Levantine cuisine · Soups & Stews

Kousa bi Laban

Zucchini cooked soft in stabilized yogurt sauce, seasoned with browned garlic and dried mint.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g zucchini
• 1 kg yogurt (10% fat)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 bunch mint
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends and cut into rolls about 3 cm thick; halve very thick pieces lengthwise once.
2. Stir the yogurt smooth with the egg, the cornstarch and 1 tsp salt in a wide pot – the starch keeps it from curdling later.
3. Heat the yogurt over medium heat, stirring constantly in one direction, until it comes to a bubbling boil once and visibly thickens, which takes about 10 min.
4. Add the zucchini pieces and let simmer covered over low heat for 15–18 min. until they can be pierced effortlessly with the tip of a knife.
5. Finely chop the garlic and fry in butter and olive oil for 1–2 min. until golden, stir in the dried mint and take the pan off the heat immediately so nothing turns bitter.
6. Pour the garlic butter over the zucchini, fold in gently, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm as a main dish with fresh mint leaves.