434. Mtabaq Lahm: Arabic Meat Hand Pies

This is a delicious and nutritious portable snack, filled with minced meat, boiled eggs, and cheese.

It can even be called a hand-held pie, because who doesn't love those?
This is perfect for suhoor, or any midday (or midnight in Ramadan) nosh to chew on.
The literal translation on mtabaq lahm (مطبق لحم) depends on how you are used to using the word matbaq: it can mean layered or it can also mean folded. In this case, both apply.
This recipe is from the wonderful Arabic Bites.

Ingredients:

For dough :
1 1/2 cups white flour.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.
1 tsp baking powder.
1 tsp salt.
2 Tbsp olive oil.
1 1/3 cup water.

For filling:
500 g ground meat.
1/4 teaspoon black paper.
1 tsp salt or to taste.
1 small onion, chopped.
3 boiled eggs.
1/4 cup cheddar cheese cubed.
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped.

Method:

For the filling: In a pot over medium-high heat, add the minced meat until brown, then add the chopped onion, salt, and pepper.
Remove from heat and stir in the roughly chopped eggs and cubed cheese and parsley, if using. Set aside.
For the dough: Place all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and knead 3 to 5 minutes until a soft dough is formed.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces, then roll each ball into a thin square.
Place about 3 tablespoons of filling into the center of the dough.
To seal, fold over the east and west flaps over the filling, then the north and south flaps, thereby creating a parcel.
In a non-stick pan lightly wiped with some oil, brown the meat parcel on both sides, pressing down with your palm initially to flatten further and make bigger.
Serve hot or warm. If cold, you can just toast it before consumption.

صحة و عافية