Shishbarak Bellaban

Delicate handmade dumplings stuffed with seasoned minced meat and onions, gently cooked in a warm, silky yogurt sauce. Infused with a fragrant sauté of garlic and dried coriander, this classic comfort dish offers a perfect balance of creamy and savory flavors.

🥄 Ingredients

• Dough Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
• 1 cup warm water (you may need more or less depending on the type of flour)
• 1 kg yogurt
• 0.5 kg stuffed shishbarak
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander (you can use 1 bunch fresh coriander if desired)
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2.5 cups beef or chicken broth (if unavailable, you can use 2 Maggi cubes with boiling water)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. How to prepare the filling:
2. Use the same method as for fried kebbe filling (ground meat, finely chopped onion, black pepper, seven-spice mix, and salt).
3. How to prepare the shishbarak dough:
4. The day before cooking the shishbarak, put the yogurt, salt, sugar, and warm water in a suitable plastic bowl and mix well. Then start with 1 cup of flour and mix well. Gradually add the remaining cup of flour, mixing thoroughly. If the dough is still soft and sticky, sprinkle it with a little more flour. If it's stiff, sprinkle it with a little warm water.
5. Place it in a plastic bag and wrap it in a towel at room temperature overnight.
6. Divide the dough into 4 portions and let them rest for 1-2 minutes to help them roll out. Roll each portion into a large circle and cut it into small pieces using either a round metal cutter (if available) or a Turkish coffee cup.
7. Take 0.5 teaspoon of the filling while it's still cold and place it in the center of a small circle. Seal it well with your fingers, then pinch the ends together to form the shishbarak pieces. Arrange them on a tray and freeze for an 1 hour so they're easier to add to the yogurt sauce.
8. Place the yogurt in a clean, dry pot and stir slowly in one direction over high heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Add water and meat broth or bouillon cubes to the yogurt and bring it back to a boil. Then add the shishbarak. Immediately afterward, fry the garlic in oil until golden, then add the dried coriander and sauté until lightly browned. Add this mixture to the yogurt sauce.
9. Let it simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

🌹 Decoration

Garnish the shishbarak with mint leaves or sprinkle with a little black pepper.