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Sfiha - Meat Pies

Fatima Sadal - Chef on Rhine
Meat, onion, tomatoes, spices - all covered in a home-made pastry dough. Perfect appetizer for all occasions!
Print Recipe
Servings 22 pockets

Ingredients
  

Dough:

  • 500 g all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp dry active yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 40 ml vegetable oil
  • 250 ml warm water

Filling:

  • 500 g minced beef / lamb or a mix of both
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp sumac optional
  • 1 Tbsp lebanese baharat recipe in notes
  • pine nuts, pomegranate arils, fresh mint leaves to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the dry ingredients for the dough in a bowl.
  • Add the wet ingredients and knead a pizza-like dough.
  • Set aside in a warm place for at least 30 min.
  • Place chopped tomatoes and onion in a sieve to drain the excess juice.
  • Combine together the minced meat, tomatoes, onions, parsley and spices in a bowl.
  • Preheat the oven to 230 C.
  • Dust the kitchen counter with some flour. Divide the dough into small (table-tennis ball sized) portions, make balls and and roll out into thin disks.
  • Place some filling in each circle and form small squares by pinching the opposite sides inwards.
  • Bake for 25 min in preheated oven.
  • Insert fresh mint in each pocket and garnish with pine nuts or pomegranate arils.
  • Serve warm with yoghurt dip.

Notes

  • You can use the stand mixer for making the dough or mix and knead by hand.
  • Try to roll out the dough not too thick. The bread will eventually rise as well.
  • Store-bought baharat aka 7 spices work fine. You can also replace the spice blend with other spices of your choice.
  • Baharat recipe is as follows: 
    1 tablespoon finely ground black pepper + 1 tablespoon paprika + 1 tablespoon ground cumin + 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon + 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg + 1 teaspoon ground coriander +1 teaspoon ground cloves +1 teaspoon ground cardamom = Mix together and store in a spice jar.