Lahm bi Ajeen (Meat Flatbreads) Recipe

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Meat topping:
• 500 g coarsely ground beef
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 sweet red pepper
• 1 onion
• Pinch of salt
• A pinch of mild spice (bahār ḥelwa) or black pepper, to taste
• Vegetable oil for brushing
• This delicious recipe comes from our friend and cook on Shou Tabkhin Alyawm:
• Aml Khudr
• Click Aml’s name to visit her profile on Shou Tabkhin Alyawm.
• To make Aml’s chicken kebab, see the link Chicken Turkish Kebab
• For more of Aml’s successful meat recipes, see Meat Kebab

Method

1. Mix the sugar and instant yeast with the warm water and only 2 cups of the flour... then let the mixture rest for just 10 minutes to activate.
2. After that time, add the salt, powdered milk, and 3 cups of the remaining flour, plus the vegetable oil...
3. Knead well until the dough comes together and becomes soft...
4. Lightly flour the base of a bowl, transfer the dough into it, and let it rest for half an hour to an hour depending on the weather and temperature, until it has risen well.
5. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the dough into a large circle...
6. Let it rest again for ten minutes before cutting so the pieces won't shrink after cutting...
7. Once the dough has rested, cut several small circles using a round metal cutter or any cup/glass, in the desired size — preferably medium to small.
8. Prepare the meat topping by mixing the minced meat with very finely chopped onion, chopped tomato, spices, and salt... mix well and drain excess liquid.
9. Place a generous amount of the mixture in the center of each circle...
10. Press the edges of the circle inward with your finger... see the photo for the edge shape.
11. Place the lahm bi ajeen pieces on a baking tray greased lightly with vegetable oil or lined with parchment paper...
12. Put the tray into a hot oven at 180°C (356°F) and bake from the bottom for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly colored...
13. Then brush the tops with a little oil and brown the lahm bi ajeen for just two minutes on top...
14. Serve the lahm bi ajeen immediately with a sprinkle of sumac, a squeeze of lemon, or a little pomegranate molasses alongside yogurt or ayran.
15. Amal Khudr
16. To make Amal's chicken kebab, here is the link: Turkish chicken kebab
17. For more successful meat recipes from Amal, here is 'Lamb Kebab'