Kousa Ablama Bil Laban
Description
Kousa ablama bil laban could be the ultimate comfort food that has sustained generations in Lebanon and the Levant countries; it provides deep nourishment and sense of home, the recipe embodies two of my favorite things, cooked yogurt plus zucchini or grey squash.
Ingredients
For the yogurt
- 2 kgs / 4.5 lbs / 2 liters plain whole milk yogurt
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch diluted in 3 cups of water
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
For the meat filling
- 750 grams / 1.6 lb minced beef or lamb
- 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil or ghee
- Salt to taste
1.5 kg small gry squash/ zucchini
1 cup canola or olive oil, or ghee to fry the zucchini
Garnish
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
Instructions
- Make the meat filling, (hashweh): To a large skillet, add the sunflower oil and sauté pine nuts over medium heat to a golden color, remove with a slotted spoon and add the minced meat and cook over medium heat until well browned, for about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the onion, 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. add half of the toasted pine nuts, and set aside to cool down completely before using!
- Core the zucchini: Wash, scrub and dry the zucchini, cut off the stem tips and gently hollow out the center with the vegetable corer, try to hollow just like you are carving a pumpkin, hollow out the center leaving 1/3 inch/ ¾ cm, around the interior walls.
- Stuff the zucchini: Fill each zucchini with the minced meat stuffing by hand until you reach the top, fully pack it until you reach the top, pushing it in so there are not air pockets.
- Fry the zucchini: Heat the sunflower oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the stuffed zucchini in single layer and cook until golden-browned on the bottom, flipping 2 or 3 times, until lightly browned on all sides. To remove the excess oil and ensure the zucchini turns out nice and crisp, let them drain on a paper towel after frying.
- Cook the yogurt: In a large heavy based pot, add the yogurt, half of the crushed garlic and diluted cornstarch; whisk well to homogenize the mixture. Place over high heat, and continue whisking in one direction. The yogurt needs attention to avoid it from curdling; it is crucial to whisk the yogurt constantly.
- Dip the fried zucchini in yogurt: Once the yogurt boils, in a clear way, gently add the fried zucchini one at a time. Reduce heat to medium- low and keep it simmering (uncovered), stirring gently every now and then with a wooden spoon to prevent dumpling breakage. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, allowing the flavors to mellow and develop together. Take a bite and adjust salt to your taste preference.
- Fry the dried mint. In a skillet heat olive oil and dried mint. Shimmer over medium-low heat, and stir until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add to the kousa ablama pot and stir to homogenize, they’ll perfume your kousa abalama with a delectable scent.
- To serve: Transfer to a large bowl or individual soup plates. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold right from the fridge. You can also serve it with rice and vermicelli, though at our house, we enjoy it just by itself. Happy eating.
Video
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