Grandma's Lahamajean

Tags: Middle Eastern - Jewish - family - dinner - appetizer - beef
Active Time: 1.5 hours
Passive Time: 3 hours
Serves: 20

Savory spiced meat on dough - great as an appetizer or dinner

• Flour: 3 cups
• Oil: 1/3 cup
• Salt: 3/4 tsp + more for meat
  
  
• Water: 1 cup, warm
  
  
• Ground beef: 2 lbs
• Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
• Tamarind sauce: 1/2 cup
• Onion: 1 medium, very finely diced
• Allspice: to taste

• All spice measurements (salt, allspice, tamarind, tomato paste) are not exact. I usually sprinkle allspice to cover the meat as a starting point. You'll probably need to add more tamarind and allspice during the tasting phase. One of these days, when I make them, I'll actually measure out what I do
• You'll likely have leftover meat - do with it as you please
• If it's 85% meat, add about 2 tbsp oil to meat, maybe even more. If 90% meat then add 3 tbsp oil at least.

1. Make the dough: combine flour, oil, 3/4 t salt in a mixer. Slowly add warm water. Dough will be sticky.
2. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients (either food process or finely dice onion) in a bowl. Microwave a small piece to taste it and adjust seasonings as necessary (see notes)
4. Put parchment paper on cookie sheet. Put small pieces of dough on cookie sheet. Flatten into circle. Top with meat, pushing down firmly to ensure it stays on after cooking. Mush the meat well onto the top of the dough circle!
5. It works well with 2 people, one to make dough circles and the other to put meat on them
6. Freeze for at least 2 hours on cookie sheets until hard/keeping their shape, then put into ziplock bags and store in freezer
7. To bake: preheat oven to 350F and cook for 25-30 minutes, until brown