- 500 g minced meat (finely ground)
- a bunch of parsley
- 500 g ripe tomatoes, grated
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp sweet pepper paste (dibs)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- a pinch of black pepper
- a pinch of paprika or sweet red pepper powder
- a pinch of mixed spices
- 1 tsp salt
- a little oil (for frying)
- Dough
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast with 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup oil
- warm water for kneading
Method
Follow the cooking sequence without leaving the page.
- Start by making the dough: mix the dry ingredients — flour and salt.
- Combine the yeast and sugar with the warm water and let sit a few minutes until frothy and activated.
- Add the oil and the dissolved yeast to the flour mixture and mix. Then gradually add warm water and knead very well until you get a soft, cohesive dough.
- Cover the dough and leave it in a warm place for at least 1 hour to rise.Timers: 60 min
- Place the minced meat in a frying pan over the heat with only a little vegetable oil and briefly cook until the color just changes — this step prevents the meat from shrinking during oven baking.
- When the dough has risen, roll it out with a rolling pin on a clean surface. You can control the thickness to your liking.
- Cut the rolled dough into rounds to the desired size.
- Prepare the filling by mixing the lightly cooked meat with the remaining ingredients: grated tomatoes, parsley, finely chopped onion and garlic. Add the seasonings and mix well.
- Place a little of the filling onto each dough round.
- Bake the lahm bi ajeen in a hot oven at 180–200°C (350–400°F) until the bottoms are nicely browned.
- Serve immediately while hot.
- For more of Georgina's successful recipes see Fried Kibbeh
Recipe tags
Breads and flatbreadsInternationalDairy freeNut freeEgg free
Notes and serving ideas
- Fried Kibbeh
