{"id":4377,"date":"2024-04-17T22:30:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T22:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/?p=4377"},"modified":"2025-09-19T20:51:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T20:51:17","slug":"teta-roros-shish-barak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/teta-roros-shish-barak\/","title":{"rendered":"Teta Roro\u2019s Shish Barak"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lebanese Shish barak has been my favorite meal since I was a little girl! If you\u2019re not familiar with the dish already, let\u2019s remedy that: Shish barak is Middle Eastern-style tortellini dumplings, filled with onion, and minced meat and cooked in a tangy palatable yogurt sauce (laban). While the exact origin is up for debate, the deliciousness of this dish is incontestable, \u00a0Watch the detailed video!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shish Barak\/Lebanese Meat Dumplings in Yogurt (Video)<\/h1>\n

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I have a lot of comfort dishes that remind me of home, but particularly shis barak is a soul food that brings me back to Teta Roro\u2019s (my granny) house on holidays where the aroma of steamy big pot of shishbarak on her stovetop wafted through the air! To this day, the smell of sauteed garlic and cilantro together import me right back to her kitchen. The best part of the story was when my nieces and me would sneak into the kitchen to steal a few pieces of baked shish barak dumplings before grandma dipped them in the cooked yogurt. Her kitchen was undoubtedly my favorite spot in her house. There was warmth and comfort that radiated from that space. Maybe the stories, the laughter echoes off the walls, the get together with the extended family members, but undoubtedly, her food was the big deal. She had an intuitive culinary knowledge like no other \u2014 or at least in my opinion \u2014 and I count myself blessed to have had the opportunity to learn some of her kitchen secrets. But beyond Teta Roro\u2019s perfect cooking skills, there was another\u00a0virtuousness that stayed with me longer than any food she cooked\u2014 her love that nourished my spirit even more than the food that filled my stomach. A few days ago, marked the fifth anniversary of her passing away. To embrace her remembrance, I speak her name and tell her stories to keep the flame of her memory burning bright. I bring to you one great cooking masterpiece, her shish barak recipe, hoping to provide love, fun and inspiration in your\u00a0kitchens! The photo below was taken on the day of my book signing, 11 years ago!\u00a0 I miss you so much Teta Roro!<\/p>\n

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When it comes to making shish barak at home, everything starts with the dumplings, where the dough and filling are made from scratch!\u00a0When the shish barak dumplings are ready, the rest of the recipe comes together in relatively quick steps. And now let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n

Shish Barak Dumplings:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Dough: The dough is made from scratch with only few ingredients: flour, milk, water and salt.<\/p>\n

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Make the dumpling dough<\/strong>: Place the flour in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt; pour in the warm milk, stirring with a spatula. Once the mixture starts to come together use your hands to knead until the dough forms a ball of one texture. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes or until the dough is firm and bounces back when you press it with your finger. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and let it rest for 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

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Make the meat filling, (hashweh)<\/strong>: To a large skillet, saut\u00e9 the minced lamb and cook over medium heat until well browned, for about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sunflower oil, onions, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine, reduce heat to very low and cover up. Simmer about 5-7 minutes until the onion wilts and the liquid in the skillet has dried out. Set aside to cool down compltely before using!<\/p>\n

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough using a rolling pin to a thickness of (1\/8 inch\/ 1\/2 cm).\u00a0 With a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch\/ 5 cm rounds, spacing the rounds as close together as possible.<\/p>\n

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Gather and re-roll the scraps, and repeat with the remaining dough.<\/p>\n

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Place 1 leveled teaspoon of the filling into the center of each round.<\/p>\n

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Fold the dough over to form a halfmoon, and press well around the edges to make sure the dumpling is well sealed.<\/p>\n

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Draw the two corners outwards together and press tightly to seal. A bit different than tortellini. In tortellini you draw the corners inwards.<\/p>\n

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You can freeze them at this stage and cook them later: To freeze: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, spread the shishbarak dumplings in a single layer, making sure that the shishbarak do not touch each other, otherwise, the dumplings will stick together into a large clump; freeze for several hours and when frozen solid, remove from the pan and store in plastic bags (this will prevent them from sticking together).<\/p>\n

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To bake: Transfer the shish barak dumplings to a greased oven sheet, leaving some space between each piece. Bake in a preheated oven to 400\u00b0F \/200\u00b0C\u00a0until the shish barak dumplings are slightly browned with a delectable crispy exterior.<\/p>\n

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Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl.<\/p>\n

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Now it is time to cook the yogurt!<\/p>\n

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\u00a0The yogurt<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n