Hungry for Lahmajoun? Take a shortcut!

Lahmajoun on Flour Tortilla

Back in 1969, when I borrowed Roy Callan’s mother’s cookbook for my college food project, the recipe I chose to make was Lahmajoun.

It was labor-intensive, preparing the dough from scratch, chopping all of the vegetables by hand, and making enough for a class of 25, plus faculty. The accolades we received, however, made it all worthwhile.

In my later years, I learned an invaluable tip from a dear, departed friend who once lived in California. “Why don’t you make lahmajoun using the short-cut method?” she asked.

Short-cut? This I wanted to hear.

She told me that the Armenian ladies she knew out West made it using flour tortillas as the base. Flour Tortillas? BRILLIANT! Just make the topping, spread it on the tortilla, then bake.

OK, it’s not exactly like the commercially prepared version, but it sure is an easy way to make it when the craving strikes!

Lahmajoun
Yield: about 12 - 14

2 (10-count) pkg. 8” flour tortillas

Topping Ingredients
1 lb. ground lamb or beef (or a combination of the two)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 small green pepper, finely chopped
½ bunch parsley, washed well, finely chopped
1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained well
2 Tbsp. tomato paste or red pepper paste
1 to 2 Tbsp flour
1 ½ tsp dried mint
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp sweet paprika
dash cayenne pepper

1. To save time, process the onion, peppers, and parsley in a food processor, using the metal “S” blade. Squeeze out any excess liquid - this is VERY important! Be careful not to over-process. Vegetables should still be a bit chunky, not pureed.
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients, mixing well.
3. Preheat oven to 400° - 425°F.
4. Thinly spread 2 to 3 Tbsp. of meat topping over the top of each tortilla.
5. Place 2 to 3 tortillas on each baking tray. They should not overlap each other.
6. Bake on the lower rack for about 5 minutes, then on the upper rack, for another 5 minutes, or until the meat topping has browned, and the edges of the tortilla are golden.
7. Continue this procedure until topping is all used.
To Serve:
Place thin slices of sweet onion, and chopped parsley in the center of the lahmajoun, fold, and eat!
To Freeze:
After baking and cooling, stack lahmajouns, with plastic wrap in between
each one. Place in plastic freezer bags & seal tightly.
To Reheat:
Preheat oven to 400° to 425°F. Remove plastic wrap, stack in pairs, meat sides facing each other. Heat for about 5-7 minutes. Turn once during reheating.