Shish Barak: A Flavorful Journey into Lebanese Cuisine

How to Make Shish Barak

• Start by preparing the dough. You can double the amount of flour to your liking. Add one teaspoon of salt and mix well, then add one tablespoon of oil and mix with your hands. (You can use animal fat instead of regular oil. The oil helps the dough spread more easily.)

• Add one cup of water and knead until you get a soft, non-sticky dough. Once it's ready, coat your hands with a little oil, place the dough in a bowl, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The longer it rests, the better it will be.

• Next, move on to the meat. A key tip is to cook the meat with butter or animal fat, as this will help the meat retain its texture once it cools down.

• Fry the chopped onions in oil until their water evaporates. Add salt and black pepper, then add the meat. Stir until the water from the meat evaporates, and then add salt, pepper, and mixed spices.

• Now it's time to roll out the dough. Sprinkle some flour and ensure the dough is relatively thin. You can use a circular cutter or the edge of a medium-sized glass to cut out round pieces of dough.

• Next, fill each dough circle with the meat mixture and fold the edges together to form a crescent shape. Then, bring the two ends of the crescent together to form a ball shape.

• While you can bake the shish barak, it's not necessary for this recipe.

• Add one tablespoon of starch to yogurt and heat it over low heat while stirring. After a while, dilute the yogurt with one cup of milk, making sure to stir continuously until it becomes creamy.

• Now, add the shish barak one by one into the yogurt mixture, stirring from the sides of the pot.

• Reduce the heat and add some finely chopped garlic fried in oil to the mixture. You can also add coriander, but it's better to use it for garnish. Finally, arrange the shish barak in a dish and garnish as desired, then serve.