How to Cook Frozen Sambousek, Kibbeh and Warak Enab
By the Mahabati team3 min read
Fry or bake? Thaw or not? Simple cooking steps for frozen Lebanese pastries, kibbeh, warak enab and trays, plus what's worth keeping in your freezer.
Every Lebanese home used to have its mouneh: jars of makdous, kishk, jam and olives for the winter. Today the freezer does a lot of the same job. A few bags of sambousek and a kibbeh tray can save a busy week, or a Sunday when guests turn up early.
But frozen food only tastes right when you cook it the right way. Below is what's worth keeping, and how to cook each one.
The golden rule: don't thaw the pastries
This is the most common mistake. If you leave sambousek or rekakat to thaw, the dough goes soft and they open up in the oil. Take them straight from the freezer to the pan.
Sambousek, rekakat and kibbeh
Fry meat sambousek from frozen in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden. Cheese sambousek needs 3 to 4 minutes. Rekakat take about 3 minutes. Put them on a rack, not on paper, so they stay crisp. Kibbeh balls go into deep hot oil for about 5 minutes.
Fatayer and mini manakeesh
These go in the oven, not in oil. Bake spinach fatayer from frozen at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Mini manakeesh with zaatar, cheese or kishk also bake from frozen at 200°C, until the bread is cooked and the topping is hot.
Warak enab, kousa mahshi and shish barak
These come ready to cook, so you skip the long part: the rolling and stuffing. Put warak enab in the pot while still frozen, so they keep their shape. Cover them with water and lemon, put a plate on top, and cook on low heat for 45 minutes.
Kousa mahshi go into tomato broth frozen and cook for 40 minutes, until a fork goes in easily. Shish barak go into the laban while it's cooking, for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring the whole time, or the laban will split.
Trays and ready meals
Trays are already cooked and only need heating. Heat kibbeh bil saniyeh covered at 180°C for 25 minutes, and take the cover off for the last 5. Batata soufflé needs 30 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered so the top goes crisp again.
Stews like fasolia, bamieh and molokhia only need gentle heat on the stove, for about 15 minutes. Stir so they don't stick, but go easy on the bamieh, because okra breaks. Rice isn't included, so cook it at the same time.
Hummus is different. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, never in the microwave. Stir it well and add a little olive oil before serving.
How long does it keep?
Most frozen items keep for about three months. The exact date is on each label.
Where to get them
Our frozen Lebanese food is made in our kitchen in Keserwan. Order at least two days ahead, so we have time to cook, pack and freeze everything properly. We deliver in Beirut, Metn and Keserwan in the morning. The store also has makdous, olives, pickles, zaatar, kishk, and fig and apricot jam.
Living abroad? You can also send food to your family in Lebanon. And if you'd rather have food cooked fresh every day, take a look at our meal plans.
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