Because of its whiteness, this is a festive dish served on the New Year to augur a year full of happiness. It is served hot with rice in winter, and cold in summer.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6-8

　　Stuffed kibbeh (page 271), uncooked

　　

For the Yogurt Sauce

1 quart plain whole-milk yogurt

　　Salt

　　1 tablespoon cornstarch or 1 egg white

　　3 or 4 cloves garlic, crushed

　　2 tablespoons crushed dried mint

　　3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

　　

Step 1

Pour the yogurt in a large pan. Add salt. Stabilize it with cornstarch or egg white as described on page 113, so that it can cook without curdling. Bring it to the boil, add the kibbeh uncooked, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Fry the crushed garlic and crushed dried mint in hot butter or olive oil. Pour this over the yogurt when serving.

　　

Step 2

Serve hot or cold, with plain rice.

　　

Variations

Step 3

Instead of stuffed kibbeh, you may use the kibbeh dumplings on page 270.

　　

Step 4

Add the crushed garlic raw to the yogurt and garnish the dish with crushed dried mint.

　　

Step 5

Cooked rice is sometimes added to the yogurt in the pan and simmered for a minute or so before serving.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf