Shish Barak (Meat Dumplings in Yogurt)

1Preparation

1. Mix the flour, salt and oil, add the water gradually and knead into a smooth dough that does not stick to your hands.
2. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Finely chop the onion, crush the garlic and chop the coriander.
4. Roll the dough out thinly to about 2 mm and cut it into 5 cm rounds with a small glass.

2Cooking

1. Toast the pine nuts in the ghee until golden, then lift them out.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 3 min timer
2. Soften the onion in the same ghee, then add the lamb, breaking it up, and cook until browned and dry. Season with the spices, salt and pepper, return the pine nuts and let it cool.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 10 min timer
3. Put ½ tsp of filling on each round, fold into a half-moon and press the edges, then bring the two corners together around your finger and pinch them to form a little ear shape.

   ⏱ 1 min timer
4. Arrange the dumplings on a greased tray and bake until dry and very lightly golden underneath.

   ♨️ oven 200°C⏱ 15 min timer
5. Whisk the yogurt with the cornstarch dissolved in the water, the egg and the salt in a large pot, then heat it, stirring constantly in one direction, until it boils and thickens slightly.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 15 min timer
6. Add the baked dumplings to the yogurt and simmer gently until the dough is cooked through and tender.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 10 min timer
7. Heat the ghee in a small pan, stir the garlic until fragrant, then add the coriander and mint, stir for 1 minute and pour it over the pot.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 3 min timer

3Serving

1. Ladle the shish barak with its yogurt sauce into deep bowls while hot.
2. Serve on its own or with vermicelli rice.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: stopping stirring before the yogurt boils — it splits and turns grainy. Keep stirring in one direction until it boils.
• Bake the dumplings before adding them to the yogurt so they hold their shape.
• Baked dumplings freeze well for a month and can go straight from the freezer into the yogurt.

🔁 Substitutions

• Minced beef works instead of lamb.
• The cornstarch can be replaced with 2 tbsp flour.