Shish barak is the quintessential Middle Eastern comfort food – dumplings, stuffed with beef, and covered in a delicious garlic and yogurt sauce! This traditional recipe is a perfect weekend dish.
I remember the first time I was introduced to Shish Barak. I was having dinner at the home of a Lebanese family, and the grandmother insisted that I had to try her “family special”: I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw little white dumplings in a white sauce, but I hoped for the best and took a big bite. Guess what?
It. Was. Delicious. Truly, one of those “first bites you remember for the rest of your life”-moments.
It took me a long while to learn the recipe myself, but you can bet I called up my friend and asked for his grandmother’s shish barak recipe to help me get started!
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What is Shish Barak
Shish barak شيشبرك (also written as “shishbarak” or “shushbarak”) is a popular Middle Eastern savory meat dumpling, served in a yogurt sauce. The meat dumplings are typically filled with beef or ground lamb.
Origins
While shish barak is often described as a Lebanese dumpling, its exact origins are actually unknown (as is the case with many traditional recipes of this region). I was introduced to it by a Lebanese family living in Saudi Arabia. It is more commonly prepared in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan, and as such is considered a Levantine dish.
Many theories place the recipe originating in Ottoman Turkey, Iran, or even East Asia though the earliest reference to it by name is in a 15th Century cookbook from Syria.
Regardless of where it’s from, the presentation of shish barak remains quite similar across the Middle East. That is, the shish barak dumplings served in a yogurt sauce. The primary differences usually come from garnishes, and the amount of yogurt sauce the dumplings are served with (some versions use enough yogurt sauce that it looks almost like a soup, and other regions pair it back to almost a creamy topping – but the presence of the yogurt sauce is essential to the recipe).
How long does it take to make
Making shish barak from scratch does take a little time. It takes about an hour to prepare and stuff the dumpling dough, and about 45 minutes to cook the meat and bake the dumplings. Additionally, the dough should be allowed to rest for about an hour, meaning that preparing an authentic shish barak recipe from scratch will take most people close to three hours.
It’s a great experience, and I highly recommend you try it. Just reserve a morning or get some helpers to speed up the process!
Alternatively, premade shish barak can be bought from some Middle Eastern specialty stores. With store-bought shish barak, it’s usually a matter of baking the frozen, but already stuffed and assembled dumplings, and warming a premade (also, frozen) yogurt sauce). It’s certainly a quicker option. But one that lacks the fresh flavors and memorable experience of making your own Middle Eastern dumplings.
Ingredients
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To prepare the dough
- All-purpose flour
- Olive oil
- Warm water
- Salt
To prepare the stuffing
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Seven-spice blend
- Black pepper
- Water
- Salt
To prepare the yogurt sauce
- Full-fat plain yogurt
- Egg yolk
- Corn starch
- Water
To serve
- Chopped parsley
- Finely chopped or grated garlic
- Clarified butter
- Toasted pine nuts
How to make Shishbarak
Prepare the dough
The first thing we’re working on is preparing the dough for your dumplings. Start by combining the flour, olive oil, water and salt in a large mixing bowl until a dough starts to form. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover it with cling film or a towel, and let it rest for one hour.
Prepare the stuffing
Preparing the meat stuffing is pretty easy, especially if you’ve cooked any recipe that uses ground beef. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Next, add the finely chopped onion and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the seven-spice blend, black pepper, water, and salt, and continue cooking until the water has evaporated. Set the cooked ground beef aside.
Prepare the shish barak dumplings
On a clean, lightly-floured surface, roll out your prepared dough. Using a glass or cookie cutter, cut it into small circles. Add a small amount of the beef stuffing into each dough circle (exactly how much will depend on the size of your dough – a teaspoon is a good place to start). Fold the dough over the filling, and seal the edges by pressing them together. Pull the edges together to form the half-moon shape. (Check the recipe video showing exactly how this is done.)
Place the dumplings on to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked and slightly browned. (You can start preparing the sauce while the dumplings bake.)
Prepare the yogurt sauce
In a pot, whisk the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water. Once mixed, add the yogurt, egg yolk, and remaining water, and continue to mix until smooth.
Turn on the stove, and heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and then reduce heat to low just before it comes to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens to almost your preferred consistency.
Add the baked dumplings to the pot (with the yogurt sauce), and cook until the dumplings soften, about 15 minutes.
To serve
Prepare your garlic butter by heating the clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the chopped garlic and allow it to fry for 15-20 seconds before adding the chopped parsley, mix, and set aside.
Arrange your shish barak on a serving plate, and drizzle the garlic butter over top. Garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve hot, and enjoy!
Tips
Any recipe where you’re creating your own dough can be ever so slightly tricky. There’s nothing in the preparation of shishbarak that’s incredibly difficult (trust me, if I can do it, you can do it), but there are quite a few things you can keep in mind to make sure you get the best Middle Eastern dumplings possible.
Get the dough right
For a tender, pliable dough, make sure to knead it thoroughly. Make sure to let it rest, as the rest time is what allows the gluten to relax, resulting in a softer texture.
