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Syrian · Levantine

Shakriyeh

Non-vegetarian

شاكرية · shakriyeh

Tender lamb simmered in a silky, garlicky yogurt sauce that is stirred constantly so it never splits, finished with dried mint. A cherished Syrian home dish, especially in Damascus, served with vermicelli rice.

Shakriyeh is a Syrian main course, ready in about 1 hour 55 minutes and made with lamb shoulder and yogurt. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 40 min
Total
1 h 55 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
694

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cover the lamb with the water, bring to the boil and skim. Add the onion (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), bay leaves (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp salt and simmer until tender.

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw lamb.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the yogurt (opens in a new tab), cornstarch (opens in a new tab), egg white (opens in a new tab) (if using) and remaining salt in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) until smooth. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly in one direction, until it thickens and comes to a gentle bubble.

    Never stop stirring until it boils — that is what keeps the sauce smooth.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the lamb and about 250 ml of its strained broth to the yogurt (opens in a new tab) and simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sauce coats the meat.

    • 10 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Fry the garlic (opens in a new tab) in the ghee (opens in a new tab) until fragrant, stir in the dried mint (opens in a new tab) and pour into the sauce.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Syria · Commonly attributedAssociated with Syria, especially Damascus; also cooked in Lebanon and Jordan.Also popular in Lebanon, JordanMore food from Syria
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Stews & braises
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
tangy, creamy, garlicky, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Yogurt · Onion · Cardamom · Bay leaves · Cinnamon
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, ghee
  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg white

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

694 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 717 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 12%
  • Fat 67%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy694 kcal97 kcal
Protein37.7 g5.2 g
Carbohydrate20.6 g2.9 g
Net carbohydrate19.4 g2.7 g
Sugars12.9 g1.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.2 g0.2 g
Fat51.6 g7.2 g
Saturated fat24.6 g3.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol146 mg20 mg
Sodium1110 mg155 mg
Salt equivalent2.8 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
913 mg
Calcium
374 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
72 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
123 µg
Vitamin C
5 mg
Vitamin D
0.6 µg
Vitamin B12
4.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg white.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The egg white and cornflour are insurance: with them the yogurt can simmer without splitting.

Common mistakes

  • Adding hot broth to cold yogurt, which curdles it — heat the yogurt first.

Serve with

  • Serve over rice cooked with toasted vermicelli.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat very gently, stirring; do not boil hard.

Variations

  • Chicken shakriyeh: Use bone-in chicken thighs and simmer for 30 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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