Go Back
–+ servings
Shish barak which are meat filled dumplings in yogurt sauce are plated in a teal platter and garnished with toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil
5 from 8 ratings

Authentic Shish Barak From Scratch (Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce)

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Shish Barak are small dumplings made from unleavened dough, filled with a seasoned ground beef or lamb mixture and simmered in a savoury yogurt sauce. The filling is cooked with onions and flavoured with warm middle eastern spices, and the yogurt sauce is garlicky and often garnished with dry mint or cilantro. This levantine dish is a popular comfort food, but certainly not for weeknights. This authentic labour intensive dish is made from scratch but worth every minute!
Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 

For the Dough

  • 360 g all-purpose flour, approx. 3 cups
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, granulated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 cup warm water (up to 1 cup, see notes), plus more if needed

For the Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large red onions, finely chopped
  • 350 grams ground beef (80/20), or mix of lamb and beef
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sumac, or 4 teaspoons
  • 1 tablespoon seven spice
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts , divided

For the Yogurt

  • 1.5 litres plain yogurt
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more per preference
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving (or replace with parsley or dry mint)

Instructions
 

For the Dough

  • Shish barak dough in metal stand mixer bowl on a light marble background
    In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, water, olive oil, sugar and salt until it forms a smooth ball, about 5 minutes. Or knead by hand for 10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a dusting of flour and continue to knead until smooth. Cover and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the Filling

  • cooked ground beef shish barak filling with toasted pine nuts on top in a light grey skillet with a wooden spoon on a light marble background
    Heat up the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef along with the salt, black pepper, sumac and seven spice. Cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Fold in the pomegranate molasses and the half pine nuts. Set aside to cool.

To make the Dumplings

  • small circles cut out of rolled shish barak dough on a floured surface with a glass cup upide down
    After 30 minutes the dough should be light, stretchy and tender. Cut in half. Flour your countertop and roll the dough flat to a thin layer. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter or a small coffee cup to cut the dough into circles.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • small circle of dough folded over with cut out dough around it with meat filling in the middle of the folded over circle on a light marble background
    Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the beef filling into the circular piece of dough and fold over into a half moon shape.
  • small half circle of dough filled with shish barak filling with scraps of dough and circles of dough around it on a light marble background
    Pinch the edges tightly to ensure it is sealed.
  • half circle folded and pinched at the ends with shish barak meat filling inside with scraps of dough and circle cutouts of dough around it on a light marble background
    Then, overlap the two ends together, making it look like a tortellini.
  • lightly browned shish barak on a parchment lined baking sheet
    Place the dumplings onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes until lightly browned.

For the Yogurt Sauce

  • yogurt in a pink handled pot with a whisk in it on a light marbled background
    In a large pot, add the yogurt, water, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk until no clumps are seen. It's important to whisk while the yogurt is cold, before turning the heat on.
  • Turn the heat to medium and stir frequently with a whisk until the mixture starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Do not bring the yogurt to a boil. Just heat it through to a gentle simmer.
  • small saute pan with oil and minced garlic cooking on a light marble background
    In a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat and saute the garlic and cilantro until fragrant.
  • Pour the garlic, cilantro and butter over the yogurt and whisk to incorporate.
  • shish barak in yogurt sauce in a pink handled pot with a metal ladle inside on a light marble background
    Add the baked dumplings into the yogurt sauce and simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes. No need to cook for longer since the dumplings are already baked.

To serve

  • Serve the shish barak in bowls, with the yogurt sauce, garnished with the reserved pine nuts and more fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • More or less water may be needed for the dough depending on the flour type you are using and on the environment around you. It is more advised to add the water little by little until a smooth dough forms, and to avoid an overly wet / moist dough.
  • Another way to cook the dumplings is to drop them while raw in the yogurt and allow to cook together for 20 minutes or until they float. This way the dumplings are gooey and soft. I prefer the baking method.
  • The baked dumplings can be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Fresh cilantro can be substituted with 3 tablespoons of dried mint.
  • The consistency of the yogurt will change once chilled, as the dumplings will absorb some liquid. It will thicken, which is completely normal.
  • Tahini is not traditionally used in this recipe, but does add richness to the yogurt. If you want to use it, add 1 tablespoon to the yogurt sauce.
  • You can also serve the Shish Barak over rice.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 566kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 1935mg, Potassium: 703mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 992IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 358mg, Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!