Yogurt Sauce (Labaniyya) Syria and Lebanon Milk, both fresh and sour, and particularly in the form of laban, is a very ancient ingredient in the cooking of Arabs. In certain soups, laban is added at the end of the cooking and just allowed to become bot, without boiling. In this case, there is little danger of it curdling. However, when laban is called for in the actual cooking, precautions must be taken in order that it does not curdle or separate. This is done by gently stirring over low heat till it comes to a gentle boil. 2 eggs, beaten 3 cups laban or plain yogurt 3 cups cold water 2 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, crushed Salt to taste 2 tablespoons dried mint In a deep pot, combine the eggs and yogurt and stir until well blended; then add the cold water and stir well. Place over medium heat and with a wooden spoon stir gently until the mixture comes to a boil; then reduce heat to very low. In a small saucepan, melt the butter; then add the garlic, salt, and mint, and sauté over medium heat until the garlic turns golden brown. Stir the garlic mixture into the yogurt sauce and taste for seasoning; then remove from the heat and serve hot as a soup or as a sauce for other foods. Serves 6. From "From the Lands of Figs and Olives" by Habeeb Salloum and James Peters middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy buy the book!