🫓 Aish abu laham (Saudi meat bread)

Name: Aish abu laham (Saudi meat bread)
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Saudi Arabia · Al-Qassim, Najd
Ingredients: 400 g wheat flour; 1 tsp dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, soaked in hot water; 100 g plain yogurt and about 150 ml warm water; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 300 g minced lamb; 2 leeks, finely chopped; 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt; 3 tbsp tahini and 2 eggs, whisked together

Origin: Saudi Arabia · Al-Qassim, Najd

452kcal

per serving · 200 g

226kcal

per 100 g

24 gProtein12 g / 100 g

20 gFat10 g / 100 g

44 gCarbs22 g / 100 g

Aish abu laham — “bread with meat” — is a thick Saudi flatbread baked with a layer of spiced minced lamb and leek, then glazed with a mixture of tahini and egg that sets into a golden, savoury crust. The dough is often scented with fenugreek. It is crisp at the edges, soft inside and rich on top, and is cut into squares and shared, especially in the evenings and during Ramadan.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

Not vegetarianbecause of: lamb

Not veganbecause of: lamb, egg, yogurt

Contains glutenbecause of: dough

Contains dairybecause of: yogurt

Not keto22 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten ⚠ Eggs ⚠ Milk ⚠ Sesame

What it is made of

doughlambleekfenugreekeggtahiniyogurt

Recipe

6 servings120 min

Ingredients

400 g wheat flour
1 tsp dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
1 tsp fenugreek seeds, soaked in hot water
100 g plain yogurt and about 150 ml warm water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
300 g minced lamb
2 leeks, finely chopped
1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt
3 tbsp tahini and 2 eggs, whisked together

Method

Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, drained fenugreek, yogurt, oil and enough warm water into a soft dough. Knead for 8 minutes, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.
Cook the minced lamb in a dry pan until it loses its pink colour, add the leeks, pepper, cumin and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Let it cool.
Press the dough into an oiled baking tray about 1.5 cm thick and leave for 15 minutes.
Spread the lamb and leek mixture over the dough, then pour the tahini–egg mixture evenly on top.
Bake at 200 °C for 25–30 minutes until the base is crisp and the top is golden. Cut into squares and serve warm.

How to make it lighter

Use lean minced lamb and drain off any fat after browning it.
Spread the tahini–egg glaze thinly — tahini is energy-dense, about 90 kcal per tablespoon.
One square with a cucumber and tomato salad is a satisfying portion; count each extra square.

History

The dish is most strongly associated with the Al-Qassim region of central Saudi Arabia, where bakeries are famous for it, and it is also made in other parts of the Kingdom. Little is recorded about its early history, but today it is a popular bakery and home favourite, often eaten with tea or as part of iftar.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →