Keema Manakish (Spiced Lamb and Pea Flatbreads)
Soft, olive-oil-enriched manakish dough topped with dry-cooked, garam masala-spiced lamb keema, sweet green peas and fresh cilantro. A Lebanese bakery classic meets a North Indian mince curry, baked hot until the edges blister.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 20 min
- Total
- 2 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 8 flatbreads (about 7 inches / 18 cm each)
Steps
Before you start
- Make the keema while the dough rises (steps 4–6) so everything is ready at the same time.
- Place two rimless or inverted baking sheets on the oven racks before preheating so they are screaming hot when the dough hits them.
- Thaw the peas in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes and drain well; wet peas make the topping soggy.
- Ground lamb with some fat (80/20) gives the best flavor; the topping must be cooked fairly dry before it goes on the dough.
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and fine sea salt.
- Add the warm water and 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
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Ready when: No dry flour left; dough is shaggy and tacky.
Tip: If your yeast is not instant, stir it into the warm water with the sugar and let it foam for 5 minutes first.
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand and folding back, until smooth and elastic.
- Add flour a teaspoon at a time only if it sticks badly to your hands; the dough should stay soft.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, springs back slowly when poked, and passes the windowpane test.
Tip: Soft, slightly tacky dough bakes into a tender flatbread; too much flour makes it dry.
First rise
- Lightly oil the bowl with a little olive oil, place the dough in it, turn to coat, and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
- Leave in a warm spot (75–80°F / 24–27°C) for 60 minutes.
- Start the keema in the meantime.
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Ready when: Dough has doubled and a fingertip poke leaves a dent that fills back in slowly.
Sauté the aromatics
- Heat 1 tbsp oil or ghee in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and ¼ tsp of the kosher salt and cook, stirring often, for 7–8 minutes until soft, translucent and golden at the edges.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chili (if using) and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and golden; the kitchen smells of garlic and ginger, with no raw edge.
Tip: Chop the onion small so it disappears into the topping and doesn't burn in the hot oven.
Brown the lamb
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the lamb, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon.
- Cook 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Add the garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, remaining salt and the tomato paste.
- Stir and cook 2–3 minutes more until the mixture looks dry and glossy and the spices smell toasty.
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Ready when: Lamb reaches 160°F (71°C), no pink remains, and there is no pooling liquid in the pan.
Tip: Drain off excess fat if more than 2 tablespoons collects, or the dough will turn greasy and soggy.
Finish the topping
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the drained peas, cilantro and lemon juice.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Let the topping cool to warm, about 10–15 minutes, while the dough finishes rising.
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Ready when: Topping is dry, spoonable and just warm, not steaming.
Tip: Hot topping can start to cook and tear the dough, so let it cool before spreading.
Preheat and shapeOven 475°F / 245°C
- Place two baking sheets (or a baking steel) on racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently deflate the risen dough, divide into 8 equal pieces (about 100 g each) and roll each into a smooth ball.
- Arrange on a floured surface, cover with a towel and rest 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough balls look puffy and feel soft and relaxed.
Tip: A properly hot baking surface gives the blistered, bakery-style bottom.
Stretch and top
- Cut 2 sheets of parchment to fit your baking sheets.
- Pat and stretch each ball into a 7-inch (18 cm) round, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, with fingertips, pressing dimples across the surface.
- Place 4 rounds per parchment sheet.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup (80–90 g) of the keema over each, spreading to within ½ inch (1.5 cm) of the edge and pressing it in lightly.
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Ready when: Rounds are evenly thin with a visible rim, and topping is level.
Tip: Leave a rim; topping to the edge will slide off and scorch.
BakeOven 475°F / 245°C
- Slide each parchment sheet onto the hot baking sheets in the oven.
- Bake at 475°F (245°C) for 10–12 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them halfway through, until the edges are puffed and deep golden and the bottoms are browned.
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Ready when: Rim is deep golden brown, bottom is browned and firm when lifted, and the keema sizzles at the edges.
Tip: If the bottoms brown before the rims, move the sheet up a rack for the last 2 minutes.
Brush and serve
- Immediately brush the warm rims with melted ghee.
- Let the manakish rest 5 minutes on a rack so the bottoms stay crisp, then serve warm, folded or flat, with extra cilantro if you like.
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Ready when: Rims glisten with ghee and the flatbreads are warm, not scalding.
Good to know
Tips
- Cook the keema until it looks dry; moisture is the main cause of soggy manakish.
- Press dimples in the dough with your fingertips so the topping sits securely and the dough does not puff into a dome.
- Serve with cool yogurt, sliced cucumber or a squeeze of lemon to balance the spice.
- For a quicker version, bake in two batches of 4 on one hot sheet, keeping the second set of dough covered while waiting.
Make ahead
"Make the keema up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container; bring to room temperature before topping. The dough can be refrigerated after kneading for up to 24 hours (covered in an oiled bowl); bring to room temperature for 45 minutes, then divide and shape."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 4 hours, covered loosely. Fridge: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat from fridge or frozen in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8–12 minutes until hot in the center (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C)."
Substitutions
- ground lamb → ground beef, chicken thigh or turkey. Use 80/20 beef; for poultry, cook to 165°F (74°C) and add an extra teaspoon of oil.
- all-purpose flour → bread flour. Gives a chewier crumb; add 1–2 tbsp more water if the dough feels stiff.
- garam masala → 1 tsp ground cumin plus ½ tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp ground cloves. Approximates the warm spice blend if you do not have garam masala.
- ghee or melted butter → melted butter or olive oil. Either works for brushing the rims.