Lahmajeen Meat Slab Pie Easy Recipe

During Ramadan, this recipe is a big hit. A simple dough that is light and crispy, topped with minced meat seasoned with herbs and vegetables. You can serve it as an appetiser or as a main course by adding some greens.

Soon it will be Ramadan, and I have a lot of fun and easy recipes to share with you. The first is this Lahmajeen Meat Slab Pie, which was made possible by Diamond Baking Paper. Before I go on, I need to explain what it is, no matter if you call it Lahmajeen, meat pie, Lahmadjo, or Manoush. The main ingredients and flavours of this recipe are the same for lahmajun, pide, lahmacun, sfeeha, and other names. What do you call it? Tell me in the comments.

You can make this recipe ahead of time and it's very easy. It is great for getting together with friends and family and makes a tasty meal. You don't need much to make it, and the dough can be mixed ahead of time (the night before is best), and the mince can be mixed ahead of time and frozen. You can use either beef or lamb mince for this recipe; I like to make a big batch so I can freeze it and make a few extra cutlets as well. You could also make small pies instead of the big one I made. 

What is Lahmajeen meat pie?

This meat pie is traditionally found all over the Middle East. If you've been to a Middle Eastern restaurant or café, you know what it is. It is known as Lahmajeen or sfeeha in Lebanon and other Levantine countries. In Turkey, it is called lahmacun, and in Armenia, it is called laundry. Lahmajeen, also written as Lahm bi ajeen, means "meat in dough" in English. It is just bread and meat, but it has spices and some chopped vegetables inside. It's served like a pizza, but the dough is much smaller, and it doesn't usually have cheese on it. These days, you can have it folded or served with different toppings.

What is a pie slab?

If you want to make a slab pie, you shape the pie to fit a square baking tray. Most of the time, this is a sheet pan, halt sheet pan, or quarter sheet pan size. This comes in a tray and can be cut into pieces before it is served. This is an easy way to feed and serve a lot of people at a party.

What ingredients do you need to make this Lahmajeen Meat Slab Pie?

Dough 

We need bread flour, sugar, yeast, salt, nigella seeds, yoghurt, olive oil, and water to make the dough. The dough recipe is pretty simple, but the yoghurt makes it so soft and fluffy when it's baked, so don't leave it out.

Mince meat 

Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, fresh parsley, jalapeños, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, paprika, cumin powder, cayenne pepper powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder, salt. The beef mince is 80% meat and 20% fat. Extra virgin olive oil, feta cheese, thinly sliced onions, and cracked black pepper are some of my favourite things to put on this. 

What equipment do you need to make this Lahmajeen Meat Slab Pie?

We'll need your hands and a mixing bowl to create the dough. Go ahead and use a bread machine or stand mixer if that's what you like. I like to make git by hand since it requires little work to put together. Although a food processor works well for mixing meat mixtures, you may also chop everything very finely by hand using a knife and chopping board. Although this recipe makes two slab pies, you may bake it in a half sheet pan as well; but, my oven isn't large enough to accommodate a half sheet pan tray. I have made the pie on a quarter sheet pan. To guarantee that the bread releases readily from the tray after baking and does not adhere to it, line the tray with baking paper.

How to make this Lahmajeen Meat Slab Pie?

Work the dough into a ball and set aside to rest for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, prepare the filling mixture by putting all the veggies in a food processor and processing until they are coarsely chopped. Blend once more after adding the meat and the additional ingredients. The dough should be pounded down and divided into two halves. One piece of dough should be placed on a baking pan lined with baking paper, spread out, and then the meat should be carefully added on top of the dough. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, or until well done.

Serving and storing this Lahmajeen Meat Slab Pie?

When the pie is done, serve it hot with feta, pomegranate molasses, additional parsley and sliced onions. I like using a pair of scissors to cut it. While it may be served simply, adding a few more toppings not only makes the pie appear lovely and inviting, but it also enhances its flavour. The leftovers may be kept in the refrigerator for three days or in the freezer for two weeks, wrapped in baking paper, a zip-lock bag, or an airtight container. Cut into pieces and reheat in the microwave when ready to eat.