Shakriyeh; also known in the Levant as Laban Immo; a comforting dish made of yogurt and beef cubes.

Arabs who are familiar with the dish “Mansaf” would say this is a similar dish only made much easier and lighter. Frankly, I find them both very different. The Shakriyeh is for sure a much lighter dish, and it is very easy to make.

We usually eat it with rice. Many Arabs make their rice with vermicelli, but I like to keep my weekly and home cooked dishes very light so I just use the long grain rice. Some people top their Shakriyeh with roasted pine nuts, but it is totally optional. I do it, because I totally love pine nuts.

Shakriyeh – Also known as Laban Immo

Makes enough for 4 people (or good portion for 2 over 2 days) – 90 minutes

Served with rice.

Ingredients

500g beef cubes

1 carrot (chopped into thick circles)

1 small onion (any – remove skin)

1 ts butter

1 ts olive oil

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole black pepper

2 cardamon cloves

Salt (around 1 tb)

Bay leaves (3-4)

1 kilo yogurt

1 cup labaneh

1 tb corn starch (for every 1 kilo Yogurt = 1 tb)

1 tb butter

Onion soup packet (optional)

Pine nuts

Method

1. Wash your beef cubes and dry
2. Using a pressure pan add water over your beef cubes until it boils.
3. Throw out the water and wash your beef cubes again (wash your pressure pan as well)
4. Add your ts of butter and olive oil into the pressure pan along with the beef and give it a quick fry.
5. Add in your chopped carrot and whole onion along with the cinnamon stick, black pepper, cardamon, salt and bay leaves.
6. Add water, let it boil before you close your pressure pan and leave it over heat for 25 minutes.
7. Roast your pine nuts while your beef cubes are being cooked.
8. Once your beef cubes are ready, in a bowl, preferably using an electric mixer, mix the yogurt with the labaneh and starch very well.
9. Now pour your yogurt mixture into a sauce pan and keep whisking manually and put your heat on low-medium.
10. Important: make sure the temperature of your yogurt is equal to the beef stock (so if your beef stock is cold, make sure you reheat it along with the yogurt to do the next step.)|
11. Pour in one cup of beef stock into your yogurt while whisking.
12. Now add in your beef cubes and keep whisking.
13. Taste and add some salt or more stock if needed.
14. Once it starts boiling, add 1 tb of butter and (this is optional) ad 1/2 the bag of your onion soup.
15. Whisk until it boils for a minute and turn the heat off.