Ingredients
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons ghee
1 medium onion, finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac
1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 quart safflower oil, for frying
Preparation
Make the chile sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk to combine tomato paste, vinegar, oil, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 cup water. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened and reduced by one-third. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauce may be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.
Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir to combine flour, oil, salt, egg, and 3/4 cup water. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and slightly sticky, about 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 32 equal pieces. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet and your hands with oil. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your hands to roll into a ball. Transfer to baking sheet, then repeat process with remaining dough. Drizzle balls with additional oil, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 3 hours.
Make the filling: Melt ghee in a medium skillet over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until just softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and sumac and cook until fragrant. Add lamb and cook, stirring often, until meat is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in raisins and pine nuts. Remove from heat and let cool slightly; stir in mint. Let cool to room temperature.
Working with one ball of dough at a time, place ball on surface and use your fingertips to flatten into a 4-inch round. Place 1 heaping tablespoon lamb filling into the center of the round. Fold dough over filling to enclose, forming a half moon. Pinch edges together, crimping to tightly seal. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling.
Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry dumplings until crisp and golden all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet; let drain. Serve dumplings warm with chile sauce.
