This month’s Daring Cooks Challenge is all about home made cheese. The host Sawsan of Chef in Disguise, challenged the cooks to go cheesy this month. She provided many recipes for cheeses but I had to skip many as they use rennet which is made fro bones of animals. So I selected Lebanese cream cheese or curd cheese known as labneh and curd cheese balls known as labneh korat for the challenge. The labneh can be spiced according to our taste and be used as a spread for crackers or bread slices. Labneh korat is curd cheese balls often served as appetiser by rolling the balls in sesame or pepper. I drizzled honey on the labneh korat along with some spices and they tasted delicious. You get a buttery creamy taste when relishing labneh korat and it kind of melts in the mouth. I served labneh along with cream crackers and my daughter went crazy. Whenever she returns from school she asks for the spread and when I was out of stock she has been pestering me to make another large batch.
Preparing Labneh doesn’t involve any recipe. So I will just give you just the procedure. You need home made curd/ yogurt to make Labneh and labneh korat. I have a detailed post on making curd at home. If you are new, please check this link on home made curd. I prepared curd with 2 litres of milk. Mix curd with salt to taste. Take a strainer and line it with a muslin cloth. Pour the prepared curd into the strainer. Cover with a plate. Place the strainer into a bowl and place the whole setup in fridge overnight. The next day, discard the water collected in the bowl. Remove the cheese collected in the cloth. This is labneh. You can add salt, pepper powder, basil, chilly flakes and any spice according to your taste and serve it as a dip or spread. If you think the spread is very thick you can add little milk to bring it to spreading consistency.
After you prepare labneh, there is one more step in making labneh korat. Place the strainer with the labneh in a bowl, cover the labneh with the muslin and place a heavy object on top. Keep it in fridge for 2-4 hours.
gayathiri which milk u are using ? fabulous one
Drooling!!!!
Very nice one akka…
wow that is quick and easy… actually as you say – not much work, but resulting item is delicious!!!
Sowmya
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I can’t blame your daughter
both labneh creations look heavenly
Too gud gayathri…..u r an amazing cook..
Wow…Looks super yumm….
looks mouthwatering….:)
Wow, those mildly spice cream cheese balls drizzled with honey,cant ask more.Very attractive.
i think I have to make this soon, it too tempting!
Both recipes looks superb akka, i wonder how you think/ come across such recipes 🙂 amazing
They look delicious!!
Wow!! So creamy ..
Looks superb and very inviting too
such a lovely post you have done…no wonder your daughter will be asking for more.
something new looks so good!
Looks delicious! I’ve never tasted labneh, but now I must try it!
Congratulations on the cheese !!! They look really good.
You have a nice space here….
Cheers !!
Gauri.
Great job! I love your photos.
the pics are stunning Gayathri…I’m on a cheese roll these days. So must try this next. Btw, when you add the salt to the curd before straining, it will become kind of smooth and beaten, right? Is that how it is? And roughly how much lebneh did you get with the amount of curd you used?
Cheese with honey is a really delicious combination – these balls look beautiful – great job!
This looks so yum and easy to make!!