When you move as many times as I have, you'd think that you'd get used to it. Well, I have news for you. You don't! It just gets harder! And one of the hardest things for me here has been, strangely enough, not having people to cook for. I'm so used to NYC where there were always people happy to come over for dinner when I wanted to experiment with something or cook an elaborate dish that I felt was a waste to cook for myself alone. But here, I haven't been able to create that community, and thus mostly hesitate to do crazy complicated dishes. But last week I did Lasagna (about which I will blog soon), and this week, I decided I miss home so much and I miss Shushbarak/shishbarak/Chapeau bi-laban so much I will do it. Of course, bells were ringing, sirens were going off: that is so much work, why? my mother actually said, don't worry, we'll make it for you when you come home.But no, the decision has been made: I will make shushbarak even if for myself alone (I mean really, don't I deserve it?). And with my physical therapist really insisting on making me bike less, I had more time and energy than I cared for!
So yesterday, I started it. I took on a massive project! Now I'm having a lovely yummy dinner while I'm telling you about it!
Ingredients
For Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
water
Meat Filling
1 lb beaf/lamb, cut into very small pieces
1 small onion, chopped small or grated.
Salt
mixed spices (http://leenaskitchens.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-mixed-spices.html)
The Yogurt Sauce
3 cups Yogurt
1 small onion
2 ts dried mint (or a small bunch fresh if you have it)
2 ts cumin
2 spoon white flour
Preparation
- Prepare the dough: mix the ingredients with water, enough for to make a firm but workable dough
- knead for a bit and let set for about half hour, covered
- Cook the meat: Heat some olive oil, cook the meat until almost ready. Add the onions and cook until its soft. Strain the meat in a strainer (oil will make the dough not close)
- Now begins the hard work: you neat to make the chapeaus:
- The most direct way, mom's way:
- Cut the dough into very small pieces
- flatten each piece into a round flat dough
- put a bit of the meat and fold
- Wrap the dough around your finger to give it a hat shape
- Repeat for a lot of times!
- As you could tell, early attempt lead to various sizes because I could never get it right!
- So I switched to another method, which mom suggested might work:
- I used a pasta maker: (thanks Elora for lending it to me)
- Flatten the dough with the pasta maker (to about number 3)
- Cut into pieces with a bottle cap/small cup
- put a bit of the meat and fold
- Wrap the dough around your finger to give it a hat shape
- Reem had another idea, which I didn't succeed with but might work for you
- The amount made from two cups is a lot, so you can freeze some for the next time!
- Next Step: fry the dough balls. Heat deep vegetable oil to medium heat (not too cold, so it won't absorb the oil and not boiling to burn it!)
- Take it out when it starts cooking, but not as brown as I had it.
- Take out and put on absorbing paper to absorb some of the oil!
- Start prepping the yogurt sauce.
- Stir two large spoons of flour in water. Add to the yogurt and water and stir well (1 cup yogurt, 2/3 water).
- Strain yogurt through a small strainer to the put you will cook in (use a large put so you can stir without splashing.
- Before you start boiling the yogurt prepare this mix: onion (thinly grated), mint, cumin, salt.
- Add it in to the yogurt and start cooking it.
- The next step is tricky, because you have to stir the yogurt non-stop until it boils. So if you have someone you can assign the mission, do it. Otherwise, make sure you don't have to do anything for a bit. If you don't stir well and constantly, the yogurt separates to water and lumps, you don't want that!
- Or making life easier: use your hand-held blender to stir, makes it more consistent and easier on the hand.
- Let the Yogurt boil for a bit
- Drop the fried dough in the yogurt and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes!
And you are ready for some really good food! Enjoy!
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