My version of Lahmacun ( turkish pizza)

 

What's Ramadhan without pizza? I have shared so many pizza recipes that I have lost count.  But this year I wanted to do something different. I have heard of this Turkish pizza and watched Rick Stein make it on his Venice to Istanbul series.  

Unlike the regular pizza, this one does not have any cheese. The original recipe uses raw meat but since we don't get good meat I decided to use corned beef. Yes, you heard me, that disgusting stuff in a can. But trust me when I say it tastes so good and with the addition of some greens, tomatoes and onions, this one was a winner with my family. 

The key thing to remember is to give a good mix and not get the mixture too wet. It should be spreadable. It is cooked on the frying pan, covered and then turned onto a plate. The next cooked lahmacun is placed upside down so the meat sides are touching. 

Stack them like so, the two meat sides facing each other

Now if your meat mixture is wet, when it is time to eat the two flatbreads will end up stuck. to each other.   Another way to keep it would be to arrange them in a large tray.  So remember to make the spread a spreadable consistency and not too liquid, and a thin layer and cook on low heat so it takes time to cook. 

Make these when it is close to serving time as it is delicious when served warm.

I love this with Arugula, pickled onion slices, and sliced tomatoes. If you don't have arugula, regular lettuce leaves, finely shredded is fine. For more info and how to make you can check out this recipe, which I used to refer to. 

Yield: makes about 10 (serves 4)

Author: Nammi

Lahmacun

Ingredients

Dough

• 2  cups flour + extra to dust
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1 cup warm water ( approximate)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt

Meat spread

• 1/2 can of corned beef, flaked
• 2 fat cloves garlic, grated
• 3-4 green chillies,
• 1/3 of a red bell pepper
• 2 tsp tomato paste 
• 1 small onion, or shallot, finely chopped
• a handful of coriander leaves or parsley
• 1 tsp paprika ( leave it out if you don't have )
• 1 tsp chilli powder (dried red chilli )
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• salt to taste

To serve

• shredded lettuce or arugula leaves
• 3-4 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• sliced onion
• pinch salt
• pinch sumac (if available)
• lime juice if you don't have sumac

Instructions

Dough

1. Dissolve sugar in warm or tepid water, you should be able to hold your finger in the water, sprinkle in the yeast and let it sit for a few minutes to froth.
2. Sift flour in a mixing bowl, and stir in salt.
3. Make a well in the centre and add the frothy yeast mixture and oil ( use vegetable oil or olive oil)
4. Knead well to a smooth dough, add a little extra flour if it looks too wet,  cover with a damp cloth and leave to prove for an hour.
5. Punch down the dough and divide it into 10 balls and roll it into thin circles. Then spread the filling on top. ( read below)

Filling

1. Place the onion, garlic, chillies, coriander leaves, and bell pepper into a food processor or chopper and pulse to a coarse mixture.
2. Place the corned beef into a bowl, and add the chopped-up mixture to the beef. Then the spices. Mix with your hands.
3. Taste and adjust the taste. I know it's Ramadhan so keeping the fact that corned beef can be salty, lets go with 1/2 tsp. Some of us have this talent of smelling and guessing the taste but I am more of a trial-by-error and hope-for-the-best kind of person

Making and cooking the Lahmacun

1. Now take the rolled dough, and spread the meat mixture, thinly on the dough.
2. Heat a frying pan or crepe pan (roshi fihaa eche) and place the dough carefully dough side down. Cook on lowest heat, covered for about 2-3 minutes. Check the bottom of the flatbread, should be coloured.
3. Remove to a plate. Repeat the same with the second dough but when placing it on the already cooked one, place it so that the meat side is facing down. The third one will be the meat side facing up again, hope you get what I am saying here.
4. Repeat the same until all the dough and meat is used up.

Serving

1. Make the onion mix but mix with a pinch of salt and sumac if you using or with a little lime juice if you don't have any sumac.
2. Serve with lettuce and tomato and the onion mixture.
3. To eat, place some lettuce, tomato slices and onion in the centre of the lahmacun, roll it up and enjoy.
4. These are best enjoyed warm, so cook them just an hour ahead of serving.

Did you make this recipe?

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