You want to make sure that the consistency of the dough isn’t too wet/sticky or too dry as it’ll be difficult to knead and work with. Generally it’s best to use the weighted measurements to make sure the flour to moisture ratios are perfect. Keep in mind that not all flour is the same, and there can be small differences from brand to brand. Should your dough feel a bit too dry, add a splash of water. Should it be too sticky and wet, add a touch more flour.
Season your meat
The ground meat is one of the stars of this recipe. Usually I’d tell you to season perfectly to taste, but in this case, as the dumplings are further cooked in the yogurt sauce, it’s good to season generously.
A tight seal
When assembling the dumplings, make sure to to create a tight seal by pressing the edges together firmly. This will reduce the chances of any of the filling from coming out when baking. Speaking on the seal, while the half-moon shape is traditional and identifiable, it’s certainly not essential. You can pinch the dumpling closed, and as long as the edges are firmly sealed, you’ll get some delicious meat dumplings (just differently shaped).
Full fat yogurt
Full fat yogurt is strongly preferred for this recipe. A low fat yogurt will create a sauce, but will not have the fat content required to provide the richer flavor or the creamy consistency required to properly coat the dumplings.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally, shish barak is usually served by itself. However, if you’re looking to add a little more to it, it’ll go great with any simple rice recipe. Alternatively, a salad would be an excellent light accompaniment.
Variations
Something I love about traditionally home-cooked recipes is that there are so many variations: sometimes by region, sometimes by family. Shish barak is no exception to this, here are a few simple variation ideas:
Pick your meat. The ground beef can be swapped with ground lamb, chicken or even turkey on a one-to-one basis.
Skipping the baking step. Many shish barak recipes skip the baking step. Instead, they cook the dough entirely in the yogurt sauce. It’s one less step, but I recommend baking the dumplings before adding them to the sauce because it results in a nicer texture, and there’s less risk of splitting the yogurt (as you would need to maintain a higher temperature for longer in order to cook the dumplings).
Amount of yogurt sauce. Depending on your preferences, you can prepare and serve your shish barak dumplings in a lot more of the yogurt sauce than I do. It’s very common (and still quite delicious) to see the dumplings served in so much sauce that it looks like soup! I prefer a little less sauce to really bring out the garlic-butter flavors.
Season the meat to your taste. If you’ve made this recipe and felt that you want more from the meat, consider changing up the spices. You can adjust the portions of the spices to your own tastes, or even add some new ones like cinnamon or finely chopped and dried mint leaves. You can even fry the ground meat in ghee.
Vary the garnishes. Choosing different garnishes and toppings are probably the easiest thing you can do to add a slightly different element to your recipe. For example, try swapping out the toasted pine nuts for crushed almonds.
Storage
Shish barak can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. The dumplings will likely absorb some of the yogurt sauce will stored.
If freezing, I recommend freezing the baked dumplings. When it’s time to eat, allow the dumplings to thaw, and then prepare with the yogurt sauce. The baked dumplings can be frozen for up to two months.
Final thoughts
If you’ve never tried shish barak before, these Middle Eastern meat dumplings are quite the treat, and though they are traditionally eaten in warmer climates, they make for excellent winter comfort food. Give this shish barak recipe a shot, and then comment below and let me know what you thought of it!
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PrintShish Barak (Middle Eastern Dumplings)
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: Shish Barak Dumplings
- Diet: Halal
Description
Indulge in this authentic shish barak recipe – a delicious blend of seasoned meat wrapped in dough and topped with a creamy yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 ½ cups/300g all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ tsp salt
For the meat stuffing
- 8 oz/225 g ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp seven-spice blend
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the yogurt sauce
- 750 ml full-fat plain yogurt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cup water
To serve
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp clarified butter
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Instructions
Prepare dough
- Combine the flour, olive oil, water and salt in a large mixing bowl until a dough starts to form.
- Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover it with cling film or a towel, and let it rest for one hour.
Prepare beef stuffing
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned.
- Add the finely chopped onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the seven-spice blend, black pepper, water, and salt, and continue cooking until the water has evaporated. Set the cooked ground beef aside.
Prepare Middle Eastern dumplings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- On a clean, lightly-floured surface, roll out the prepared dough. Cut it into small circles using a cookie cutter.
- Add a small amount of the beef stuffing into each dough circle.
- Fold the dough over the filling, and seal the edges by pressing them together. Pull the edges together to form the half-moon shape.
- Place the dumplings on to a baking sheet and bake until cooked through and slightly browned, 20-25 minutes.
Prepare the yogurt sauce
- In a pot, whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the water. Once mixed, add the yogurt, egg yolk, the remaining water, and mix until smooth.
- Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and then reduce heat to low just before the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and approaches your preferred consistency.
- Add the baked dumplings to the pot, and cook until the dumplings soften, about 15 minutes.
To serve
Prepare the garlic butter: Heat clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the chopped garlic and cook for 15-20 seconds. Add the chopped parsley, mix, and set aside.
Arrange your shish barak on a serving plate, and drizzle the garlic butter over top. Garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve hot, and enjoy!
Notes
Exactly how much ground beef your spoon into each of your dumplings will depend on the size of your dough – a teaspoon is a good place to start.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
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