Safiha Recipe - Lebanese Meat Pies

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love. 

The magic of Safiha, Lebanese Meat Pies! - Soft, chewy dough and a crispy exterior containing spiced, juicy lamb meat with just a touch of freshness from tomato and green pepper. 

My husband is Palestinian and I've made their family's meat pies several times. They top theirs with pine nuts and I love them that way. But since trying Fatima's Sfeeha from her small hometown in Lebanon, I think the zing of the green pepper and tomato adds a layer of freshness I can't do without!

Questions About Making Sfeeha

How many names are there for these Lebanese Meat Pies?

The two main names are Fatayer or Safiha. Fatayer is a more general umbrella term for Arabic pies and includes meat pies, spinach pies, and cheese pies. 

Safiha is a more specific name for meat pies, most frequently containing minced lamb. Of course, the word itself is Arabic. There is not a one-to-one correlation of Arabic letters to letters in the English alphabet, so any of these spellings are also accurate and common: Sfeeha, Safeeha, Safiha, Sfiha. 

Where did the Safiha recipe originate?

This particular recipe is from Lebanon. However, Syrians make a popular version, as well as Palestinians, and many other Arabic-speaking countries. 

Are meat pies healthy?

This is a super popular question when it comes to Safiha, which baffles me. I think it's the wrong question. Sfeeha are delicious and a traditional food significant to many cultures and celebrations. Of course, they can be enjoyed as part of a well-balanced diet! If you're asking how many calories and fat are in each, well, about 120 calories in each, depending of course on the size and exact recipe.   

How do you shape Safiha?

It depends on the specific country, region, and family making the Safiha. Many (as in this recipe) make their Safiha into squares by pinching the corners of a round piece of dough. Others, like my husband's Palestinian family, leave the pie open-faced and round. Still, others pinch two corners and leave the middle round. And some families completely enclose the meat by folding three sides of the circle into a triangle.

About Fatima, Contributor of this Recipe for Lebanese Meat Pies

My podcast guest, Fatima Mortada, featured on Episode 68 of The Storied Recipe Podcast, was born and raised in a small, ancient town in Lebanon. Every morning at 4am, Fatima would help her father harvest vegetables they sold later that day in the market. At 16 years old, Fatima came to live in the U.S. for 5 years. She returned to Lebanon at 21, very much a changed woman. She found she no longer fit into the beloved small town where her family lived for hundreds of years. 

What Safiha Means to Fatima

I grew up in Baalbek Lebanon, a beautiful and ancient city with so much history that goes back to the Roman Empire, this Sfeeha is part of my childhood. Growing up my father used to take all the kids to the old souk to buy these delicious pies and every time I make them is like a walk down memory lane. It is part of my history, every food memory and celebration in the village was associated with delicious mini meat pies.

Hear More About Safiha in Choosing Freedom with Fatima Mortada

Episode 068 - Choosing Freedom with Fatima Mortada

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Connect with Fatima
of Hummus and Pizza

Website: www.hummusmeetspizza.com/

Instagram: @hummusmeetspizza

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Equipment List

• Large bowl
• Rolling pin
• Sheet pan

Recipe

Safiha (or Sfeeha, Lebanese Meat Pies)

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5 from 3 reviews

• Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Chewy dough and a crispy exterior containing spiced, juicy lamb meat with just a touch of freshness from tomato and green pepper.

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Ingredients

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Dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp active yeast (1)
• sea salt (1)
• 1 tsp sugar (1)
• 1 cup warm water (1)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup yogurt

Filling

• 1 lbs ground lamb
• 1 sweet onion (diced)
• 2 red tomatoes (diced)
• 1 green pepper (diced)
• 1 tsp Arabic seasoning mix (black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg and paprika)
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes ((optional))

Garnish

• olive oil (to drizzle on top and on the baking sheet)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley ((optional))

Serve with

• cucumbers
• radishes
• fresh lemon juice
• plain yogurt

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Instructions

Start by making the dough

1. In a small bowl whisk together the yeast and 1/2 cup warm water and set aside for 5 minutes or until the yeast forms bubbles on the top.
2. In the meantime sift the flour in a large bowl, add sea salt and sugar, and mix well. Then add in the vegetable oil, yeast mixture, and yogurt. Slowly add in the other 1/2 cup of water while continuing to mix. If at any point the dough begins to become sticky, stop adding water. The proper amount will depend on the warmth and humidity in your kitchen, so it's ok if you don't add in the entire half cup.
3. Knead the dough until all ingredients are combined, but don't over knead because you don't want to over-develop the gluten.
4. Cover the dough in plastic and followed by a large towel, set aside at room temperature for 2 hours (the dough should double in size).
5. Note: For the best result, make the dough 24 hours before making the pies, if you have time.

For the filling

1. Combine raw lamb, finely diced onions, green peppers and tomatoes.
2. Season with Arabic Seasoning, sea salt and black pepper.
3. Add pepper flakes (optional).

Assemble

1. Shape the dough in small golf ball sizes shape.
2. Use a rolling pin flatten out the dough.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of the lamb mixture on top of the dough.
4. Shape the meat pie into a square shape (this is the traditional way) and pinch the corners together using your fingers.
5. After finishing shaping all the pies, preheat the oven to 350℉ / 176.6℃ degrees.
6. On a sheet pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the Safiha pies.
7. Drizzle olive oil on top of the pies as well.
8. Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes or until the pies are golden and crispy.
9. Serve the dish hot or cold with fresh lemon juice and plain yogurt.

Notes

Make sure you listen to Fatima's episode, Choosing Freedom on The Storied Recipe Podcast while you make her Sfeeha, Lebanese Meat Pies!

• Prep Time: 3 hours
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Lamb Dishes, Main Dish
• Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Nutrition

• Calories: 445
• Sugar: 3
• Sodium: 50
• Fat: 18
• Saturated Fat: 6
• Carbohydrates: 52
• Fiber: 3
• Protein: 18
• Cholesterol: 42