Laban Immo is one of the most memorable and satisfying meals, the kind that warms you to the soul. It is made with slowly cooked lamb or beef shanks and a generous amount of onions, all bathed in a rich, cooked-yogurt soup and served with rice and vermicelli.
Lebanese Recipes That Should Never Be Lost!
With its tangy, pleasantly creamy taste, laban immo holds a special place on the Middle Eastern dining table, alongside beloved dishes such as kibbeh bil laban, shish barak, and kousa bil laban. These home-style dishes carry the stories and traditions of those who came before us. Recording and preserving these recipes is important—not only for creating a lasting legacy for the people we love, but also for ensuring that these cherished recipes are never lost.
What Makes Laban Immo So Special?
When fresh yogurt is cooked, its acidity becomes more pronounced. Adding meat broth and cooked onions helps balance the flavors of the yogurt, creating a rich and comforting sauce. Toward the end of cooking, tender lamb shanks are added to the yogurt, while a sprinkle of fried pine nuts provides a delightful contrasting crunch.
Served with rice and vermicelli, laban immo becomes a wonderfully comforting meal—one that nourishes both body and soul.
What kind of meat is used to make laban immo?
Lamb shanks are the best option, but you can also use beef shanks or lamb shoulder on the bone.
Ingredients Needed to Make Laban Immo
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Plain whole-milk yogurt
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Onions
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Lamb shanks, bone-in
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Cornstarch
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Pine nuts
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Salt
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Butter or ghee
How to Make Laban Immo
1. Cook the meat and whole onions
Wash the meat under running water and drain well. Transfer it to a pot, add 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface. Once the water reaches a boil, add the whole onions.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is fully cooked. Strain the broth and transfer the meat to a dish to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat.
2. Mix the yogurt, blended onions, and meat broth
Remove the cooked onions and blend them until smooth using a hand blender. Transfer the blended onions to a large pot.
Add 1½ cups of the reserved meat broth. Stir in the yogurt and diluted cornstarch, then season with salt.
3. Cook the laban immo
Cook the yogurt mixture over high heat, whisking continuously to prevent it from curdling. Once it reaches a boil, add the shredded meat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently.
4. Toast the pine nuts
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and sauté, stirring constantly, until they turn golden brown.
5. Serve the laban immo
Add the toasted pine nuts to the yogurt mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat.
Serve hot with rice and vermicelli.
Laban immo, which translates to “his mother’s milk,” strikes a balance between being both light and filling. Essentially, it is a combination of tender, slow-cooked meat in a warm yogurt soup, served with rice and vermicelli—a simple technique that results in complex flavors.
The most time-consuming part is slow-cooking the meat. Once that step is done, laban immo can be ready in just 30 minutes, alongside the rice. When my family smells this dish simmering on the stovetop, they know they’re in for a treat!
More Lebanese Yogurt-Based Dishes
- Kibbeh Bil Laban
- Shish Barak
- Kousa Bil Laban
- Kafta Bil Laban
- Shrimp Fatteh
- Broad Green Fava Beans Fatteh
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Laban Immo
Description
Ingredients
- 6 cups full-fat plain yogurt
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch diluted in ½ cup water
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 10 medium-sized onions peeled
- 500 grams lamb or beef shanks bone-in, or bone-in lamb neck
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the meat under running water and drain well. Transfer it to a pot, add 8 cups of water, and cook over high heat. Skim off the scum as it rises to the surface. Once the water reaches a boil, add the whole onions. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is fully cooked.Strain the broth and transfer the meat to a dish to cool. Once cooled, shred the meat.
- Remove the cooked onions and blend them using a hand blender, then transfer them to a large pot. Add 1½ cups of the meat broth to the onions. Stir in the yogurt and diluted cornstarch, then season with salt.
- Cook over high heat, whisking continuously. When the mixture reaches a boil, add the shredded cooked meat and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until done.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the pine nuts, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
- Transfer the pine nuts to the yogurt mixture, simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat, and serve with rice and vermicelli.
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