Kibbeh labanieh

Method

1. 1 Soak the broken wheat for one hour, then squeeze out the excess water and pound it together with half of the lamb meat to form a pliable dough.
2. 2 Sauté the remaining lamb with onions and baharat for 8 minutes to make the filling, then let it cool.
3. 3 Wrap the filling in the shell and roll it into a lemon-shaped ball with pointed ends.
4. 4 Beat the yogurt with the eggs and cornstarch, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly in one direction for 10 minutes.
5. 5 Eggs and cornstarch are what keep yogurt from curdling; without them, the whole pot will separate into liquid and crumbly clumps.
6. 6 Add the kibbeh cubes to the simmering yogurt, cook for 20 minutes, and drizzle with garlic and cilantro-infused butter.

With an appliance

• Oven 1 hr 44 min

  Replace steps 4 and 6: Place the beaten yogurt mixture and kibbeh balls in a covered saucepan, set to the middle rack of the oven at 140°C for 22 minutes; this is about 8 minutes faster, as the gentle heat surrounding the mixture prevents sticking to the bottom, curdling, and eliminates the need for constant stirring. Keep the egg and cornstarch mixture from step 5 to ensure a stable emulsion.