lachma ba’ajeen
Lachma Ba’ajeen is delicious! Unfortunately, they are rarely known to people outside of the Middle East. The first time I had this Arabic-style meat pizza was in Istanbul, Turkey. Ever since I’ve been a fan and you will be too once you give this recipe a try.
Lachma ba’ajeen is considered to be breakfast food! Not to say they couldn’t be eaten past breakfast time. However, traditionally these meat pies are a very popular breakfast item along with many other delicious mini savory pies. This meat type of pizza is known by many different names in the Arabic world, but regardless of what it’s called, the ingredients are basically the same.
Once you taste these, you will understand why this simple meat-topped flatbread is so very popular throughout the Arabic world.
They are simple to make and absolutely tasty!
Lachma Ba’Ajeen
(20-25 mini pies)
Ingredients: (dough)
- Dry Yeast – 1 packet
- Sugar – 1/4 teaspoon
- Flour – 2-3/4 cups flour
- Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
- Vegetable Oil – 3 Tablespoons
lachma ba’ajeen dough
Procedure: (dough)
Dissolve the yeast and the sugar in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water
Cover and let stand in a warm place for 15-20 minutes or until the yeast begins to froth.
In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and oil.
Add the frothed yeast liquid and an additional 3/4 cup of lukewarm water to the flour mixture to obtain a soft, slightly sticky but pliable dough.
- Knead well into a smooth dough ball (pizza dough feel)
- Place in an oiled bowl. Rub the top of the dough lightly with oil, as well, and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place and let rise 30-40 minutes.
Ingredients: ( filling)
- Onion – 2 medium-sized (finely chopped)
- Olive oil – 3 Tablespoons
- Tomatoes – 2 large tomatoes, skinned, seeds removed and finely chopped.
- Minced meat – 1 lb (traditionally lamb) Can substitute a different type of ground meat if desired
- Pomegranate molasses – 1 tablespoon (can simply reduce some pomegranate juice to a syrup )
- Pine nuts – 1-1/2 cups
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Procedure: (filling)
- In a large frying pan, add the oil over medium heat. Then, add the finely chopped onions and saute over moderate heat until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and saute until all the tomato liquid has evaporated
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the ingredients to a large bowl
- Add the meat, pomegranate syrup, pine nuts, salt, and pepper
- Mix well and reserve in the refrigerator
To Assemble: (preheat oven to 425 f )
- Remove the dough ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface
- Break up the dough into pieces slightly bigger than a walnut
- Flatten each ball into a mini pizza shape
- Place a nice amount of the meat filling on the flattened dough and press it into the dough
- Place on a greased baking tray
- Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or, until the sides and bottom turn golden brown
- Once cooked, place one on top of the other to keep them warm and to prevent the filling from drying out