Lebeniye is one of the richest of the yoghurt soups: there is both meat and chickpeas in it. In Antep it is never missing from the iftar table in Ramadan. Because there is so much yoghurt, the tempering step matters even more here; rush it and the soup splits beyond recovery.
Ingredients
For the soup
For the egg-lemon thickening
For the top
Method
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Simmer the meat
Bring the diced lamb up to the boil in cold water, skim it and cook for 50 minutes.
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Add the rice and chickpeas
Add the rice and the cooked chickpeas and cook for 12 minutes more.
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Make the tempering mixture
Whisk the yoghurt, egg and flour until smooth.
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Warm it
Raise its temperature by slowly pouring in ladles of hot liquid from the pan. It takes six or seven ladles.
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Combine
Pour the mixture into the pan in a thin stream, stirring without a break. Add the salt.
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Bring to the boil
Bring to the point of boiling, stirring all the while, keep stirring for 3 more minutes and turn off the heat.
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Mint butter
Melt the butter, take it off the heat, add the mint and drizzle it over the soup.
Tips
- Because the yoghurt content is high, warm the tempering mixture longer than in other soups; rush it and it splits.
- Do not use low-fat yoghurt, it doubles the risk of splitting.
- In Antep some people finish it with dried mint and pepper flakes in butter instead; both are correct.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.