Issue #203: Lamb Meatballs in Yogurt Sauce

My Shish Barak Journey, Adapting a Favorite Dish, Everyone Loves Meatballs

For a while now I’ve been making a cheater version of shish barak, the spiced-meat-filled dumplings in yogurt sauce found in many Arab countries. The dumplings are thought to have originated in either Persia, Syria, or most likely Turkey, where manti, miniature meat dumplings in yogurt sauce, are a likely antecedent.

My cheater shish barak made with wonton wrappers.

My cheat is that I use wonton wrappers instead of rolling out my own dough, which provides a speedy alternative that’s totally delicious. What’s more, I freeze the dumplings. I bake them in a tray straight from the freezer before adding them to the yogurt sauce, which makes an otherwise elaborate meal seem like a weeknight miracle. For some reason, not having to defrost something and then bring a large pot of water to a boil alleviates a mental hurdle—even though it’s not like either is a chore.

The other day, we had a couple of friends coming for dinner. I had a few of my cheater shish barak dumplings in the freezer, but not enough to serve everyone. So, I decided to make some lamb meatballs to supplement the dumplings in their yogurt bath. The result made me realize that even easier than using wonton wrappers is using no wrapper at all.

Combination shish barak with lamb meatballs in yogurt sauce.

Like the dumplings themselves, these lamb meatballs in yogurt seem at once exotic and comforting. The yogurt is stabilized by the addition of a small amount of cornstarch and given a jolt of flavor with a garlicky olive oil and dried mint infusion that’s reminiscent of an Indian tarka. You end up with a lot of sauce relative to meat, but it begs to be soaked up with some fresh sourdough bread and/or basmati rice.

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. It’s mostly spices you’ve got in your cupboard. And if you want to stuff the filling into dumpling wrappers, don’t let me stop you. I’ve given directions below.

Lamb meatballs in yogurt sauce served with bejeweled basmati rice and roasted eggplant.

RECIPE: Lamb Meatballs in Yogurt Sauce

Makes 12 meatballs, about four servings

• 1 pound lean ground lamb or beef or a 50/50 combination

• 1 egg

• ½ medium onion, minced or finely grated

• 5 cloves garlic, divided, 1 clove minced or finely grated, 4 cloves very thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 ½ tablespoons dried mint, divided

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil

• 4 cups plain yogurt (not Greek style)

• 2/3 cup water

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• Pinch Aleppo pepper or other red pepper flakes

To prepare the meatballs, in a large bowl combine the ground meat with the egg, onion, the minced clove of garlic, breadcrumbs, toasted pine nuts, if using, coriander, allspice, ½ tablespoon of dried mint, cinnamon, paprika, a pinch of salt, some freshly ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or more so the flavors have time to meld.

Shape 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of the meat mixture into balls. Heat the 2 tablespoons of peanut or other vegetable oil in a large, nonstick skillet, and fry the meatballs on all sides in the hot pan until brown. You don’t have to worry if they are cooked through, as they will continue cooking in the sauce. Remove the browned meatballs to a paper-towel-lined plate while you prepare the yogurt sauce.

Browned meatballs awaiting their yogurt bath.

Place the yogurt in a wide saucepan. Whisk in the water, a pinch of salt, and the cornstarch to blend. Set the pan over medium-high heat and continue whisking as the yougurt heats to a simmer and thickens. The whisking helps prevent the yogurt from breaking before the starch gelatinizes and stabilizes the whole mixture. When simmering, place the browned meatballs into the yogurt sauce. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs have warmed through and released any juices into the sauce.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the 4 thinly sliced cloves of garlic and stir will they sizzle to infuse the oil. Keep an eye on the pan so the garlic doesn’t brown too much or burn. Add the remaining tablespoon of dried mint and pinch of Aleppo pepper to the frying garlic and let sizzle for 30 seconds or so. Pour this mixture into the pot with the meatballs simmering in yogurt sauce. Be sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape all the flavored olive oil into the pot. Stir and serve with rice, noodles, and/or plenty of fresh bread to mop up the sauce.

Variation: Cheater’s Shish Barak

If you want to try the cheater version of shish barak, the ingredients are similar but the technique is a little different. You’ll need a package of round Chinese dumpling wrappers, which you can find in most grocery stores and in all Asian markets. You won’t need the egg, breadcrumbs, or vegetable oil.

In a large sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil and add the minced onion, frying until translucent. Add the minced garlic clove and continue frying another minute, to soften. Add the meat, along with the coriander, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, a generous pinch of salt, and some freshly ground pepper, and continue cooking until the meat is cooked through and has rendered most of its fat. Allow this mixture to cool.

To shape the dumplings, have a little dish of warm water nearby and line a baking sheet with parchment. It’s important to keep the wrappers and the dumplings covered with a damp towel or cloth so they don’t dry out while you work.

Take one of the round dumpling wrappers and put about 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling in the center. Wet the edge all around the wrapper and fold the wrapper in half and press the edges tightly together to enclose the meat and make a half moon. Now dab the two pointed ends of the half moon with water and bring them together around your finger and press and seal. The shape is reminiscent of an Italian tortelli. Place the dumpling on the parchment-lined tray, making sure they do not touch, cover with a damp cloth or towel, and continue until all of the filling is used up.

The dumplings are baked directly from the freezer.

You can cook the dumplings immediately, or else set the tray in the freezer. Once frozen solid, after about 2 hours, you can transfer them into a resealable plastic bag and keep frozen until ready to cook. They will last several months.

To cook these dumplings, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated 350°F. Oven and let bake for about 12 minutes, until the dough has begun to brown around the edges, and some of the fat has rendered out of the filling.

Once baked, into the yogurt sauce they go.

While they are baking prepare the yogurt sauce as detailed above. Once the dumplings are cooked, transfer them carefully into the yogurt sauce and let simmer for 7 minutes or so to soften in the sauce before adding the infused oil as described. They are ready to serve.