Best Laban Yogurt Recipes

LEBANESE LABAN BIL BAYD (EGGS IN YOGURT GARLIC SAUCE)

Steps:

• Make the cooked yogurt and leave to simmer.
• Crush the garlic with 1/2 tsp salt and blend in the mint (crush the mint so it is a course powder).
• Heat the clarified butter in a fry pan and add the garlic mixture, stir fry for 5 minutes.
• Pour the cooked yogurt into a shallow ovenprrof dish.
• Break the eggs and place them evenly on the yogurt (careful not to break the eggs).
• Pour the garlic butter mixture over the eggs and bake for 15-20 minutes until the eggs are cooked (hard).

KOUSA MIHSHI BI LABAN (STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH YOGURT)

Steps:

• Choose either medium or small zucchini. Wash well cut of stem end. Using a corer hollow out zucchini leaving rounded end intact. (I actually use the wrong end of a small spoon and it works for me) Try not to puncture the skin. Soak in salted water for 10 minutes.
• Gently fry onion in butter until transparent. Add pine nuts after 10 minutes cook with onions for another 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
• Add pan contents to ground meat, rice parsley, spice and about a teaspoon of salt, pepper and canola oil if meat is lean.
• Fill zucchini with stuffing. (The rice expands and the meat will shrink so fill them all the way).
• Arrange zucchini in layers in a large pot, sprinkling each layer lightly with sea salt. Add water and invert a plate on top of the zucchini and bring to a slow simmer, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or until tender.
• Meanwhile heat the stabilized yogurt. When it begins to simmer/boil, add garlic and boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
• When zucchinis are cooked, remove plate and pour garlic yogurt mixture over them and leave over medium heat for 10 minutes to boil gently. Cook uncovered until sauce is thick.
• Crush the dried mint to a coarse powder and sprinkle on top. Leave off the heat for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes or steamed rice.
• Enjoy!

LEBANESE LABAN MUTBOUKH (COOKED YOGURT)

Steps:

• Place yogurt in a heavy saucepan.
• Blend beaten egg white into the yogurt.
• Add cornstartch& salt.
• Stir in the same direction until well blended.
• Place pan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
• Heat until it starts to boil, always stir in the same direction (this is important).
• Lower heat and let it simmer 3-5 minutes until thick.
• Use as required in recipes (Laba Bil Bayd-Eggs in yogurt is one recipe that calls for it- see separate posting).

CHICKEN WITH YOGURT (LABAN MAKOUD)

Steps:

• In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan, combine chicken pieces, cardamom, 1 teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add just enough cold water to cover. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partly covered, until chicken is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using a fork, transfer chicken to a platter. Remove 2 cups broth and pour into a clean saucepan. Add yogurt and cornstarch, and place over low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, then add chicken and allow to thoroughly reheat for a few more minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed, and stir to coat chicken with sauce. Serve garnished with toasted pine nuts or almonds.

FAKHITHA BEL LABAN - LEG OF LAMB WITH YOGURT

Steps:

• Clean the meat, slash in several places and put in a baking dish.
• Mix the spices, salt, garlic, yogurt, tomato paste, mayonnaise and oil.
• Spread half of the mixture over the meat.
• Cover with foil, and put in the oven at 350 degrees until the meat is cooked.
• Just before serving, pour the remaining yogurt on top of the meat.
• I marinated the meat overnight. Weigh the leg of lamb to determine the amount of time it will need in the oven for rare, medium, or well-done.
• I like to cook roasts at lower temperatures for a long time, so I veered off from the given recipe, and cooked it for 3 hours at 250 Fahrenheit. If I had had more time, I would probably have cooked it 4 hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The meat was tender due to both the yogurt and the long cooking. My leg of lamb was 1.3 kilos, or 2.8 pounds. Serve with flavored basmati rice.

LABAN (YOGURT)

Steps:

• Heat milk on low heat until it almost comes to a boil (you don't want it to boil over or burn on the bottom of the pot).
• Immediately remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Add 4 tbs of milk to the yogurt and stir until smooth.
• Stir the yogurt into the milk and pour milk into a plastic or glass container and wrap in a heavy blanket. Store in a warm place until it thickens (about 6 hours), then refrigerate.

SYRIAN STUFFED ZUCHINI IN YOGURT SAUCE (KOUSA BI LABAN SOUREE)

Steps:

• In a small frying pan, fry the pine nuts and almond slivers together until they turn brown on medium heat. They will burn very quickly, so be extra vigilant. Drain them onto a paper towel when browned. This step should take about 5 minutes.
• In a larger or the same frying pan as before, brown the ground meat until thoroughly cooked. You may season it with salt and pepper or seasoning salt if desired. Once thoroughly cooked, add the nut mixture and stir well. This step should take about 20 minutes. Use this time to start boiling a large pot of water.
• Once the meat mixture has cooled enough, stuff each zuchini as full as possible without breaking them, especially if some were poked through during the coring process. Stuff all of the zuchinis. This step should take about 20 minutes.
• In a large frying pan, add some cooking oil on medium heat. When hot, add the zuchinis and fry them until they start to brown, turning so both sides are more brown than green. You will know when they are done. This should take about 15 minutes.
• Directly after browning, add zuchinis to the waiting pot of hot water, about an 8 quart pot. If your pot is not big enough, you can do them in batches. Boil them for 10 minutes then transfer to a plate. Some meat mix may come loose, this is normal.
• To make the yogurt sauce, mix one container of yogurt, one egg, half cup of milk and one tablespoon of corn starch in a blender. Pour into an 8-qt non-stick pot. Repeat with second container of yogurt.
• Cook yogurt sauce on medium heat, stirring quickly and constantly until the sauce thickens. Add 1 crushed beef buillon cube. You will know the sauce is done when it begins to stick to the pan and coats your stirring spoon. DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Salt to taste. This step should take about 15 minutes.
• Add the zuchinis to the yogurt sauce and let them cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Again, no boiling.
• Now for the rice. Add the butter or ghee to a 3-qt or larger pot. Heat just until the butter begins to melt and add the vermicelli noodles and stir until all noodles are coated. Turn up the heat until they begin to fry and turn brownish in color. This should take about 7 minutes.
• Add the white rice to the pot and stir to ensure even distribution of the noodles and rice. From here on out, follow the directions on the bag of rice. If you are going to salt it, do so when you add the water. This step should take about 25 minutes.
• Serve in a nice serving bowl and enjoy!