Hyderabadi Lukhmi, is a savory/ appetizer from Hyderabad (a south Indian city) and a variation of 'Samosa' and 'Empanada'. The authentic one has a filling of minced goat/ lamb meat.
1lbsGround lambor minced meat. Or 1/2 kg lamb or goat meat. You can use minced chicken as well
1-2tspRed chilli powder
1/2tspTurmeric
2-3tbspLemon juice
1tspGinger garlic paste
Salt to taste
Cooking the meat
1/2cupRed Onionchopped
1tspGinger garlic paste
1tspcoriander
1tspgaram masala
2Green chilichopped
1tbspCilantrochopped
1tbspmintchopped
1tbspcooking oil
Pastry
2nosPuff 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.
The nutritional value is for 1 serving. Please keep in mind that the nutrition value is a rough estimate and can vary based on the product used.