Kis Shish Barak

This is Mirna's shish barak dumplings sold raw and ready to cook at home — a bag of three dozen hand-made meat dumplings, portioned and ready to go straight into your own yoghurt sauce or into the freezer for later.

Each dumpling is rolled and filled by hand: a thin, supple dough wrapper enclosing a filling of spiced minced lamb and onions, sealed into the traditional half-moon shape. They freeze beautifully — keep a bag in the freezer and you can have Mirna's shish barak on the table in under 30 minutes any time the craving strikes. They cook from frozen without any need to thaw.

To cook: stabilise plain yoghurt on the stovetop (stir in a beaten egg, bring to a gentle simmer while stirring in one direction only), add the dumplings, and simmer 15–20 minutes. Finish with dried mint and a drizzle of garlic fried in butter. At $6 for 3 dozen, this is exceptional value — and a genuine piece of Lebanese home cooking to bring into your own kitchen.