Kishek, keshek, kishik, kishk, or keshk…..however it’s spelled, the dish is the same…..
A fine powder that is a mixture of burghul wheat that has been soaked/fermented with yoghurt (laban). This is most definitely a probiotic food and may be the reason it has been eaten traditionally in the winter as a yogurt preserve to help in digesting the heavier winter meals. It is a winter staple in the mountains of Lebanon; surrounding areas/regions have similar dishes, some made with dried yogurt turned into powder. It is eaten as a savory breakfast, lunch or dinner.
For those fortunate to have access to homemade kishik, your in luck; commercial ones are not as tasty nor nourishing. For those who don’t and would like to try, look out because this year I am really going to get on writing my cook book of Middle Eastern dishes and learning traditional cooking secrets from the elder women of Lebanon. Kishik is on my list of foods to master and I will be posting recipes when possible and I’ll be trying a gluten free option using buckwheat.
For now, here is the recipe, ENJOY 🙂
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbs. grass-fed butter or ghee
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ lb. ground meat, lamb or beef
- ½ tsp. salt, or to taste (some kishik can be salty)
- 1 C dry kishik
- 3 C filtered water
Instructions:
- Melt butter in a medium sized pot.
- Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, don’t let it brown.
- Add the ground meat and break it up with a fork as it cooks.
- When the meat has browned, add the dry kishik and mix just enough to let it absorb all the fats (butter and fat from meat) from the pot.
- Next, slowly add water while stirring.
- Stir the soup every minute or so to not let it stick to the pan. Do this until it thickens for about 10 minutes.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
*You will notice the butter in the picture, just stir and serve.
This mixture will thicken as it cools, best served hot with a side of traditional bread of some kind or over rice (which may raise eyebrows in certain Lebanese homes, but I really like it especially if I’m eating it as a lunch or dinner).
A Nutritional Makeover 