This is a kick go-to recipe my mom used to make it all the time when we were kids and we still love it. My additions are that I add 2 TBSP of Tahini (sesame paste) to the yogurt a dash of lemon and a bit more garlic than in this recipe. Use a thicker spaghetti or a thin linguine. Also and this is the BEST tip that makes it yum yum delicious...you want to drain the pasta and then put it back in the pot and add the yogurt...mix a bit of meat in with the yogurt and heat it through. It tastes sooo much better than when its just cold. Top with the meat and you're ready to go. Its so delicious!
This is not authentic to my country, for it simple makes a traditional less serious. We are using curry, variety peppers, and pignoli, and garlic is considered incorrect with yoghurt, especially when homemade. I believe the edition of green onion, true curries, and zatar spice will make this meal closer to true Middle Eastern recipe, if tabouhli must be used instead of italian pasta!!
Thank you, Vahjiin
I have been making this recipe for over 30 years. All my five sons were raised on it and it is a family favorite to be sure. It is so delicious and refreshing! One thing we do differently is that we toast the pinenuts (in a pan on the stove) and do not add them in with the beef instead they are sprinkled over the top of the dish. That way they have a roasted taste and stay crunchy. We also top the dish with fresh chopped Italian parsley. It really adds freshness to the taste. And we keep a bowl of plain yogurt on the table if anyone needs to refresh their dish. You can be sure that there were heaps of this delicious entree piled high on my boy's plates.
This is a great recipe with few changes. It is also very authentic (my Jordanian boyfriend makes the same thing). Increase finely minced garlic to 4 cloves and season generously with salt and pepper. I cooked 1/2 medium onion chopped with meat. Instead of cooking the pine nuts with the meat I use silvered almonds and fry them in the frying pan alone and sprinkle at the end (this will keep the nuts to be crunchy). I also like to garnish with copped parsley. With these changes the past is amazing flavorful and so creamy. (its hard to believe that it's all yogurt! no cream or butter!)
My husband is from Syria and he disagrees with the previous reviewer. This dish is very authentic Syrian cooking. I added half a white onion and cooked it in the oil before adding the minced meat. We really enjoyed this dish and it was very easy to make. The garlic breath effect stops this one from being enjoyed during a romantic evening in though!!
I was disappointed. Sounded great made it for a friend who loves this kind of cuisine. It was ok.... Very bland. Maybe ok as small side dish but definitely not main dish. Not worth keeping the recipe or making again.
Very good. I wanted to try something Georgian just because I'd never sampled food from that area of the world and wanted something that used a different pallet. this was good and easy to make from ingredients available in the US!
This was not good. It was bland and the yogurt cooled everything down to make lukewarm pasta. I don't understand why folks like this.
Two quick points: a) It IS bland regardless of whether it tastes good or not. The way you can spruce it up is as follows: 1. Be a bit generous with the salt and garlic (while mixing it with the yoghurt before adding the pasta) 2. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of mild hot sauce (not tabasco or anything strong closer to louisiana hot sauces) 3. Keep in mind: this is a cold dish. The only hot ingredient here is the meat and pine nuts. The rest- including the pasta- should be refrigerated. and b) If you want to do without the 37 grams of fat replace the 2 tablespoons of corn oil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil use only half a cup of pine nuts and use low-fat yoghurt. This brings it down to the 20 gram range. Enjoy!
