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LABNEH WITH SUMAC, CHILLI, AND MINT
Servings
10-12 balls
Ingredients
  • 500 grams full-fat plain yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Toppings:
  • Sumac
  • Dried red chilli flakes
  • Dried mint
  • extra virgin olive oil
Equipment:
  • Muslin or cheesecloth
  • Colander
  • A heavy object to weigh down the yogurt (I use a mortar, but even a can of beans should suffice)
Servings
10-12 balls
Ingredients
  • 500 grams full-fat plain yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Toppings:
  • Sumac
  • Dried red chilli flakes
  • Dried mint
  • extra virgin olive oil
Equipment:
  • Muslin or cheesecloth
  • Colander
  • A heavy object to weigh down the yogurt (I use a mortar, but even a can of beans should suffice)
Instructions
  1. Line a colander with muslin or cheesecloth. Set the colander over a bowl, one deep enough to not let the strained whey water touch the bottom of the colander.
  2. Stir salt into the yogurt and pour into the muslin. Hold the ends of the cloth together and weigh it down with a mortar or any heavy object of your choice. Leave in the fridge for 12-24 hours depending on how thick you want the labneh to be. I usually leave it for 24 hours to get the consistency of cream cheese.
  3. Once thick enough, remove the strained labneh from the muslin and roll them into balls. I like to do them about the size of ping pong balls, but it doesn’t really matter what size they are; just do them as you like.
  4. Mix together equal quantities of sumac, chilli flakes, and dried mint on a plate and roll the balls gently in the spice mix. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes

- Move the weight around every 6 hours or so, so as to get the maximum whey water out of the yogurt.

- If you want to use the labneh as a spread, 12 hours of straining is ideal.

- These labneh balls stay good refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. It’s common to find them submerged in olive oil and stored for up to 15 days or more.

- My 500 grams of yogurt made about 250 grams of labneh, but those quantities might vary slightly based on the yogurt used.