Zahra Bi’laban is a very common Arab meal typically served in the chillier months as it is super comforting. In the English language, Zahra Bi’laban translates to ‘cauliflower in yogurt’. To be more descriptive, you can think of it as a homemade yogurt stew with roasted cauliflower florets and tender pieces of lamb served with vermicelli rice. It is heavenly and all you need on a cold day to warm yourself up.
This post is brought to you by AMERICAN LAMB BOARD. Thank you for supporting Fufu’s Kitchen to continue sharing delicious recipes. All opinions are my own.
What ingredients do you need to make Zahra bi’laban?
- Lamb– Although not in the title, as zahra bil laban translates to cauliflower in yogurty- it is an integral part of this meal. I used Halal American Lamb shoulder from my local butcher cut into medium size pieces. He cleans a decent amount of the fat for me as well. The lamb is cooked upwards of 2 hours until tender then cooked in the yogurt sauce. The yogurt sauce uses the broth from the lamb as well. It is very much a key component to this dish.
- Cauliflower– That is the star vegetable here and in many Arab dishes whether in makloubeh, a salad, or fritters. Traditionally for this meal, the cauliflower is fried. However, I prefer to roast my vegetables until they are caramelized. That caramelization will yield lots of flavor. The cauliflower along with the lamb gives body to this meal.
- Yogurt– The base of the stew is yogurt. The yogurt is blended with a bit of corn starch, lamb broth, and some salt until smooth then cooked for several minutes before adding the cauliflower and lamb. It is then topped off with lots of minced crisp garlic to tie it all together.
Why Buy American Lamb?
Did you know that American Lamb is naturally nourishing? On average, a 3-ounce serving will give you half of your daily protein needs and 160 calories. It is super nutritious, too, being an excellent source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, and more.
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How to cook the cauliflower in Zahra bi’laban:
There are 3 ways to cook the cauliflower for this cauliflower yogurt stew, and each will be just as good as the other. So whatever method you choose is entirely up to you and won’t affect the result of this meal.
- Roast. You can season the florets in their spices and oil, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 F until golden and tender. This is typically the method I follow.
- Fry. You can deep fry the florets in neutral oil until golden brown, then season with salt, pepper, and cumin, then set aside on a paper towel. This is the most common and traditional method as it is the fastest but not the healthiest, so I avoid it.
- Air Fry. You can air fry your florets seasoned and tossed in oil in a lightly oiled air fryer for 15-20 minutes at 400 F until tender and golden. This is the least traditional, but you will receive great results too.
Typically, I roast or air fry, but as mentioned before, all of these ways are fantastic. You can’t go wrong with whatever you choose.
The main component of this meal is the yogurt sauce that the lamb and cauliflower will sit in. It is also the most flavorful component as it is tangy, garlic-forward, and delicious. I make my yogurt similarly to how I would make my yogurt sauce for Shish Barak or Mansaf. It is very simple, and the results are always great. Add in those tender pieces of lamb and cauliflower and serve with rice for a comforting Palestinian meal.
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I cannot wait for you to try this easy, authentic Zahra Bi’Laban recipe! If you try my recipes, please consider leaving a star rating and/ or review in the comment section below. I love hearing from you. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below as well. You can share your remakes with me on my Instagram!
Zahra Bi’Laban
Ingredients
Lamb Prep.
- 3 lbs American Lamb Shoulder, cut into 10 pieces trim off excess fat
- 3 Cardamom Pods
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 Onion, quartered
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepepr
- 1 tbsp Allspice Powder
Cauliflower Prep.
- 1 Large Cauliflower, cut into florets
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1/2 tbsp Cumin
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
Yogurt Sauce
- 32 oz Plain Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 2 cups Lamb Broth
- 1 tsp Salt
Garnish
- 1 Head of Garlic, minced
- 1.5 tbsp Olive oil
Instructions
- First, rinse the meat thoroughly. Then, add it in a large pot covered in water. Bring to a boil and let this boil for about 15 min. Make sure to clean off the excess residue that will float on the top from the fat of the lamb. Just discard it in a bowl to have a clean and clear broth.
- Once the broth is cleaned, add the cardamom along with the onion and bay leaves. Also, add the salt, sugar, allspice, and black pepper. Stir together well.
- Let this simmer on low to medium heat covered with a lid for about 2 hours. Meanwhile, work on cooking the cauliflower.
- Toss the cauliflower in olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin very well.
- There are a few ways you can cook cauliflower. The most traditional would be to fry the cauliflower until tender and golden which means you wouldn't season it until after frying and olive oil wouldn't be needed. In my recipes, I rarely fry, Instead, I either roast my cauliflower on a baking sheet at 375 F for about 30-40 minutes until tender and golden or air fry at 400 F for 15 min until the same result is achieved. The method you choose is entirely up to you. Once cooked, set aside.
- Once the meat is cooked through and tender, remove the lamb pieces and set them aside. You will need to reserve the broth for the yogurt sauce and cook the rice with it. So, sift the broth into a bowl and set it to the side. I also like to take the meat off the bone and just use it that way in the yogurt sauce but that is up to you.
