Sfiha Meat Pies

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups flour
• 16 ounces ground lamb
• 2 firm tomatoes, finely chopped
• 5 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash ground cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sesame paste (tahini)
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice, thickened (if available)
• 4 tablespoons fried pine nuts

Recipe

• 1 for dough:combine yeast, water and sugar and let sit for ten minutes.
• 2 add olive oil.
• 3 slowly add flour, half cup at a time until all combined, add a tsp of water if needed to combine dough.
• 4 mix well meat, tomatoes, onion and spices.
• 5 add yoghurt, sesame paste and pomegranate.
• 6 mix all with fried pine nuts.
• 7 add butter.
• 8 divide dough into walnut size balls.
• 9 roll between hand palms to smooth.
• 10 roll out balls with a rolling pin to form 8 cm diameter circles.
• 11 put one tbls of meat mixture on dough circle seeing that a cube is in each spoon.
• 12 bring the edges up and press to make a square.
• 13 arrange meat pastries in a tray brushed with butter.
• 14 bake in a moderate heat oven at 350 for 30 minutes or till dough is golden and meat is cooked.
• 15 serve hot with yogurt.