Do you love pizza? Well there is hardly a soul that could resist a slice of absolute yumminess. I made an adaptation for a very levantine recipe, lahmacun a pizza with mincemeat that smells of the orient.

Head straight to the recipe.

Lahmacun (pronounced lah-ma-chewn) is a widespread street food on the eastern Mediterranean coast. You can find it in Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt and even deeper reaching into Armenia and Syria. Its name is Arabic, meaning dough with meat, the dough is normally thin and crispy; the meat can be either beef or lamb but most importantly it is divinely spiced, with the perfect balance between cumin and paprika, chilli flakes and even a few chili peppers if you like it hot.

 In Greece, this slightly old fashioned dish is having a come back on Armenian or Turkish inspired grills. Lahmacun is a heirloom from our very much loved Polítiki kouzína from the Greeks that left Constantinople over 50 years ago. As for me, I admit, it is one of the treats I miss the most from Athens.  And as it goes with the things I miss, the solution is easy: we bring it closer!

This lahmacun recipe focuses mainly on the topping, the luscious mince meat sauce. Alas, office life allows for very little fussing over pots and pans. You can put together the sauce in under half an hour. You need not concern yourselves about the dough either when Greek pita flat-breads are at hand. I grabbed my favourite Deli Kitchen, Greek style flat-breads as I find the sauce soaks in better on the soft, fluffy bread.

What you definitely shouldn’t skip is the lemon, especially if you try it with ground lamb and the Greek yogurt that takes the edge off the spiciness. Let’s go make it.

Print Recipe

Lahmacun with greek pita bread

Serve with Greek yogurt, sprinkle with parsley and don't forget the lemon wedges

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

• 350 gr ground lamb or mince
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely grated
• 2 ripe tomatoes peeled and grated
• 8-9 stalks of parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 chilli peppers if you love it spicy
• 1-2 lemons
• 2 packs of Deli Kitchen Greek pita breads

Instructions

• Place the lamb mince on your chopping board and pass your knife along vertically and horizontally to produce an even finer mince meat.
• Meanwhile, warm up the olive oil in a pan, sizzle the onions and once translucent add the garlic. Add in the tomato paste, mix it and follow in with the finely chopped mince meat. Once the lamb is browned, pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring it to the boil. After 3-4 minutes add in the spices and lower the heat.
• The mince meat sauce will need approximately 20-25 minutes on low-medium heat to cook and absorb the spices. If you like spicy food, add in the chilli peppers whole or sliced the last 5 minutes.
• Once the mince meat is ready, let it rest and warm up the pita breads. Spread a heaped tablespoon of the mixture on each pita bread, sprinkle generously with parsley and enjoy!

Lahmacun is perfect with a side of plain Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lemon. You can also turn it into a wrap or slice away and enjoy with good company!

from London with love

Eugenia

PS: This is a sponsored post, I thoroughly enjoy DeliKitchen Greek style flat-breads and I wouldn’t share anything I don’t love and wholeheartedly recommend for you.

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