Kibbeh in Yogurt Sauce
Use my recipe for arras kibbeh, which are stuffed with househ (sautéed meat and onions with pine nuts), or use the mint-stuffed kibbeh balls in my cookbook, or even simple unstuffed kibbeh meatballs. Make the kibbeh balls any size you like; the ones I used for the photos above are quite large at 3- to 4-inches long. To make a larger batch of kibbeh in laban, simply double or triple the yogurt mixture to accommodate the amount of kibbeh balls you have.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 6 cups laban, or plain whole milk yogurt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed mint salt or crushed dried mint + pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 recipe uncooked arras kibbeh balls, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped (handful of leaves)
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1
In a large heavy saucepan, begin to warm the laban over medium heat.
- 2
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the yogurt, along with the crushed dried mint, salt, and lemon juice.
- 3
Spoon the raw kibbeh balls into the yogurt, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer until the kibbeh are cooked through and the yogurt is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
- 4
While the kibbeh cooks, make the herb-garlic oil. In a small skillet, warm the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook just until it is fragrant and warm, about 1 minute. Add the parsley and mint, a pinch of salt, and warm that for 30 seconds. Remove the oil from the heat and set it aside until serving.
- 5
Serve the kibbeh in warmed soup bowls, placing a few of the kibbeh balls (the number per bowl depends on the size of the balls), along with a ladle full of the yogurt sauce. Drizzle each with the herb-garlic oil.