How to Make Takhratha’d Pusra (Chaldean Meat Pies)

Takhratha’d Pusra (meat pies) have been made for many generations in the Chaldean culture. The original recipe originated in Iraq many decades ago. These are a great snack to eat at any time and they are most commonly served with coffee or tea during brunch, and served when guests come over to the household. These meat pies are super fun to make and they are unique because you can add any combination of fillings that you would like! Described in this instruction set below is the standard way to make them. Large batches are common when making this recipe because they get stored in the freezer after baking. Total Time: 3 hours (includes time for dough to rise)

Ingredients

Dough

3 tbsp. dry yeast
1 bag flour (5 Ibs)
3/4 cup dried milk
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
3 cups water
1 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. sour cream
4 eggs

Meat Filling

6 pounds of 90/10 ground beef
3 large, chopped onions
1 tbsp. curry powder
3 tbsp. baharat (middle eastern all spice- black pepper, cardamom, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, coriander and paprika)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Dough and Meat Filling

1
Proof the yeast. Add 3 tablespoons of dry yeast into a mixing bowl. Let the yeast rest for 5 minutes.
2
Prepare dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine 1 bag of flour, 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 3/4 cup of dried milk. Mix these dry ingredients until they are nicely blended.
- Including the dried milk is going to make the dough nice and soft
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3
Combine all ingredients together. Add 3 cups of water, 1 cup of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of sour cream, and yeast to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix all the ingredients together until dough consistency has formed
- Using clean and washed hands is the best way to knead the dough, as it takes about 5 minutes to fully form into the finished dough product
- Add olive oil to hands while kneading the dough, so it does not become sticky
4
Let the dough rise. Transfer dough into clean bowl. Cover bowl with saran wrap or blanket and place in room temperature area, allowing it to rest and rise for 2 hours.
5
Cook Ground Beef. In a large pot, place your 90/10 beef and cook on high stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until it turns a brown color.
6
Add Onion. Take your three large, chopped onions, and add into the pot with the cooked ground beef, stir together to combine.
7
Add Seasoning. Take your baharat seasoning and add 3 tablespoons to the pot. Continue this step with adding your 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Stir and combine seasoning with the beef to add flavor to the meat mixture.
- Reduce stove to low heat after combining everything and continue cooking the meat, for 5 minutes until beef is tender and all the liquid has evaporated
- At this point, we have completed the meat mixture

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Assembling the Meat Pies

1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The oven should be very hot before cooking to ensure meat pies are cooked to perfection.
2
Prep the egg wash. In a separate bowl, crack and whisk two eggs until fully combined. This will act as an egg wash in the final steps before placing meat pies into the oven. This gives the pies a golden-brown finish after baking.
3
Prepare the risen dough. Take your prepared dough and begin to take out a small portion one at a time, preparing for the next phase of the creation process.
4
Roll dough into balls. Take our prepared portion sized dough and roll into 1-inch pieces. Line your table with saran wrap and place the balls of dough on the clean surface.
- Doing this step will speed up the creation process. After all the dough is rolled place another piece of saran wrap on top to allow the dough to rest and maintain freshness.
5
Flatten the dough. Take a dough ball and flatten with a rolling pin on the prepared surface. Roll circles about 5 inches in diameter.
- Make sure not to roll the dough out too thin, as this may result in the meat pies breaking open during the cooking process.
6
Fill your pie. Fill with 1 tablespoon of meat filling, making sure to not overfill, as the dough expands during baking, and this may result in the pies bursting open.
7
Fold dough around filling. Take both sides of dough pulling them together towards the middle. Then, fold the top of the dough over to create a triangle shape.
- Not every meat pie will come out into a perfect triangle and that’s okay. That is the fun part about it, each one is individually handmade and unique!
8
Place on baking sheet. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and continue to place your assembled meat pies folded side down onto tray until full.
9
Brush egg wash on meat pies. Take silicone cooking brush and dip into egg wash. Gently brush a singular layer onto the meat pies.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Completing the Pies

1
Bake your pies. Place the tray in a preheated 350-degree oven on the middle rack. Cook for 15 minutes until golden brown, continually checking to make sure they do not burn.
2
Cool your pies. Once finished baking, take the meat pies off the baking tray using a spatula, and let rest/cool. Then, they are ready to eat and enjoy!