Lukhmi Samosa

Hyderabadi lukhmi is a savoury/appetiser from Hyderabad and a variation of ‘samosa’ and ‘empanadas’. Lukhmi, derived from a Urdu word luqmi, means a small bite. It’s a 3x3” square, hot snack, served with a salad and chutney on the side. The first divine bite will sink your teeth into the crisp and fluffy layered delight! The stuffing is marinated, spicy minced goat/lamb meat with onions and other ingredients.

Ingredients

200 g minced mutton

300 g all-purpose flour

100 g onions

10 g green chillies

10 g red chillies

10 g salt

5 g carom seeds

15 g chilli powder

10 g coriander seeds powder

10 g ginger-garlic paste

10 g cumin seeds powder

5 g turmeric powder

5 g garam masala

150 ml ghee

750 ml oil

Method

Pass the flour through a sieve. Heat ghee in a pan, add the heated ghee to the flour and rub as a shortening. Add in salt, carom seeds, knead into a semi soft dough with 45% hydration. Cover with a moist cloth, allow it to rest.

Wash the mince, allow it to rest in a colander to drain away the excess moisture. In a lagan, add ghee. Once heated, add in the spices followed by the onions. Sauté till it turns translucent. Add in the ginger-garlic paste, salt, chillies both red and green. Once the raw flavour of the ingredients is masked, add in the mince, sauté till the moisture is released, continue sautéing till fat surfaces and the meat is fried to an extent. Add in water, cook covered until tender Add in the garam masala powder. When cooked, remove from heat, allow it to cool.

Knead the dough again. Using flour, roll out the portioned dough into a rectangular sheet, about 4 mm in thickness. Place the portioned meat on the lower half, equidistant. Line edges of the sheet with water and cover the stuffing, ensuring the edges meet in unison. Press around the stuffing to ensure any trapped air is released.

Using a knife, portion the pastry (on the sides of the stuffing) using a fork, imprint a design while sealing in the stuffing.

In a kadhai, add oil, once hot. add in the pastry. The pastry shall sink to the bottom and rise up to the surface, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes turning over to arrive at a uniform golden brown hue. Remove from heat. Place on a paper towel to ensure excess oil is taken off.

Serve accompanied with pudina nariyal ki chutney.

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 flavourful weekend recipe from Hyderabad.