Hyderabadi Lukhmi, is a savory/ appetizer from Hyderabad (a south Indian city) and a variation of ‘Samosa’ and ’empanadas’. The authentic one has a filling of minced goat/ lamb meat.
All about ‘Lukhmi’
‘Lukhmi’ derived from a Urdu word ‘Luqmi’, means a small bite. It’s a 3*3 inch square, hot snack, served with a salad and ‘chutney’ side. The first divine bite sinks your teeth into the crisp and fluffy layered delight! The stuffing is marinated, spicy minced goat/ lamb meat with onions and other ingredients.
About the dough
All purpose flour (or maida), butter, salt and semolina (optional) are the basic ingredients. Mix and knead to get a soft dough. Rest for 20 minutes before beginning to roll.
I avoided the kneading and used puff pastry sheets instead! The ingredients of these sheets are more or less the same and you get crispy, fluffy layers for no effort 🙂
Marination holds the key
Traditional cooking always requires you to marinate your meats and vegetables well. The same is with this recipe. Allow your minced lamb to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours or best overnight. The longer the better. Remember any type of cooking involves a lot of care and patience.
Are there any variations?
As is the case with any recipe, Lukhmi is no exception! Instead of the lamb meat, other red meats, minced chicken or turkey meats can also be used. Go the meatless route by opting for vegetarian Lukhmi as well.
Endangered Lukhmi! ?
Blame it on the rising meat prices or the changing demographics in Hyderabad, this delicious snack is fast disappearing. Some places, you have to order it in advance.
Celebrating the spirit of being a Hyderabadi
As a Hyderabadi, through this post, I would like to bring to my readers this delicious and flavorful weekend recipe from Hyderabad ?
Related Recipes: Khatti Dal, Methi Murgh, Phiki Dal, Chicken 65
Hyderabadi Lukhmi
Ingredients
Marinating the meat
- 1 lbs Ground lamb or minced meat. Or 1/2 kg lamb or goat meat. You can use minced chicken as well
- 1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 2-3 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- Salt to taste
Cooking the meat
- 1/2 cup Red Onion chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 Green chili chopped
- 1 tbsp Cilantro chopped
- 1 tbsp mint chopped
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Pastry
- 2 nos Puff pastry sheets
- oil for frying
Instructions
Marination
- In a medium bowl, take the minced meat and all the ingredients under marination. Mix well and let it marinate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
Cooking the meat
- In a non stick pan/ pot, heat 1 tbsp oil and add onions. Cook until they turn pink and translucent. Next add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds or until the raw aroma disappears.
- Next add the marinated meat and cook until the water dries and oil leaves the sides.
- Now add coriander powder and garam masala. Mix and add green chilis, cilantro and mint.
- Remove from heat and let it cool.
Making the pastry
- Frozen puff pastry sheets are first thawed for a couple of hours.
- Next unfold the sheets on lightly floured surface. Remove the parchment paper. (Follow the instructions on the puff pastry package to defrost and thaw).
- Sprinkle some flour on the sheets and roll to get 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick base. Cut in square/ rectangle shape with a knife.
- Take one square/ rectangle and place 1/2 tsp of the meat filling. Place another square/ rectangle on top of the filling and seal the edges while dabbing water. Repeat for the remaining.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the pastries until slightly golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil by placing them on a bounty/ absorbent towel.
- Serve hot Lukhmis with chutney and salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- While marinating meats, turmeric is used as a disinfectant. Hence it’s a mandatory marination ingredient.
- While cooking the meat, use minimum oil as lamb meat has high fat content, which will add to the overall oil.
- I used the puff pastry sheets for convenience. The end product is crispy and flaky and as good as the actual one! If you want to make the dough, follow instructions in the text above.
- Lukhmis are traditionally a fried snack. But if you like, you can adopt a healthy route by baking them. If baking, pre-heat the oven at 400 degree Fahrenheit/ 205 degree Celsius. (for a minimum of 15 minutes). Place pastries on a baking liner (on a baking tray). Place the tray on lower rack and bake until the crust turns golden and flaky. This may take around 40 – 45 minutes.
Nutrition
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Glad you liked it 🙂