Saudi Eish Bil-Lahem Recipe

Ingredients - Serves 10

For the dough base:

• ¼ cup vegetable oil or 65 ml
• 2 cups plain flour or 280 g
• 2 cups brown flour or 280 g
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk powder
• 1 tablespoon black seeds
• 1½ teaspoons yeast, melted in 4 tablespoons of warm water
• 1½ cups water or 375 ml, room temperature

For the stuffing:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions or 250 g, chopped
• ½ kg minced lamb
• 2 cubes MAGGI® Mutton Bouillon , crumbled
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 300 g sesame paste, or tahina
• ½ cup lemon juice or 125 ml
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water or 250 ml
• 2 cups leeks or 150 g, chopped

Preparation

In a bowl, mix oil with plain and brown flour, salt, milk powder and onion seeds. Add the dissolved yeast and mix.

Add most of the water quantity and press accordingly. Then add more water if necessary to make soft slightly sticky dough. Press the dough by hand for about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into one ball. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil and sauté onion until it becomes tender. Add minced lamb and cook until it becomes brown in color and well cooked. Add the crumbled MAGGI® Mutton Bouillon cubes and ground black pepper, stir for two minutes on low heat. Add chopped leeks and stir. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine and whisk sesame paste, lemon juice, salt and water and whisk well until mixture is smooth (sesame paste sauce must be thick) then add over the lamb stuffing and fold all together and set aside. (reserve around 1½ cup or 375ml from the prepared sesame paste sauce for serving)

Spread the dough over 35cm greased round oven tray from center to edge extending the dough from the sides. Spread the stuffing evenly over the prepared dough in the tray and fold extended dough edges over the stuffing from all sides.

Bake in a 230ºC preheated oven for 35 minutes or until its firm from the middle and golden in color on top.

Cooking tips : You can place and spread some tomato round slices and sesame seeds on top before baking.

Serving tips : Serve the reserved 1½ cups of the prepared sesame paste sauce aside.