- In a blender, add the plain yogurt along with the lamb broth, corn starch, and salt. Blend all together then add this mixture to a pot. Let it simmer until it starts to bubble and slightly thicken. Once this happens, toss in the cooked cauliflower and lamb pieces. Stir together and let this cook for 15 min so all the flavors come together. Make sure to stir every few minutes on low heat.
- In the meantime, fry the minced garlic which will top the yogurt. Using a skillet, add the oil and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until golden and fragrant then toss on top of the cooked yogurt. Taste the sauce to see if any salt is necessary and adjust if so.
- Zahra bi'laban is served with vermicelli rice which I have a recipe for on my blog as well linked above. It can be ladled on top of the rice or adjacent to it or kept in a completely separate bowl. That is entirely up to to you!
Notes
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I tried it last night and it turned out so good. My whole family enjoyed the meal. It was super delicious and the recipe was very easy to follow.
I am so happy tp hear that 🙂
how long will this last in the fridge?
2 days
What do I use to substitute lamb broth… my moms always made it with buttermilk for the yogurt sauce
Hi Dahoud,
So, the lamb broth is a result of cooking the lamb pieces in water with spices. If you are cooking lamb for this recipe, you will have lamb broth left once the lamb is cooked. If you are not or do not want to use the broth;’ you can use vegetable stock. However, I recommend using lamb broth for optimal flavor.
As for buttermilk, I personally never tried it with, but I can see it tasting it delicious.
Absolutely delicious – labor intensive but am or so bad either- worth it. I made it dairy free
Cooking time was a touch on the long side… but well worth the effort!!! Lamb turned out oh so tender. And even though the yogurt sauce was simple, it was still flavourful- especially with the added garlic at the end. I plan on making this again soon!
Love love how easy this was to make, especially that I grew up eating this dish! It was so yummy and delicious and perfect for cold weather ❄️!
I am so happy to hear that, Lina
Made this for my husband and two young kids for dinner and it was a HIT! So yummy and comforting. I replaced the lamb with beef stew meat and used all the same seasonings and cooking directions and it was absolutely delicious. I will probably be making it again very soon. directions were super easy to follow!
Thanks for sharing, Sima!
It’s really hard to get my family to eat cauliflower but this dish did not disappoint! The tenderness of the lamb and tangy yogurt complimented the cauliflower perfectly! A little time consuming to make but so worth it Alhamdulillah. Thank you Heifa!
Made this for Iftar last night and my in-laws were BEYOND impressed! This recipe is mouth-watering but definitely cut-out some time as the components need attention to detail but are so very easy to do. Anyone can make this and feel like a star chef in their own home! <3
Thank you, Nour!
I am not a huge fan of lamb, do you think I can pull this recipe off with maybe beef shoulder? Love your recipes!
Hi Huda,
I dont see why not! Just cook the meat till tender; may take the same amount of time as the lamb would.
Made this yesterday and all I can say is yummy!!! My hubby and I loved it. Thanks for the great meal!
I’m not very experienced in cooking lamb meat, but this zahra bi laban was excellent! The meat is so tender and juicy 👌👌 I’m also not experienced in cooking yoghurt sauce 🙈 so my sauce curdled (I think I heated it too quickly) but I’d seen a trick somewhere which was to blend it if this happens, so I did that and moved on with the recipe and it turned out delicious! Thanks, Fufu!
I tried to make yogurt sauce several times and its always a fail.. the yogurt becomes lumpy. I havent tried your receipe but would love to. Would adding the room temperature roasted cauliflower to the hot yogurt sauce make it lumpy or should i reheat the cauliflower then add it?
Hi Isra,
You do not need to reheat the cauliflower before adding it to the yogurt. Here are a few tips to avoid a lumpy sauce: Make sure all the components of the sauce are well blended or incorporated especially the starch. Do not cook on high heat-keep it low to medium letting it simmer and stir occasionally until you achieve desired consistency. If yogurt is too thick, you can always add more broth to it as well.
I hope you give my recipe a try and are successful!
Delicious as always, this recipe doesn’t disappoint! Very precise and practical steps and measurements. It came out absolutely amazing, reminds me of the jameed flavor in mansaf. This yoghurt sauce was awesome and I chose to fry my cauliflower which really brought another great taste, though less healthy! Thank you.
If i use 2 heads of califlower do i double the yogurt and spice measurments?
Hi Nina!
If they are two large cauliflowers, I would make more yogurt sauce especially if you will be adding more lamb too.
Can I make this the night before serving?
You can and then warm it up the day of.
Such a delicious recipe ! It was a hit with the kids too !
The flavor of this is amazing, cauliflower is my favorite vegetable. My yogurt did curdle a bit, next time I will warm it before adding the hot broth. Can’t wait to make it again!
Another meal down! I’m making a goal to make everything in your cookbook! My husband was so impressed when I made this for him! Thank you !