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1
Make and Rest the Dough
40 Mins
Room temperature, ~22°C (72°F)
Mix the flour with 2 g of salt, then add the lukewarm water a little at a time, kneading for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and firm. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
A firm dough rolls thinner and holds its shape — it should feel like a stiff earlobe.
Done when: The dough is smooth, springs back when pressed, and no longer sticks.
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2
Cook the Beef Filling
15 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat 10 ml of the olive oil in a pan, fry the onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add the beef, spices and 2 g of salt. Cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking the meat up, until browned and all liquid has evaporated. Stir in the pine nuts and 10 g of the parsley, then leave the filling to cool completely.
The filling must be dry and cool — wet or hot filling tears the thin dough.
Done when: The beef is browned, crumbly and dry; no pink remains and the meat reaches 71°C (160°F).
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3
Fill and Fold the Dumplings
35 Mins
Room temperature, ~22°C (72°F)
Roll the rested dough out very thin, about 2 mm, and cut it into 4 cm circles. Place about half a teaspoon of cooled filling in the centre of each circle, fold it over into a half-moon and pinch the edges firmly shut, then bring the two corners together and pinch them to form a little hat shape. You should get about 40 dumplings.
Keep the filling small — overfilled dumplings burst in the yogurt sauce.
Done when: Each dumpling is sealed tight with no filling showing.
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4
Make the Garlic Yogurt Sauce
15 Mins
Medium-low heat, ~80°C (175°F)
Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth, then whisk it into the yogurt in a large pot with the garlic, dried mint and the remaining 2 g of salt. Set the pot over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sauce just reaches a gentle simmer — never let it boil hard, or it will split.
Stir in one direction and do not stop — constant stirring is what keeps the yogurt smooth.
Done when: The sauce is thick, glossy and smooth, steaming gently with no curds.
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5
Simmer the Dumplings in the Yogurt
10 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~85°C (185°F)
Gently lower the dumplings into the simmering yogurt sauce, keeping them separate so they do not stick together. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring very gently now and then, until the dumplings float to the top and the dough is tender. The beef inside must reach 71°C (160°F).
This is what makes shish barak different from steamed dumplings like mantu, buuz and momo — the dumplings cook in the yogurt itself, soaking up its tang.
Done when: The dumplings float, the dough is tender and slightly translucent, and the sauce coats a spoon.
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6
Serve with Almonds and Parsley
5 Mins
Serve hot, ~70°C (158°F)
Ladle the hot dumplings and yogurt sauce into deep bowls, drizzle with the remaining 10 ml of olive oil, and scatter over the toasted almonds and the remaining parsley. Serve at once.
Serve immediately — the dumplings keep soaking up sauce and the dough softens as it sits.
Done when: The bowls are steaming, creamy white with golden almonds and green parsley on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the hot dumplings and yogurt sauce into deep bowls, scatter over the toasted almonds and parsley, and serve at once with rice pilaf or warm flatbread for scooping up the sauce.
Syria
30m
France
Vietnam