Lebanese Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce SHISH BARAK
These dumplings are time-consuming to make and I usually prepare a whole batch to put in the freezer so that I only need to make the yogurt sauce on the day I plan to serve shish barak, thus avoiding hours in the kitchen making the dumplings. You can do the same or you can use […]
Kibbeh Balls in Minty Yogurt Sauce KIBBEH LABNIYEH
This is one of my favorite Lebanese/Syrian dishes, although I prefer the Lebanese version because of the added mint. The Syrian one is plain without any herbs, and most people stabilize the yogurt with cornstarch whereas few people in Lebanon do this. Instead, they use one or more eggs depending on the quantity of yogurt, […]
Grilled Eggplant Puree and Minced Meat in Tomato Sauce BATERSH
I remember first having this dish, a specialty of Hama, in Syria, in the delightful courtyard of an Ottoman house converted into a restaurant in what was left of the old quarter of Hama—the father of the current president destroyed much of the city to quell an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood. Batersh is a […]
Lamb Shanks in Yogurt LABAN EMMOH
In Arabic, laban emmoh means “the milk of its mother,” and this dish is named this because the meat is cooked in the milk of the ewe—well, actually yogurt, but yogurt starts out as milk. It is one of my favorite dishes and I often make and serve it in the summer because the sauce […]
Festive Jordanian Lamb in Yogurt over a Bed of Rice and Bread MANSAF
Mansaf is a typical Bedouin dish that comes from Hebron in the West Bank. It is served at large family gatherings, for celebrations, or simply to honor special guests. Traditionally it was made with a whole lamb, with the lamb’s head proudly placed in the middle of the dish to indicate that the animal had […]
Cooked Yogurt Sauce LABAN MATBOOKH
Cooking with yogurt is very common in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, as well as in Turkey and parts of Southern and Central Asia. Goat yogurt is the most stable yogurt to use in cooking, but it is safer to use a stabilizer when boiling yogurt, regardless of the type. Many use cornstarch and/or egg. I […]
Sweet Yogurt Drink SWEET LASSI
Sweet lassi is usually consumed in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh between meals or when guests come to visit. When I was in Pakistan recently, I stopped at a lassi vendor and watched him whisk his lassi with a special wooden implement called a madani, which has a long, thick handle and a round bottom block […]
Mango Yogurt Drink MANGO LASSI
The best time to prepare this is obviously during mango season. Alphonso mangoes are my favorite, but honey mangoes also work well. Avoid those that are stringy, and chill all your ingredients before preparing the lassi. This way when you make and serve the lassi it will already be chilled. And here you would do […]
Yogurt Drink AYRAN
Ayran is one of the most refreshing drinks made with yogurt. It is called doogh or dugh in Iran and Azerbajian, ayran in Turkey and the rest of the Levant, and lassi in India and Pakistan. Ayran or lassi are often served as alcohol-free drinks with roast meat, kebabs, or biryani, and when lassi is […]
Paneer Makhni
SERVES 4 TO 6 INGREDIENTS 8 medium tomatoes (1¾ pounds/800 g total), quartered ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil 4 green cardamom pods 6 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 6 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste 2 inches (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced 2 small green chilies, thinly sliced One […]