Kibbeh in Yogurt with Lemon and Coriander

Ingredients

• 1½ kilos plain yogurt suitable for cooking
• 5 tablespoons starch (cornstarch)
• 1 egg
• Salt
• A bunch fresh cilantro (or about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons dried coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• *1 homemade chicken stock cube
• *14 meat kibbeh pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• Fried pine nuts for garnish
• 3 zucchini
• 1 liter water

Method

1. Mix the cold yogurt with the egg, the starch, and 3 of the crushed garlic cloves.
2. Add the water and whisk the mixture well with a hand whisk, then add one tablespoon dried coriander and one tablespoon ground cumin.
3. You can adjust the amount of water to achieve a thicker or thinner consistency for the dish. Place the yogurt mixture over low heat.
4. When the yogurt mixture comes to a boil, add the zucchini cut into medium-sized pieces.
5. Meanwhile, fry the meat kibbeh pieces in a separate pan with a little vegetable oil. It's not necessary to fry them until fully cooked — just brown them slightly to help them hold their shape and prevent them from breaking up later when added to the yogurt.
6. When the kibbeh are browned, place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb the oil.
7. About 10 minutes after adding the zucchini to the yogurt mixture (when the zucchini has cooked), add the fried kibbeh pieces.
   Timers: 10 min
8. Separately, sauté the fresh cilantro with the remaining 3 crushed garlic cloves, one teaspoon ground cumin, one teaspoon dried coriander, and about one teaspoon salt (or to taste). Stir the cilantro for a few minutes.
9. By this time the kibbeh should be cooked through. Spoon the cilantro mixture over the dish and optionally garnish with fried pine nuts.
10. Note: You can omit the zucchini and the chicken stock cube depending on availability and preference. You can also add lemon juice to taste if you prefer a more tangy flavor.
11. For another tasty eggplant recipe see Eggplant with pomegranate molasses