Shish Barak – Libanesische Dumplings

Shish Barak – Lebanese Dumplings

Pane-Bistecca

In the Levantine cuisines of Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon, “shish barak” is a popular dish in which dumplings are cooked in a yoghurt soup and then topped with fresh herbs, roasted garlic and crunchy pine nuts. Shish barak has been around for centuries and is thought to have originated in Iran. This delicacy is usually prepared in winter when vegetables are scarce, and a hearty soup warms the stomach and soul.

Shish barak is a prime example of tribal cooking, where the family comes together to make lots of dumplings that can not only be eaten immediately, but also frozen and used throughout the winter. It’s just like the Chinese making dumplings as a family for Chinese New Year. The women of the village often gather to make the dumplings while catching up on each other’s lives, consoling each other or even exchanging gossip as they cut and fill dumplings.

Dishes like Shish Barak take time to prepare and are therefore a perfect project for the weekend, bringing the family together.

Since I couldn’t get all the original ingredients, I adapted them Asian style!

Prep time

40 min

Cooking time

1 h 15 min

Portions

30 Dumplings

Total time

1 h 55 min

Ingredients

Dough

250 g Flour
1 tsp Salt
200 ml Water
20 g Ghee

Filling

1 small Onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp Peanuts, lightly crushed (originally it would be pine nuts)
250 g minced Beef (original would be lamb)
1 tsp hot Spice mix to taste (original would be Allspice)
2 tbsp Tomato Purée
4 tbsp Water

yogurt Sauce/Soup:

600 g Nature yogurt
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cornstarch
250 ml Water
1 Egg-white, slightly beaten

Butter Sauce:

60 g clarified Butter
2 cloves of Garlic, grated
1-2 tbsp chopped Mint Leaves

Vegetable:

1 Kale, leaves torn into small pieces, stalks removed
Salt
Olive Oil

Arbeitsschritte

Step 1

For the filling, fry the onion and garlic in a little oil, add the meat, season well and fry until well done. Then add the nuts and fry until everything is cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Step 2

For the dough, mix the flour with the salt and then slowly add the water while kneading. The result is a sticky dough. Cover and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Step 3

Knead the dough again a little on a floured surface so that it no longer sticks. Then roll out as thinly as possible. Cut out about 30 roundels of about 6-8 cm in diameter from this dough. (In Lebanon they make these dumplings very small, they cut them out with a screw cap from a bottle! But it really is a lot of work!)

Step 4

Place 1-2 teaspoons of the filling on top, fold in half and press the edges together well. Then use your index finger to press the tips together. They almost look like tortellini.

Step 5

Place them all on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with 20 g of melted clarified butter. Bake in the oven at 180 C degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Step 6

Meanwhile, place the yogurt in a pan, add the salt, the cornstarch dissolved in water and the beaten egg whites. Bring almost to a boil slowly and simmer until it thickens slightly. Then add the baked shish barak and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not boil!

Step 7

Meanwhile, melt the clarified butter for the butter sauce, add the grated garlic and add the chopped mint leaves at the end.

Step 8

I cooked up the rest of the filling with 2 tbsp tomato purée and 4 tbsp water and made a small sauce from it.

Step 9

Place the kale on a baking tray, season with salt and drizzle with oil, dry in the oven at 180 C degrees for 30 minutes.

Step 10

To serve, scoop the shish barak into a large platter, drizzle with the meat sauce, pour over some of the yoghurt sauce, then decorate with the clarified butter with mint leaves and put kale chips all around. Serve hot.

Notes

If you can’t get clarified butter (ghee), you can make it yourself. Simply melt the butter slowly, the butter will separate, and foam will form on top. Carefully remove the foam and the butter will be clear.