Mains
Maquda (Laban Amu)
Maquda, called Laban Amu in parts of southern Lebanon, also known as Shakriyeh with rice — a delicious yogurt-based dish with boiled meat and small onions, served with rice and vermicelli.
معقودة ..from one of the tastiest yogurt dishes popular across the Levant and neighboring regions. This dish has many names, including Laban Amu or Shakriyeh.
Ingredients
Start here, then move straight into the method.
- 2 kg plain yogurt (cow or goat)
- 1 kg meat (cut into pieces)
- 500 g small dry onions
- 3 large tbsp cornstarch
- Ground cinnamon for serving
- Fried nuts for garnish
- For more yogurt-based recipes see: Courgettes in Yogurt (Kousa bil Laban)
Method
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- Place the meat in a pot on the stove with water and simmer until cooked; when scum appears on the surface of the water, skim it off and add the peeled small onions (pearl onions). Do not trim the tips of the onions so the bulbs remain intact in case you want to add them whole later.
- Leave the meat to cook over low heat for two hours until tender and very soft.
- In another pot, place the yogurt with a little water in which cornstarch has been dissolved; whisk quickly while cold using a hand whisk.
- Put the pot on the stove and stir continuously until the yogurt boils.
- When the yogurt has thickened slightly and the meat is cooked, mash the onions and add them with the meat broth to the yogurt pot; you can leave the onion bulbs whole instead of mashing. The amount of meat broth added is approximately equal to half the volume of the yogurt.
- Let the maquda simmer briefly, then serve it hot or warm as desired, after garnishing with fried nuts and ground cinnamon.
- Serve cooked rice with vermicelli alongside the yogurt maquda (Laban Amu).
Recipe tags
MainsInternationalGluten freeNut freeEgg free
Notes and serving ideas
- Courgettes in Yogurt (Kousa bil Laban)
